The San Francisco call., 1898-04-19

New Orleans, Louisiana, and the slg- nal ofhcer of the department Will see that the necessary arrangements are made for turning it over to the quar- termaster's department for shipment With the First lnfantr'7
 Major Edward Field, artillery in- spector of the department of California, will act as assistant adjutant- general during the absence or Lieutenant Colonel John B. Babcock, who goes with General Shafter as adjutant-gene- ral in the field.
 General Merriam, who is to tempo rarily command the department of Cal lfornia during the absence of General Shafter, will arrive this morning to aS- sume command He will probably re- main in San Francisco till the Cuban trouble is settled.
 Lieutenant Colonel Henry w. Law ton, Inspector Generals Department, United States Army, has been assigned to duty as inspector-ge general Of the de- partment of California. It is rumored at headquarters that Colonel George H. Burton, Inspector General for the Pa cific district, has been assigned to duty in Chicago.
 The Southern Pacific Company has secured the contract for transporting the troops from this city to New Or leans and Chickamauga Park. Bids were opened by the department quar- termaster, Colonel Moore, yesterday at noon, and it was found that the bid of the Southern Pacific Company was at least $5 lower than that of any of the others on the rate for the men, while it's bid for the freight was near ly up to the regular tariff.
 The Southern Pacific, Union Pacific, Rio Grande and Western and the Mis- souri Pacific were the only bidders. ! l~,1 6n hi i'd of the Southern Pacific was $40 man and $2S0 a car for freight; the figures from the other roads were about $45 a man and regular rates for freight. In addition to it's rates the Southern Pa cif1c promised schedule of ninety-one hours to New Orleans and hfteen hours from there to Chickamauga. C. J. Wilder represented the Southern Pa cific at the opening of the bids, D. w. Hitchcock and E. M. Shoemaker the Union Pacific, W. H. Snedaker the Rio Grande and Western and l.. M. Fletcher the Missouri Pacific.
 The call for bids asked for trans porting for 21 officers and ATS men for New Orleans, and officers and 150 men for Chickamauga. Those for New Orleans are the infantry companies and the 150 for Chickamauga include two batteries of light artillery.
 The troops will be transported on two trains, each run in two sections. In the first train will be twenty-two cars carrying the light batteries, and in the second will be forty-eight cars carrying the First Infantry. The men for Chickamauga will start first, and the infantry will follow tomorrow. The trains will be rushed through as fast as possible.
 There was no unusual commotion at the Presidio last night, The men are ready to march and eager for the con fiict. An if1fantryman said last even- ing: "If it were left to the vote of the First Infantry whether we should have war or not every man would vote for a war; There has not been @ single desertion since the order came for the regiment to go to the front. One man who went away few days ago had to get out because he owed more money than he could pay. Two that left some time before went to the Klondike. The men are weary of the monotony of life in the barracks. They all want the excitement and activity of a campaign and will take the danger along with the excitement. If the war scare should blow over now several of the men would jump out for the Klondike at the first opportunity. Now that there is a chance of a lively campaign every man wants to get to the front and see what is going on."
 The instruments of the First Infan- try Band are not packed away for shipment, but will be carried to New Orleans by the bandsmen. The band will play tunes while marching through San Francisco and one of the tunes may be Dixie" as the leader has had a special request to play that tune which is so dear to the Southern heart.
 Several policies of life insurance have been issued to army officers who have been ordered to the front. Yesterday a prominent officer took out a policy for $10,000. He said that no extra premium was charged on account of the war risk and that there was no condition in the policy against his de- parture from the United States.
 Lieutenant Colonel Randolph, who has been ordered to Chattanooga, will go with General Shafter.
 The following circular was issued yesterday:
 SAN FRANCISCO, April IS. 1898.
 To Principals-Ladies and Gentlemen: The occasion of the passing through the city, en route to New Orleans. of the United States troops, commanded by General William E. Smarter, has been deemed fitting one to impart lesson