Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1898-07-22
ENROUTE TO MANILA.
Harry w. Donovan Writes Of
HIS Journey to the
Philippines.

ISLANDS EApEDIIl\)N.
On board s. s. Indiana, Pacific
Ocean, 3 days out of San Francisco,
June 80, 1898.
EDITOR TRANSCRIPT (Little Falls
Minnesota, U. $. Az: 1t has been
my desire, ever since the North Da-
kota troops went into camp at
Fargo, to write the Transcript
letter describing our camp life aud
Journeys; but it has seemed impossi-
BILE to get an opportunity 70 write
such Il letter. Now that we are
safely embarked on our journey
across the Pacific. with no room
aboard for drilling, and few military
duties to perform, spare time is more
plentiful than it WAS in camp, and l
will use some of mine In letter-writ-
ing.
The North Dakota troops were
modified at Fargo; going into camp
Nav 2. Our village of tents was
named after the present governor OF
the state. and was situated on the
prairie near the Red River OF the
North. about two miles south OF the
business part OF the city OF Fargo.
Although anticipation has Its
charms, a retrospective view Is otten
the must enjoyable one. This Is the
case with our life in Camp Briggs
As we look back at it from the want
age point which the lapse VI time
gives ue, we see how fortunate we
were. The camp was almost Ideally
situated from a sanitary po'ht u
view. for military purposes and 1or
general convenience. The level pra'-
RE made a fine drill ground, as we
realized when we got to climbing
the hills of SanFrancisco and Preside
Heights. With beans, POTATOES.
fresh meat. coffee and bread to eat,
and all the water we wanted lor
drinking and bathing purposes we
lived in luxury compared to our
present lot, about which will speak
later.
Our regiment, the First North Da-
kota, consisting Of two batal'ons
G. companies commanded by Lieut.
Col. w. c. 1'reuman. left Fargo. May
2e for San Francisco; the first hat
TALON going over the Northern Pa
citic, and the second over the Great
Northern. as far as Portland ore''
from which place both battal'ohs
took the Southern Pacific to Frisco.
I might write half a day describing
the trip west, but as it Ia 80 long a
thing of the past, will simply men
ton the points Of particular interest,"
At Valley City we stopped Tor the
boys of Co. q to bid their nome
friends farewell: at jamestown the
members OF Co. H-to which the
writer belongs-were given a similar
opportunity: at Bismarck the boys
of Co. A said their last go"d-oyes'
and finally, Co. K OF Dickenson' TOOK
leave of it's friends near midnight OF
our first day on the road.
Those who arose early on the
morning of the 9th Of May enjoyed
the strange and wonderful scenery
of the Bad Lands, an ever fertile
field for geological research. Inc
finest Rocky Mountain scenery came
between Livingston and Bozeman'
The deep. green valleys, between
mountains whose rugged, craggy
tops rose into the clouds aud IN
many places were covered with snow
all formed u picture at once beautl-
full and awe-inspiring.
At Portland, where we lett the
Northern Pacific, we had the grand
eat reception, :ovation, and send
OFF, OF the entire journey. Here the
ladies' of the Oregon Emergency
Corps fed US bountifully; their
daughters covered US with flowers;
and all sent US away feeling that the
Oc6rt6 u SuC pCOpAOOA M W
large and their patriotism deep.
Mount Shasta, in northern Call
fornia, was the finest piece OF scenery
of the. trip. Nearly all day Monday
May 80. we could see this noble peak
the most magnificent in all the
Sierras. We were fortunate In hav-
ing good weather and seeing 1t clear
" from base to. summit, the latter
being obscured by clouds and mist
much of the time. OF it's 14,444 feet
Of height, the upper 5000 feet are
covered with snow OF dazzling
brightness. All the lower portions
are heavily timbered with forests OF
flr.e and Z on the day we saw the
mountain 1t was over-hung by u
blue haze.
Tuesday morning, the 31st. ofMay'
we left the Southern Pacific at Oak
land. and marched aboard the great
ferry boat "Tiburon," which took
IA across the Bay Of San Francisco.