The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1897-09-27

After an even two weeks of the
toughest camp life it was ever their
lot to experience, the members of the
Thirteenth regiment reached home Sat-
urday at 6 o'clock D.. m., tired, be-
draggled and weary and bearing every
evidence of trying siege of real army
life.
The order to break camp was pro-
mulgated at z o'clock in the morning.
but owing to canvass being wet from
the rains of the previous day, the for
NAL levelling of the white city did not
occur until 1880. At that hour the
drum corps and buglers sounded the
assembly and at a signal from Colonel
Mates, Old Glory was lowered and
simultaneously the poles were pulled
from under the tents, allowing the tenn
porary village to collapse and fall in
a series of disordered heaps on the
ground.
There was no end of amusement
found in the incidents attending the
striking of camp. The boys were in
a merry mood and many a lark helped
enliven the work of preparing the tents
for shipment to Harrisburg. One par
ticular source of enjoyment was the
on the Hungarian people who flocked
into the camp to gather up the refuse.
One big woman was greatly aggra-
waited by the soldier boys persisting in
defeating her in her effort to get away
with a load of straw. She would gather
up an immense bundle, tie it up with
a rope and balancing it on her head,
start for her home.
Rnfnrn c 40 20
ever, some mischievous rascal would
touch a match to her prize and in great
CONSERVATION she would hurriedly get
from under the blazing bundle and
disappointingly watch the flames de-
YOUR it. Time and again she would
get a bundle on her head and start on
a quiet, roundabout sneak to get be-
yond the lines, but each time she would
encounter a fire-bug and up would go
her burden in smoke.
SHE BECAME DISGUSTED,
At last she became so utterly dis
gusted and mad all over that she gave
up her fruitless efforts and left the
place, saying, as she passed along,
some certain things which it would be
safe to wager could not be translated
with the aid of any ordinary lexicon.
There was some jeerlng and mock
ing adieux as the soldiers were de-
parting on the train, but there was
not even the semblance of violence.
The trip home required four hours, but
despite the longing to reach their des-
tination the time flew quickly in fun
and frolic and was easily the most en-
joyable period of the two weeks alb
sence. .. ...
There was a rather small number of
people at the Delaware and Hudson
station when the train pulled in, due
to the fact that there had been no
definite announcement of the time of
their arrival quite a large throng,
however, quickly gathered and before
the boys were ready to march to their
''armories" a thousand or more well
comers were in and around the sta
tion.
Company f. under Captain Fellows,
marched direct to the West Side. Com
pany G, of Montrose, took the 6.15
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western
train, Company II reached home on a
Providence car, and Company E took
the next departing Delaware and Hud-
son train for their headquarters in the
Maple City. The four central city COM
panies, headed by Lieutenant Colonel
Mates and the headquarters staff, and
in charge of Major Stillwell, of the
Second battalion, proceeded to the ar
mory to the strains of johnnie Comes
Marching Home," and other appropri-
ate airs.
The boys We're cheered all along the
route and Colonel Mates had to fire.
quently acknowledge with a smile--all
that his military strictness would al
low-the hand-clapping and waving of
hats and kerchiefs, which was pro-
voked at every street intersection as
soon as the stair came into view.
HIS WORK APPRECIATED.
1t was evident that even the civil
ians had appreciated the excellent and
most praisewOrthy manner in which
the lieutenant colonel had carried out
the important task which so suddenly
| and unexpectedly devolved upon him.
He expressed himself as being highly
gratified with the conduct of his COM
| mand and will have some nice things
to tell Colonel Coursen, when the lat
ter gets back from Cottage City.