The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-09-28

letter to the Binghamton Herald
from Charles w. Fetherolf, formerly
of The Tribune, under date of Sept. IL
from Camp Mckinley, Honolulu, shows
that the First regiment of New York
volunteers, with whom he is camping,
is thoroughly disgusted with it's sta
ton on the island in the Pacific and
Is very anxious to get home. In part,
Mr.. Fetherolf says:
THE blues are rampant. Men who
have gone through four months Of
campaigning with more or less hard
ship, and never thought of complaint
ing are now bitter in their denuncia-
tion of existing conditions. Just where
the blame lies no one appears to know.
All feel, however, that the officers Of
the regiment are not at fault.
Food is so scarce that the men sim
ply can not get enough to eat. After
undergoing several hours OF hard work
the soldiers have to go away from their
miserable apologies for meals, with
the pangs of hunger only aggravated
by morsel that would scarcely suf-
flee child one year old.
NOT VARIETY ENOUGH.
THE variety is not sufficient to keep
an active man in health. A retired
United States army officer living in
Honolulu, in an article in a local pa
per, deplores the food supply we are
| receiving and makes the assertion that
| we are not getting anywhere near what
is due us according to army regula-
tions. The intense feeling over the
| matter aroused the officers, who made
ha Sh of
| rations, with but little or no results
so far as the enlisted men can see.
For the first time since leaving
Camp Black the men of Company II
and the whole regiment for that matter
has not been paid regularly at the end
| of the month. The men have no money
| with which to buy the necessities of
life. Even if they were paid, their
| wages would be nothing in view of the
! fabulous prices charged here for many
| articles of food. Even fruit, which we.
before hand, pictured as being as plen-
tiful as the fruits of our northern
aomes, is so scarce that many men go
/ for days without tasting a bit.
II was charged ten cents for a small
! cocoanut, grown here on the island
At home I have seen the same article
twice as large sold for half the price
Pineapples are fifteen cents each. Eggs
at present, are fifty cents a dozen, al
though am told that they are cheap
er some times. Milk brings thirteen
cents a quart. Beer is sold everywhere
where there are those with money
to buy it, at two glasses for twenty
five cents. No smaller quantity than
a quarters worth is sold.
HARD To sLEEP
Board flooring is now being placed
in the tents The men have been sleep
ing on the ground. The mosquitoes de-
prive many of sleep and rest nights
and some relief has been found by
sleeping outside the tents on the
ground.
"The one consideration, I am told
that caused the location of the camp
in this miserable hell-hole was that il
was the only place where water could
be secured
"The supply is surface water of g
wretched quality. 1t is pumped by
windmills into tanks from which dis
tribution is effected by means of pipes
laid above or very close to the sur.
face of the ground. Not only is the
| water SO warm as TO be almost un'
drinkable, but there is hardly enough
of it to meet the bare necessities of the
men.
"As a result of conditions there are
a significant number of men sick. II
would be hard to find an enlisted mar
in the entire company who does moi
long to get out of this horrible place
They believe that their stations. now
that the war is over. are at home
with their wives and others who may
be dependent upon them"