The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-11-13
Christmas Boxes for
the Boys in Blue.
TO MANILA FREIGHT FREE
BUSY SCENE AT THE QUARTER
MASTERS DEPOT.
Fond Mothers Sending Good Things
to the Camps in the Philip
pines-Harvest for Ex-
press Companies.

Uncle Sam will play the part Of Santa
Claus for his soldier boys at Manila He
has been loading up in San Francisco with
Christmas gifts which are to be distrlb-
uted in the Philippine camps. Under in
structions from the War Department Col
onel Oscar A. Long, the depot quarter
master is receiving from relatives and
friends of the troops now in Manila all
gifts they may choose to send thtther.
The Government warehouse at Gas Mission
street is the point where all these gifts
are received. 1t is stated that the East
ern express companies have more than
twenty tons of these presents now on the
way to the Pacific Coast. The people of
San Francisco and other California towns
are bringing in parcels and boxes to add
to the ever growing pile, and the people OF
Washington and Oregon are not less ac-
tive in contributing to the accumulation.
The contents of these boxes are a mys-
terry so far as those who receive them are
concerned. The officials on duty, when
know and they don't care. The consign-
ors are not required to disclose the nature
OF the contents.
The people who are sending these gifts
TO their soldier friends cannot conceal
5heir anxiety lest their offerings may not
reach Manila, and if they do. that they
get there during the ChriStmaStide. They
nave heard some reports about the diver
sion of supplies sent to the Philippines
and they fear lest something of the kind
may befall the Christmas boxes. Their
anxiety on this score is soon set at rest
when they realize that the boxes are
taken charge of by officials responsible to
the QuartermaSter's Department who
turn these presents directly over to the
soldiers 70 whom they are addressed.
w lille Uncle Sam is sending these boxes
free to Manila and putting on no reStrfc-
uOns as TO size, the express companies
are reaping a rich harvest, charging all
that the traffic will bear. AS high as So rs
he n l !.
ing less than five pounds for transporting
1t from little town in Pennsylvania The
citizens of Monongahela, Pa, united in
sending box of Christmas presents to
their soldier friends. The express charges
on ii amounted TO more than $685. The ex-
press companies are holding back boxes
on which the charges have not been pre-
paid at Eastern points, and many a poor
Fellow will experience disappointment on
this account.
Yesterday about nine tons of presents
for the Thirteenth Minnesota Volunteers
were received. The shipment was in
thlrty-flVe mammoth boxes. An organi-
cation in Minneapolis known as the Min
nesota Association of Naval Veterans
sent four boxes addressed to DeWey's
fleet containing assorted books and
weighing 200 pounds.
The branch of the Quartermaster's de-
pot on Mission street is visited daily by
people making inquiries as to the regula-
tons governing the sending OF Christmas
poXeS TO the sailors and soldiers in Man
liza. Everything that is offered is accept
ed. Every package ought to be plainly
marked with the soldiers name the LET
ter OF his company and the State designa-
ton and number of his regiment. There
IS no charge whatever for shipping to
Manila, and no receipts are given unless
the consignor brings one already filed
out. All boxes from places outside of
San Francisco should in addition be adj
dressed Care Of o: F. Laong, Chief
they will be duly forwarded to the Phil
ippines.