The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1898-07-19
FROM THE FRONT.
PoRT TAMPA City. June %, 1898.

PORT TAMPA CITY, June %, 1893.
DEAR ONES ALL:-After seven days OF
being on "the Sunny side Of Easy street"
l have found time TO write, and after
reading this think you will pardon me
for not writing before.
A week ago Monday we, that ia our
company, were sent TO 81. Petersburg TO
relieve B. company who were on guard
| here. The order came at $50 a. m. and
at 9:15 a. m. we "fell in" in heavy march
| ing order, dog tents and all. We march
ed to Port Tampa and boarded the Plant
system steamer "Clark," an antiquated
side wheeler, for our destination. ~.
| Petersburg lies about 10 miles west by
southwest from here on the opposite side
Of Tampa Bay. In going a across, the
| wind blew hard from the southwest AMI
the boat which would not be allowed To
run anywhere at home, rolled good
| deal and caused some sea sickness. The
boat has the lines of coal barge and
looks like fury. | think the amount OF
bacon the boys had eaten was partially
| to blame for the sea sickness. At any
rate we that did not have 1t (sea-sickness)
derived considerable enjoyment watch
ing those who did. Some way | miss all
suoh things. | never get sick nor can |
rake up any excuse 10 get "otf duty"
| Guess | am too tough. We landed at st.
Peters burg at / p. IN. and marched out to
b Co.'S mess for dinner. They seemed
sore at us for relieving them, and after
being there week | don't blame them.
| In fact think | would have been will
ing to give up going to the front If l
could only have staid at 81. Petersburg
on guard during the war. Prior to b
company going there, A Co. from the
10th u. 5. Infantry were there, and when
| they left, they walked into saloons and
Liter ally chased them out. AS one OF the
| boys tersely expressed it "they created
rough house in general" Nearly all OF
the population in st. Petersburg are
northerners and large per cent from
Illinois and some from Chicago. They
knew what class of people were In the
1st Ill. and tried TO make 1t as pleasant
as possible for the boys and the boys
knew enough not to spoil good thing
They donated a large hotel for barracks
and did every thing they could to make it
pleasant for us. 81. Petersburg lies on a
| bluff and the main street runs from the
main pier straight back to the "lake y
This is body about the size of the court
house In Hiilsdale, and we, right from the
shores of Lake Michigan, had hard time
to call it lake and keep our faces
straight. 1t Is fed by five large springs
and has been improved until it has the
appearance of an artificial Lagoon In
Jackson Park, only 1t Is smaller. The
water Is said to be the best in the state;
some say It Is not equaled south of the
Mason and Dixon line, and 1t is the only
water that the surgeons have pronounced
aft to drink" since we left Springfield
1t Is clear as crystal and absolutely
tasteless. In fact the "lake" made 81
Petersburg. The town Is almost exclu-
sively winter resort under ordinary cir
cumstahces but az present it's a lively
place, owing TO the fact that all the water
for the troops now at Tampa and for the
transports is taken from here. The
largest Ice manufacturing plant in Flori-
da is also located here. In fact that Is
the only industry they have, and that IL
done almost entirely by machinery com
paratively few hands are employed. The
Ice Is very clear and is all one size, 20C
pounds to the cake. Each cake Is pack
ed In sack made large enough TO put In
inches OF sawdust between sack and Ice
so that nearly all waste Is avoided. This
| 10 oil uOho W hhuOhihcilg III law bie
water runs into tank at one end OF the
factory and comes out at the other end In
the shape OF Ice on carrier ready Il
load, In almost the same way that dogs
are thrown into sack at one end anC
sausage is ground out Of the other end o.
sausage machines at county fairs. sup
pose you are familiar with the process o
manufacturing Ice by evaporation so viii
not explain it. One thing, however, tina
think worth mentioning Is the process
has been brought to such state of per
fecticn that the ammonia after evaporat
ing passes into condenser and Is re
duced TO Its natural state ready TO b,
used again, and only loses about pc
cent of Its bulk In the operation. Now
as all pipes are copper and lined with
non corrosive material, and all joints q
air tight, where does the 3 per cent 60 to