The San Francisco call., 1898-08-23
BY PRIVATE FRED A. HEALY.

CAMP DEWEY, July 26.-The Peking is scheduled to start on her homeward trip tomorrow, and consequently every man in camp who has moment to himself is busted in compiling close ly written and much-soiled manuscript which will serve to cheer and comfort the folks at home.
 There may be lots to say which will interest and amuse friends and reia- tives, but the monotony here has be- come sc deadly that little. or nothing occurs that would hold public attention for a seconds time. Everything is so constant and recurs with such regu- la-ity that 1t is hard to imagine it could possibly interest any one. Rain con- tinues day and night with such per sistence that a clear sky would be to the American army before Manila as great a marvel as was the moon to the crusaders before Ascalon. We go to bed in wet clothes, we get up and dress in the morning in clothes still damp. They become still more damp as we stand in line for rolI-call. Drill makes them wringing wet. in which condition they continue until We retire to the ele- gant privacy of our shelter tents.
  say they are indeed great convent ence and comfort to troops in the field. They are light to pack and as rule they are dry and serviceable. The only fault the troops find with them is that they are too small. If they were about eighteen inches longer and had an ad- oitionaI width of say two feet they would be infinitely more comfortable and just as easy to carry.
 Yesterday the sergeant major LOOK boat and some men to row 1t (for be 1t known the volunteer non. com, De ne corporal or sergeant, never under any circumstances does anything in the way of manual labor, in which respect he differs from his regular brother, who not only tells the men what to do put shows them how to do it. Possibly most or our non. cOms. have an excellent reason for not following this example in the second particularly and started off to Cavite to call for the mail which arrived by the Newport. With com mendable and characteristic Judgment he brought over the papers ana leIt the letters behind. He is not popular ln camp to-day
 The cracking rifle fire which goes on almost continually in the trenches and sounds for all the world like huge brush fire has had the effect or work ing the boys into a perfect fever or lTn- patienCe to take a hand. IO-Ody d re- port has obtained circulation to the eff feet that General Merritt will await the arrival of the fourth expedition before commencing active operations. The corresponding depression among the rank and file is great indeed. The news of the terrible slaughter which was measured out to our gallant namesake, the First Regulars, before the defenses of Santiago has been received here, but the effect is hardly what would have been anticipated. There was both much sorrow and admiration among the boys, and the desire for vengeance was so strong when the story was first told that I don't believe there was man in the whole regiment who would not have been willing to attempt the stor1ning of Manila with a single platoon However, if the mills of God grind slowly they likewise grind surely, and I suppose our chance will come sooner or later. When it does come am sure the whole regiment will say, Let us do as did our boys on the other side of the world, and. whatever the end we will have done well.
 This is an exceedingly peculiar war In some respects. Here we are within easy range of the Spanish cannon. The situation of our camp is easy to de- termine, notwithstanding the trees which surround it, and still it Is not shelled. Why this is thus am unable