The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-08-03
CAPTAIN GAINES CAVALRYMEN
BEGINNING TO APPRECIATE
THEIR FORTUNE AT LAST.
Volunteers From Other Commands
Besieging the Officers For Trans
fer to the Yosemite and Sequel
Service-Comparing Notes.
Especial Correspondence


Preside, July S1.-Captain Gaines
cavalrymen are feeling better They
have recovered from the first bitterness
of their disappointment at being left
behind, and now are not only fairly re-
conciled to their fate, but are looking
forward to the Yosemite trip with
pleasant anticipation. Many of the fell
lows have gone about practically stock
ing themselves with tobacco and other
camp necessities, while others are blow
/ ing what little cash theT have left on
fishing tackle, rigging up just as they
would for q summers outing. One
thing that helps to cheer them on is the
jealousy of the troops less fortunate.
In this vicinity are camped thousands
of volunteers who enlisted before the
Utah men, pitched their tents here long
before our arrival and still linger on
with no prospect of a removal Among
these is the Seventh California regi-
ment, well equipped and finely drilled
made up largely of well-to-do young
Califernians, who are compelled to drag
about and sleep in the sand and dirt
from day to day and night after night,
Withou1[he shadow of a hope to be sent
to the front, but almost in sight of the
comfortable homes they left. 1t is they,
if anyone, who have the kick coming,
and the idea that the Utah troopers
have played in exceptionally hard luck
is erroneous. Every day their officers
are besieged by volunteers from other
commands striving to be transferred
into this, but of. course, none of these
applications can be considered.
Lieutenant Smith has completed his
labors on the board instructed to APP
praise the horses and officers gone to
Manila, and chose for the troop a
number of the very finest mounts. Now
all available clerks are busy with Troop
Clerk Hardness, making up the final
acquisitions and muster rolls, prepare
tory to leaving next Friday. Yesterday
morning Captain Game was for the
second time chosen officer of the day
for the entire post, remaining in the
honorable position until this mornings
guard mount
Today Private Ray r. Pratt of Salt
Lake received a letter from his brother,
Roy, with the rough riders, at Camp
Cuba Libre, Panama Park, Florida.
Among other things, he wrote:
You talk about hot weather. Hades
can not hold candle to Jacksonville.
We are III one long, continuous sweat,
from sunrise to sunset, each day. We
get up at 430 and are busy till dark
Our prospects for moving hence are
slim. General Lee, our commander, is
already fairly wOrshiped by the peo-
pie down here and we have an idea
that the head push do not care to allow
him an opportunity to add more to his
popularity by gallant service. Bryan
is camped about 300 yards from us.
having arrived just lately. About 1900
of us are camped on the st. Johns
river, at the park where Corbett and
Mitchell scrapped. At this point the
river is wider than the Mississippi. Oc
casionally one of US takes q jaunt
down the river to the ocean, or to st.
geons and castles. At first all the men
were allowed to take their horses and
ride wherever they nleased between
duty calls but some of them got on their
jags and amused themselves by lassoo-
ing policemen and colored gentlemen, |
resulting in restrictions on the issuance
Of passes from camp. The darkies |
here are getting rich selling fruit and !
sweetmeats to the soldiers. 1t takes |
100000 to pay Us off one month, and |
since we are six miles from the nearest /
town, Jacksonville, the fellows will buy |
any old thing that is offered them. One /
man cleared 81, 900 in one week selling |
pictures. When we first arrived and !
were pitching our tents the boys killed /
two tarantulas and a spotted adder I
here are numerous and |
enormous, often measuring ten or u /
feet in length. Negroes make all kinds
Of ornaments of the rattlers' skins"
Mrs. Sol Siegel of Salt Lake City.
who called at camp yesterday, sent
1ut to Captain Gaines troopers today
quantity of candy vegetables and
fruits. JOHN METEER