The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-09-21

men themselves suspect for their feel
ing of unrest and Encouragement.
They are not hard up" but busted
that's the plain truth. We are five
miles from town, and the carfare there
and return is 20 cents, so that the men
are thrown on their own resources and
are compelled to remain in camp. They
have been used to the freedom of San
francisco, with it's myriad attractions,
and the contrast is disagreeable. Most
OF the men, know, are practically PEN
nlleSS, and to be so in what is practi-
cally foreign country is, to say the
least, tantalizing. But conditions are
bound to improve; they are i'm
proving. August pay is expected
will make all the difference in the
world. Company E has started a COM
pany canteen, supported by the COM
pany fund. Each man is given ticket,
to be paid for on the arrival of his pay,
good for 81 in trade at the canteen,
where tobacco, pies, soft drinks, con-
densed milk, etc., are sold at less than
usual retail rates. 1t is the general
verdict in the company street that it is
the best institution they have yet or
ganized. All have the privilege Of
bathing at Waikiki, with its fine sandy
beach and delightfully."- warm water.
And the necessity in this warm climate
of bathing is turned into our chief
pastime, many going in twice day
and remaining several hours at time.
Brown canvas suits have been issued,
so that, although neatness in q blue
uniform would be out of the question,
the brown can be used for loafng about
in camp and for drilling and the blue
saved for dress. Canvas uniforms, too,
are verv cool and durable, which is an
important consideration in making the
htoly Etc
jungles and over rocks and mountains
which the men are accustomed to make
while off duty. Sunday is practically
a holiday, as there is no duty from
reveille to retreat calls. And during
that interval few are found in camp.
Large watering carts are now driven
through the camp at frequent intervals
through the day, tending thereby very
materially to solve the dust question.
On September an important order
was issued by command of Major Gen
eral Merriam, constituting a military
district of all the Hawaiian territory,
with headquarters at Honolulu and
with General Charles King in com
mand. All troops present numbering
nearly 5000 officers and men, were con-
solidated for administration into two
camps one, Camp Mckinley, I'M
der command of Colonel Thomas III.
Barber, comprising the First Infantry.
New York Volunteers, and the battalion
of Second United States Volunteer En-
gineers, commanded by Major Lang
fit; the other, called Camp Otis, being
made up of all expeditionary forces
here, the commanding officer being the
senior officer of those forces present.
This leaves Colonel Barber, the First
New York and the Volunteer Engineers
still the permanent garrison of the mill
tary post which they came out to
establish, and which 1t seems as
though they were to maintain. General
Merriam returns to-day to San Fran
cisco by the Australia, and undoubt-
edly his experience and observations
here will be the foundation for sugges-
tons and reports to Washington which
will materialize here in orders" in two
weeks time, more or less.