The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-08-17
At AON1AUK POINT
Hurry and Chaos of Prepar-
alton For Troops.
SHIPL0ADS ARE COMING
And Nothing as il Should be
at the Camp.
SHIPLOADS ARE COMING

-
and apparently TO their great consterna-
ton, a locality of interest TO The nation
at large. The sparse year-round inhAb-
itants Of the out-ot-the-way corner and
OF the vicinity. Immediately and remote,
though they have been quick % appreci-
ate tine money making possibilities IN the
suden influx Of goId-buttoned army off,
GERS and interested civilians have already
awakened 10 the unfamiliar. undreamed-
/ OF conditions that the establishment Of
! Camp Wikoff has precipitated upon them
! They have not, at any time. accepted the
/ situation philosophical The news OF the
coming OF the unknown startled them
/ into clamor OF -unorgaaized.
and, whether or not, quite futile Simple
! lived credible folk, they are easily thrown
/ into panic by rumor OF a danger they
/ have not heard of before. and only to
! be quieted by contact with ii, intimate
and without hurt. SO they are still afraid
OF the fever, and grumbing. and threat
! ening ''the govment" darkly. They are
not sure that the soldiers will be agree
| able neighbors in any way: and the ex-
! pectatioa OF Drawing and thieving keeps
! having, with an eye TO the main chance
| thrown their houses open to strangers.
! they are being constantly treasured and
are now in fair way to the recovery OF
their equanamity One serene-facsd old
lady. however. was heard devoutly to
thank God that the town had gone tee
| total"
The little village OF Montauk Is COM
posed of half-a-dozen houses, scattered
wildly and not 10 be seen from the station
There is nothing at MontAuk Point, now,
to repay a casual spectator for the dis
comforts of being there. and will be moth
ing for some time to come. The station.
the only resting place. is the centre OF
all confusion. The offices and waiting
rooms are just large enough 10 fit the
needs of business under ordinary circum-
stances; they are crowded from early
morning until late at night in these days.
The company mas a force OF carpenters
at work putting up a passenger snack"
and the long platform is heaped with lum-
Der and scantling, and crowded with busy
workmen. who are ready with a belabor-
ing tongue when civilians get in their
way. The telegraph-rooom is in the sta
tino house, and has a guard at the door
TO keep out ununiformed persons who
have something TO say TO the chief opera
tor. If it were not so the operators would
have elbow room for work. One telephone
has been placed in the waiting room
and may be used at the unusual rate
OF seventy-hve cents for three minutes
conversation. Even on payment of this
the civilian may be interrupted at any
moment by the government officials.
who have the first call upon all facilities.
There is always crowd in the waiting
room. and always others pushing in and
out as though their business was a mat
ter of life and death. The company Off
Gals have distracted faces. and hardly
time enough 10 answer the questions put
to them.
rhe station is long, hard way from the
camp. which is hidden behind range OF
steep sand hills-a mile or more from |
the general hospital the nearest point |
The camp is spread over an area OF sew
eral square miles, and the only approach !
to ii Is over a military road Of recent |
making. This road Is impossible for Pc |
dsstrlans in wet weather. and makes hard !
walking even when the sun has dried the |
sand. The residents Of the district have /
hitched their horses TO every vehicle IN /
their possession. and put them in service 1
as cabs-for nire at nigh rates. They 4
have been warned. however that in an 4
emergency they viii be called on by the /
government and be required 20 carry off, /
Gals at a much less compensation There /
is not much to the camp proper-groups 4
Of tents here and there that the / so 1
cavalry men have put Up for their quar-
ters the hospital and Ped Cross head
quarters. the tents Of Gen. Young and star.
and some isolated tents vito no apparent
purpose; in all. nothing whatever Of a
spectacular character.
The station IS the one point of interest
Of TO the aorVh from the platform. II the
frel g+1t-cars do not cbstruct the view.
one can see a few tents OF a detachment
of colored cavalry 10 the south are The
quie- waters Of ne Sound. 70 the sast lie
the sand hiIls OF Camp wfkoE. and % the
west rs1e railroad yards stretch and widen
into a confusion OF freight and paEsenger
cars sheds, newly laid tracks. and sand
and gravel 4 number OF tugs. fishing
sloops. and government vessels ride a.
anchor In me Sound and on the horizon
white sails and trailing smoke snow
against gray sky. The immediate vicln-
!ty % the station Is crowded with az
kinds Of temporary sfleds-E1ssds for the
commis2ry stores. for TIE GuaTte-uaster' .
stores. for ire lz5orers. w4o refuse 20
sleep n teats; for har1esziuz toe mules.
and for many other purposes On the
beach twenty cd tents are up for tfa
accommodation of the Co1nrn4ssary De-
oar-ue-.t. ard near them - ths pace
wners ne znbulancss ard commas aary
"a goas are kep< E4aea not n use. TIE
whole locality 81 81 = coaze-;sd STATE.
1sapsd Win supplies. s1.n hardly room
'0r the wagons % move about in
Tne station platform - bury pace. /
'7r S5s camp headquarters is locatsd csers
10 az !1ten-s ard g1-poseE- TIE chssf +
7fficers AID lnsir orse-i!sa come and 70. (
r.ys a1s are gwen or6ers IL .ou6 voscse /
Rows q aooosrte1 h5rsss ere tst.serss 90 (
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