The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-06-27
GOSSIP or THE CAMP.
From a staff Correspondent.

Camp AlGer, June 26.-lt was ninety
eight in the shade during the middle
part of yesterday and to make life the
more miserable a clustering wind kept
the air filled with dust, At $50 o'clock
heavy storm set in and for half an
hour rain fell in torrents. 1t was the
first in three weeks and was as well
come, almost, as a call to arms.
The prolonged dry spell and intense
heat caused no end of worriment at
camp headquarters, and brought for
ward once more the proposition to
change the site of the camp General
Graham is alarmed at the decreasing
water supply consequent upon the
drought and it Is strongly moved to
change the camp site. Yesterday a
Washington man went to him to secure
permission to construct $1,000 natator-
ium on the edge of the parade grounds
General Graham advised the man not
to spend any money for such purpose
at the present site of Camp Alger as
there was a strong possibility that the
camp would be moved to Manassas
Junction.
Colonel J. r. Barnett, of the one
Hundred ana Fifty-ninth Indiana is
threatened with court martial for
maintaining an instrument Of torture
for the punishment of offenders in his
command. The instrument is a saw
horse twelve feet high. Offenders
against Colonel Barretts' discipline
have been compelled to sit on the cross
bar for hours at a time. one DriVat"
who was guilty of drunkenness being
sentenced to two four-hour sittings.
He collapsed during the first four hours.
When the newspapers brought the mat
ter to the attention of the war de-
partment Secretary Alger sent an or
der to General Graham directing him
to inquire if there We're any means or
punishment praCtiCed i'm the camp
v hi"h were not presented in the rCCula-
tiOnS. General Graham transmitted
the query to the division commanders,
they to the brigadiers and the latter to
their regimental commanders. Colonel
Barnett received the query upon his
return yesterday from practice march
to Difficult Run His answer and it's
outcome are awaited. Colonel Barnett
is another regular army officer who
was taken off the total disability pen
sion list and given charge of reGi-
mcnt In yesterdays terrific heat, MIN
ty.eight in the shade, he marched his
men twelve miles in four hours and
half Every ambulance in the col.
umn was filled with prostrat"d men.
Private Mensell, of Company II, Sew
enth Ohio, was making some purchases
in NeitChc's grocery store at Falls
Church, yesterday, when a little girl,
a daughter of one of the clerks, asked
him why the postohice didn't give the
soldiers their letters. Her father asked
her what she meant. She replied that
the soldiers letters were thrown into
the back yard at the postotlice, and
offered to prove it by taking her father
there and showing them to him. Pri-
vatc Mensell remembered that COM
rade. Private J. a. HOuck, had received
| only ten out of twelve letters that his
father had sent him and decided that
the little girls statement might he
worth investigating. He went to the
postotliCe and there sure enough, at a
| point in the rear of an Outbuilding he
| picked up twelve letters, seven of which
| had been opened. The other five, it is
/ presumed, dropped out of a bundle
| when it was opened and lay unnOticed
| by the party who carried them there.
| Al of the letters were from Sixty
! fifth New York men going out. The
| fact that the SiXty-ffth New York
| was paid off last week is a significant
! fact. Colonel Welch, of the SiXty-tifth,
/ took the letters to Washington and re-
! ported the matter to the authorities.
! Two inspectors were at once detailed
| To run the matter down.
j. b. Carruthers. John r.. Riehc and
! & f. Bateman are the secretaries in
/ charge Of Young Mems Christian as
sociatiOn work i'm the camp, They is
sued d statement on June % which con-
tanned the tollowing
( The state committee at Harrisburg, un-
! do the wise diueOtiO OF its members,
ana state secretary, Mr.. Bard, Is duips
more for the soldier boys who nave lett
/ its state than any other state committee
in the country. Instead of leaving !ts
men to bc cared for through the genera!
! channel, il has ON the field. both here ana
| at ChickamauGa, terts and men that its
| work might be properly prosecuted at
these points
/ our statistical record for the last ten
days win be of interest as indicating
! some of IN, tangible results and showing
marked increase in all lines since our last
report, June ~: Total attendance, lL2i9;
daily average, l,422; letters written, 5,H2i;
! daily average, 5Y2; gospel meeting, 1854;
| average 1856; one entertainment, $50, In
quirics regarding their eternal interest 50.
For the last three days ending June %,
| figures are as follows Attendance 5,Jl2;
| average 1888; letter, 1855; average $50
! one gospel meeting, POI; one entertain
! mcnt $50; Drofcssed conversions, II. Yes
tcrday's attendance was 2,0S0; letters
! written, III.
We need much wisdom on our part and
the prayerful cooperation by the friends
Of the boys all over the state that the
most may be accomplished In these few
strategic days ttat may remain to us be-
fore these, the pride of the homes Of our
beloved commonwealth, may he hurried
on TO other scenes less favorable and pro.
pitious for the life that now is and for
that which is to come.
Quartermaster Sergeant Isaac Brown
left yesterday for home on a five-daS
! furlough.
First Lieutenant Edward Burkhouse
of Company G, is suffering from ty,
phoid fever He has been removed L
the Fort Myer hospital. The physic,
ians saw the attack is of a mild form
and that they expect to have him back
with his company i'm short time.
| Mr. and Mrs. James Harding anC