Middletown transcript., 1898-07-16
FROM THE FAR PACIFIC.

the information it imparts and o
special interest to many because Cor
poral POgue is known to them. III
went from here to Colorado years az
for his health, had served term in th
regular army on the frontiers, and a
the first call answered his country
summons:
On board steamer "China,n Wednes
day, June %, 1898, Sth day out from
Frisco, 5 p. M. 6 hours later thai
you.
MY DEAR, DEAR, AUNT:-At las
| am on my way to the Philippines
We will be in Honolulu tomorrow
morning if all goes well, where l will
mail this to you, which will be 5,4OC
miles away end not quite half the dis
tance. When at Manila your littl'
nephew will be nearly $4,000 milel
from you. and the chances are good tt
face Spanish bullets and tropical feverI
and numerous dangers, from diseases
and earthquakes, but Pm a soldier by
choice and education, and the old de.
sire was toe uch for me Il simply
had to 60 back in the army. I did fee
little bit blue when We pulled out OF
Denver. Clara Moore was on the
street when the Regiment marched
down and 1 only had time to shake
hands and say good bye I never lost
step. She went down to the train but
could not find me or the car was on.
1t made the tears come to my eyes to
see mothers, sisters, sweethearts, and
wives, bidding the boys a sad, fearful
good bye. No one said a word to a
tall, blue-eyed soldier who simply
gritted his teeth together and would
not let himself believe he was crying
from sheer lonliness, l thought of you
all, and knew how differently it would
have been had my little sister and
sweetheart been there to see me off.
We spent two weeks in Frisco and
had time to see many of the sights, in
and around the beautiful cities of San
Francisco and Oakland. We came on
board Tuesday and anchored out in the
Bay until Wednesday noon when
promptly at P. M. we steamed down
the Bay. this big steamer leading the
fleet of four transports, China,'
Zelandia, Senator and Colon, with
5000 we'll armed soldiers and sailors !;
bands playing, whistles screaming,
cannons booming, tears, cheers, and
noise.
We expect to see the VOLCANOES of the
Sandwich Island group tonight, and
be in port in the morning and coal up
for the other 5000 miles to Manila, and
long, hot trip it will be too. Pretty
we'll down toward the equator, 1900
souls on this one ship alone, counting
soldiers and sailors.
TIP. M. IT'S now l O'Clock in the
morning with you and all are in bed
when in Manila, there will be just one
days difference, the change occurs at
the 180th Meridian. Have had my
supper on deck, of beans, boiled fresh
beef, potatoes with their jackets on,
boiled onions, hard-tack, coffee, minus
milk or sugar. We have retreat here
at sunset same as on land and in
Garrison roll call, the bugles sound
off, the gun is fired, and our elegant
brass land plays The Star Spangled
Banner while it is being slowly hauled
down. Old Glory is the soldiers deity
and this is always very impressive
ceremony and we take off our caps with
the right hand and place it on the left
shoulder. You would hardly kno W
your tall sun-burnt nephew, in his light
check trousers, blue-fannel shirt, little
cloth cap, tan slippers and almost
bronze skin-shirt open at the neck
showing the white, baby skin under
meath. l take off everything in the
morning when | get up and run up on
deck with only a towel around my
waist, and plunge into big canvas
sail filled with fresh salt sea water and
stay in about Is minutes and then rub
down with coarse heavy towels until
we fairly shine, then dress up clean,
and eat good hot breakfast and feel
splendid all day, read, smoke, write
letters, drill, and lounge around talk
ing with old comrades I knew in the
army years ago. The band plays all the
popular airs, and at night the boys have
singing, guitar, naDjD, and mandolins
out, and the time slips past very pleas
antly. l have seen whales, flying fish,
sharks, porpoises, and the real sea gulls
and frigate birds which circle around
US for days and days. Thousands of
miles from land the ocean is as blue as
blue can be, and the wind is soft and
balmy, SO sweet and pure, it fills my
lungs and very being with new life and
health. The waves sparkle and scinti-
late in De SUMS rays, and glistens like
pearls, as the big ship glides thro' them
with hardly ripple, and her big
powerful engines throbbing and vibra-
ting all thr0' her frame like some liv-
ing monster breathing. The Chinese
crew hopping around and jabbering
like so many monkeys and the little
clean white. clad Japanese walters; none
Of the orientals compare with the big
broad shouldered Americans, clean
limbed, straight square backs and mus
cular development, Uncle Sam should
be proud of these men who 60 to rep
resent this government in the far away
islands in the Western hemisphere, and
if am among the fortunate ones who
live to return to our native land, how
proud you will be to meet me with wide