Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1898-06-14


Lord have mercy on the Spaniards.
We were loaded Wednesday forenoon,
and ! see the Chicago and New York
papers say we made very impos-
ing appearance, as we sailed away.
Well, We didn't sail, which shows
that Uncle Sam is not only keeping a
close censorship over the telegraph,
but also over the mails, no letters
having been sent from here since last
Monday night unless carried by pas
sengers. SO | don't know when this
will reach you, and then l will send it
! to personal address for fear it might
be suppressed if addressed to the pa
per.
Basking in the Bay.
Well, all day Wednesday and Thurs
! day we laid out there in the BAY.
Hot is no name for tive actually
sizzled. This morning there was IA
general kick. and we steamed into the
, slip and were allowed to 90 ashore.
What relief! On shipboard there
was nothing to do but sweat and cuss
during the day. At night, however,
! the scene changed. A breeze cooled
the atmosphere, and then you were
treated to genuine glimpse of regu-
lar army life. The chaplain held di-
vine services in the cabin. Twenty
feet away a soldier was raking in
the sheckels dealing Mexican monte;
another was throwing chuck-a-
luck, and another was dealing stud
poker" while there were numerous
quiet games of draw poker going
ON wherever there was room to form
Il circle upon either deck. Nothing
Intoxicating, however, could be had,
and ice water was D cents per glass.
The regular drinking water is from
condensed steam, very warm and not
at all palatable. Notwithstanding all
the discomforts. the general health of
the men is remarkably good. Not a
man in my company has answered
sick call since joined. The regulars
fare better than the volunteers, be-
cause the officers are onto the ropes
and there is necessarily much red
tape. Have seen none of the Illinois
or Rock Island boys, though | hear
some of the Illinoisans are some
where here.
1t rather makes me think of the old
town to see on all the knapsacks and
cooking utensils the brand Rock Isl
and Arsenal" We have fine magazine
guns, six shots, 30 calibre, and guar
anteed to kill at two miles. That's
about as near to the other fellow as
many of us care to get. | guess.
| send kindest regards to all old
friends and acquaintance, and will
write again.
We may sail tomorrow-but there
is no telling, there being all kinds of
rumors i'll circulation.
DAVID j. VAN METER,
Co. T, 18th Inf. IT, 5. A.
Reserves Assigned.
The Moline Dispatch correspondent,
with the naval militia ut Key West.
says in his last letter: The assirn-
ment of the men is being made very
slowly. although quite a number have
learned their fate since | wrote the last
letter. The largest draft made of late
was for the Newport, gunboat The
men taken from the Moline contingent
are: Moline. II. II, Woodwork. II.
kearney Wilson, Joseph Wilson, Guy
Darling, David Patterson, f. A.
Sprague, +. b. Cowdrey, o. b. Rich
ardson; Rock Island, &. V. Stolpe.
William Tubbs; Peoria, Messrs. Brad
ley. Giles, Day and Butts. The follow
ing have been assigned to the Mont
gomerv, third-class cruiser: Keo-
kuk. A. Absolute. iirst-class fireman;
Moline, j. W. King, second-class
fireman; Davenport, j. Gilmore, see
ond-class machinist; Sheffield, W.
Wiegandt, second-class fireman. A.
Wollenzein and Hans Recover, two
coal passers, have also been assigned
to the Montgomery. TO the Puritan
the following have been assigned:
Moline. Robert Switzerland, ID. Olsen.
a. +. Dahlgren, William Hovt, A. b.
Munson, ID. X. Williams; Davenport,
Z. Dopp, A. DAILY. John Perrigo, the
Moline boy who is suffering with in
flammatory rheumatism. is still at
Green hospital in Kew West. -