The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-10-01

while t, live. 1t used to give me- the
horrors to look at him and hear him say
he Wolld never get home again. began
70 think would never get home either.
On the whole they did pretty we'll for us
az Montauk Point, but it was not COM
Portable for all that. | think If / had stald
there much longer would nave kicked
the bucket. sure.
"The day beforea the Maine Signal
Corps left Camp Wykof 1 was taken
away from the hospital and sent to Fort
Wadsworth, New York harbor. The
hospital here was in tents. and there
We're about ten men to tent. 1t was
fearfully cold in those tents at night and
all of the men suffered horribly from this
ause. didn't care much how things
were coming out. was sick and weak
and couldn't get enough to eat although
! got more food at Fort Wadsworth than
got anywhere else. l at last came to
the conclusion that 1 would never get
back to Portland
Mr.. Fred E. Eastman of Portland, one
of Johnsons employers, had been tele.
graphing and writing to Camp Wykoff
trying to lind out how the boy was, but
could not hear anything from him. His
letters did not reach johnson and he
heard nothing from the kilograms
The day the Maine Signal Corps came
home Mr.. Eastman started for Montauk
Point to find Johnson if he was alive. he
telegraphed Captain Butler and learned
that johnson was in the hospital at Camp
WykoH and was pretty sick, SO Mr.. East
man and the friend who accompanied him
lost no time in getting to Montauk Point.
This place where tbs camp is, is just l16
miles from Long Island City, and 1T took
MIR. Eastman ali day to go to the camp
and return to New York, although he
had five hours at Camp Wykof, which he
employed in hunting for johnson.
Camp Wykoff is well situated in my
opinion" said Mr.. Eastman. The
hospitals are SO placed that they ar pro
tected from the strong winds by high
hills and everything about them seemed
to be neat and clean. There were good
many sick men in this camp Of course,
but as far as I could see they were being
well cared for. 1t was a most interesting
place to visit, but l saw enough in the
hospitals to show me how terrible war is.
l never want to see su,h sights again and
/ hope never shall. /"
MIR. Eastman could not find any trace
Of johnson at Camp Wykoff. He was sent
from one official to another, from one
doctor to another and referred from one
nurse to another, end after five hours OF
hunting through the hospitals Q anne to
the conclusion that JOHNSON bad been
sent away to some other hospital for he
was not to be foundsanywhere. Mr. Hast
man knew that
JOHNS ON WAS NOT DEAD
for record was kept of all the men who
had died and-his name was not among
them. Learning that large number Of
sick men had been sent to Fort Wads-
worth Mr.. Eastman and his friend re-
turne d to New York and the next morn :,
ing went down to the fort to begin bis
hunt again. Here he found J0hns0n's
name on the hospital list ana after sosne.
little trouble was allowed to 90 down to
the hospital tent to look for him. An
orderly was sent with him but the orderly
did not know where the ward johnson
was in was situated and they had to hunt
for ID.
While walking down the street between
the hospital tents, johnson, who Vas "
ing on his cot saw Mr.. Eastman and his
friend so past the tent door. Imagine the
feeling Of that siok boy, who had almost
given up the hope Of seeing hotne again.
when he beheld the we'll known face OF
his employer walking down the hospital
street.
81 just knew Mr.. Eastman was looking
for me-" said johnson IN telling the
story, and his lips trembled as he came to
this part of the narrative. II just knew
he was looking for me, but was so weak
and so happy that could not speak TO
him. He went right past my tent door
and I got out of the cot and stood in the
street looking after him. Mr.. Esstman's
friend looked around and saw me. II
could't speak, but waved my hands
above my head and they came back where
was. !"
"He was so weak that he couldn't
talk said Mr.. Eastman. 81 took him
by the shoulders ana held him up or he
would have toppled over. He didn't even
know my name at first and it was some4I
time before he could speak to u.s."
Mr.. Eastman brought johnson home. i
with him on furlough. That the poor l
sick boy had every comfort on the long,
trip home goes without saying When the
reporter saw Corporal johnson yesterday,
he was very weak and looked like very
siok man, but he was so happy at being
home that the people in the store say be
has been gaining flesh every day. The
boys in the store gave johnson very
handsome gold mounted meerchaum pipe
in token of their regard for him, and this
he Is very proud of.
"There were hundreds of poor fellows
at that hospital at Camp Wykof whom l
wish I could have brought home with
me- said Mr.. Eastman. s.The govern
mont is doing all it can for them, but
am sure they would be better off at home
than they are in that camp.
Corporal johnson says that if Bert
Locke of Augusta, who died Wednesday
at Camp Wykeff, had been brought to the
Maine General hospital, where he could
have been properly cared for he would
have lived, although he was very sick
man.