The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-11-03
.CAL|FORN|ANS
ARE WEARY OF
BARRACK LIFE
Would Hail a Recall
From Manila.
MANY OF THE SOLDIERS ILL
TROPICAL CONDITIONS ALMOST
UNBEATABLE.
Lack Of Reading Matter One Misfor-
tune Which the People Of the
State Could Remedy
Easily.
TROPICAL CONDITIONS ALMOST
UNBEATABLE.
BY CORPORAL FRED A. HEALY.
Special Correspondence of The Call.


what is his dearest wish, what he at
present desires above and beyond all
else, he would tell you that the one
thing that would make him happy
is to get home Ask him what Is
the next best thing he could wish for
and his answer will be it is to get
half way home. The boys who have
gone through the hardships and dan
gers of active campaigning, who have
endured all the privations and discom-
forts of the trenches and the field with
out a murmur cannot stand the deadly
monotony and wearing inactivity of
garrison life without longing to again
taste those home delights which they
forsook when they changed the white
shirt and patent feathers of the civilian
for the blue flannel and brogans
of the military hero. They argue they
left good homes and well-paid positions
to enlist as volunteers because they
thought that there was fighting to be
done and their country was in need Of
it's young, strong and fearless manhood.
Now, that the fighting is over and the
dove of peace has taken itself to roost
on the broken flagstaff Of Spain, they
say that it is only proper that they
should be allowed to return to the
places in civil life which they left, and
that if Uncle Sam needs a garrison 1t
should be made up Of regulars, or men
to whom soldering is profession and
a means of livelihood in peace as well
as in war.
There have been rumors upon rumors
to the effect that an early departure LOT
the States is scheduled for some OF the
ants OF stationed mere,
and the betting on which regiments
will be the lucky ones and the dates
on which they will leave Tor nome mas
been lively in the extreme, some wager
ing that we are to be the first to go, ana
others that we are to remain until the
last The dates range all the WaV
from the early part of next month 70
q year from next tJanuary AS II Is
nothing Is definitely known, so unce--
taiuty is added to the other specula-
tive features Of the situation. This
much, however. is certalnty-that
ninety-nine out Of every hundred of the
boys down here want TO get home tine
worst way"
Since our arrival in this place there
has been a great deal Of illness In the
regiment, principally fever and dysen-
terry, though smallpox has also MADE
its appearance among the troops anu
has been attended by a frightfully
having thus far died out of total OF
twelve. il l am correctly informed. Thls
scouree has come upon us In its most
yirulent form and all the efforts OF
careful nursing, backed by everything
that medical science can suggest, seem
to go for naught. One of our surgeons,
Cantain A. p. O'Brien, has been placed
in charge of the smallpox hospital, ow-
ing to the long and careful study ne
has made of the disease and the expe-
rience he has had with 1t while on the
Board of Health at home. he cheer-
fully accepted the post, though it is one
attended by great danger ana COM
plete isolation, and the work he is 90
ing for the afflicted should entitle MIN
not only to the highest praise, but to
some more substantial reward at the
hands of his Government. He has sue
ceeded in checking the spread of the
disease at least for the time being,
and have heard of no new cases being
reported in the last few days.
The fever, which is both typhoid and
malarial in its nature and the dysen-
terry have both been the cause Of many
deaths among the soldiery, though l
am glad to say that, while we have
lost some men from both of these
causes, the mortality has been sur
prisingly small, considering the num-
Der of men afflicted. l know of one
company, comprising LOG men, which
could only turn out forty odd men to
drill on one occasion. Yet this same
company has thus far not lost single
man from disease.
This must be ascribed to the splendid
work which is being done by our regi-
mental medical department, and to the
untiring perseverance of Colonel Smith,
who spares neither time nor energy In
his efforts to improve the sanitary con-
IL farc md n
provide for the comfort and health of
his soldiers He and Major Mccarthy
have Just succeeded in obtaining fine
large building, capable of comfortably
accommodating over hundred men,
which they purpose turning into reg
mental hospital in the hope of reliey-
ing the congestion which at present
prevails In the division hospital, and
providing a place where the boys from
San Francisco may obtain the greatest
care possible in their Illness. This
building has been thoroughly renovated
and will soon be ready for occupancy.
Colonel Smith Is also doing all in his
power to provide for the increase of
illness which is expected to come in a
month or two, when the sickly season
shall come upon us in full force, and
when the need for proper hospital
quarters is expected to be even greater
than at present. While I am on
this subject l wish to say to the
people of San Francisco that the
work they have done for their boys at
the front cannot be too highly spoken
of, and is deeply appreciated by the en-
tire regiment, which desires to express
through it's colonel it's deep gratitude
to the ladies OF the Native Daughters
Red Cross Society, the Red Cross So
ciety Of California and to the Fire
mems Association for the noble work
they have done in the cause of human
ity and for the comforts and delica-
cies the troops have been able to enjoy
through the generosity and thought
fitness of these good people at home.
There is another gentleman connected
with the regiment whose work and in
fiuenee among the boys cannot be over
estimated That gentleman is our
chaplain. Father McKinnon. He works
day and night, attending to the wants,
both spiritual and temporal of his
boys, and by his many kindnesses
and by his untiring labor in their be-
half has so endeared himself to the
rank and file that 1t Is no exaggeration
tn saw he Is The most popular man