Morris tribune., 1898-07-13
SOLDIER LIFE IN SAN FRANCISCO.
Everyday Views of Camp Life--Letter
from FliIfred ThOmaSSOn.

the boys at the front. We publish
one this week from Hilfred Thomas
son at San Francisco, where he was
with other recruits for the Thirteenth,
He probably left there last week with
the third expedition for Manila. The
letter was received by Miss Louise
Thomssson, Hilfred's sister.
Camp life here at present is pretty dull,
still we have lots of visitors. l will give
an idea of how we pass the time.
Forenoon. The first call is at 5:l5, second
call $3.50 and reveille $40, breakfast 600,
sick call 700, first sergeant's call 7:15, guard
mount 7:45, drill from $3.50 until 100, din
ner at 1900.
Afternoon. Drill 2:30 to 600, supper 500,
retreat 7:OO call to quarters 9:45, tops 1920.
They are very strict in all these rules, a
person that disobeys them is liable to be
and kitchen detail. 1 have been lucky
enough to escape it so far.
Our grub" here at present is not very
bad. We get fresh meat three or
four times a week and beans, bacon
sometimes it is not cooked very well. The
boys here have been in an awful fix. They
put salts" in the sugar they use in the
coffee, but you know do not use sugar so
have escaped that.
Last Sunday r. S. Stephens he is tent
mate of mine, young man about my own
age, from Faribault, who used to work in
the post office there; his father has a
large furniture factory and Stebbens is a
real nice fe11ow.) Well anyway we start
ed for Berkley across the bay. We were
standing up in the bow of the ferry and
talking when young lady and two sol
diers came up and asked US if we had any
particular place to spend the day, we said
not but that we had thought of going to
Berk1ey to picnic. They then asked us if
we would not join them as they were go
ing to an invited picnic out at fruit
ranch. Well we accepted with thanks. We
took railroad and street cars for about 70
miles before we reached there.
There were about Is in our party. 1t was
just few of the California boys and their
friends, we the only strangers, but we
were from Minnesota and so of course it
was all right, as we are treated with great
respect wherever we go.
This ydung lady who invited US was
Supt of Lady Dept, of the Union Mutual
Life ms. Co. at Frisco Ite1l you she was
swell. You may think it was bold of her
to come and ask strangers that way, but
that is all right here, most all ladies speak
to US soldiers.
The picnic was atsMeek's Ranch the lar
gest fruit farm in California 2400acres under
cultivation, T'te11 you it was atsight tosee,
all kinds of. fruit andn all kinds of trees.
They employ 800 persons, and have pack
ing houses, tenants, large barns and the
house was regular castle. The finest
house in Minneapolis or St. Paul cannot
with it.
When we reached the grounds we
walked around the grounds for about two
hours and picked all the fruit we wanted, |
such as cherries, oranges, lemons, peaches, |
pears, apricots, walnuts, etc, and filled our |
baskets, then we went up to the house |
and lunch was served to US. We were
waited upon by Chinese walters dressed |
in white linen. After we were through |
with our lunch they hitChed upt the horses
to the carriages and took us to tho car |
line. I tell you we were in regular par
adise. Some of the people use the soldiers !
real nice. |
But yesterday was the day here 1 tell |
you, have never before seen such Gel |
ebration. The town was packed just full |
of people. They shot cannons Street cars
had to stop, and the crowd kept on yelling |
for Sampson, Dewey, etc. There was one |
man nearly got killed. He hollered for
Spain and 1 tell you the crowd got after
him He would have been killed had it not
been for the police.
They had the largest parade yesterday
that ever heard of, there was about 1900
people in it, soldiers and citizens. We
were not in the parade,
I met two men from Minnesota yester-
day, they were machinists on the cruiser
Wisconsin. One was Sweede, his wife
was from Alexandria and he said she
forgot to ask her name.
In the evening we went to the chutes.
You maybe, do not know what l mean.
Well. 1 will try and explain, there is an ell
evated railway that runs in circle, the
cars are about the size of cutter, these
cars start at the top and run on this cir
cular track until they reach the ground,
you pass through large tunnels on the
way down. Then there is another chute
that is built like toboggan slide, they go
down in boats into an artificial lake. It is
fun to see them come down, some of them
get nearly scared to death. A man went
down on bicycle last night and tell you
he took dive.
The fireworks were simply grand.
There are also large number of free
shows on the grounds.
The town must have been full of fires
last night the whistles kept blowing all
night.
There are two soldiers here sentenced to
be shot (deserters) and in Tennessee regi-
ment and the other in Iowa regiment we
have one in onr company, but he hasn't
been away long enough to be punished
by death, which is nine days and one
hour.
It is rumored around here that we are TO
sail in a week but hardly believe it,
My arm is awful sore today was vacci-
mated a few days ago and it is just taking
hold of me.
Some of US boys were down through
Chinatown one afternoon and saw some
sights that will remember as long as
live, could not describe them, person
would not believe it until they sawit. The
police can do nothing with them they
4