The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-06-25


fsr better equipped ard better drilled than
Ia California regiments. IN fact. net
s1Eie volunteer regament In either 81 tas
q expedIt.ongwalch@ 4ve thus ~ sailed
~ Maria. -wrh ne possible excepssan
ogcSarsae asa8 50 ~ess- sized. for srv-
10 as re r4rs frv-n ire NORTH In spste
Of these facts. The Washington soldiers
hsse been ignored persisten;iy by the mil
.xry authorities and kept In the back
ground. For weekz ttsasi szve- besG he'd
,nxtae big Fontana warehouse. while al
oeAe- rezignents were assigned 10 .as
cssxpg a. the Preside or Camp Merritt
Ar officer Of the regiment said yesterday
when questioned By the Posi-Int@iitgsnce'
mar that lac did not feel free TO express
his opinion fully or tbs subject, and Il was
not a soldiers place 10 cr.tis.se or cofzi-
pAan.
..fssx." he said. "you ran put this Taueh
dos n. and make It as emphatic as voc can.
every Officer ard man in the regiment
want. TO 40 20 Manila. We ali want 10 see
active service, bur we must take what
cones and make the bes. Of t.
A young man from Seattle who gave up
q good business TO enlist said:
.sYou may be sure that should not have
beer here had thought that .e were 10
lie kept here 70 do garrison tnsT. There
are dozens OF Ig who gave up good saiar-
lea TO enter the army. believing saat our
country needed US; bat now we are kspt
here az garrison ornarnsnts, tnoHSanH
miles from home and apparently no pros
pDos OF seeing active service. We fsei,
sS.f m
oy the government or by our STATE IN tue
matter Of ray We have been under arms
nesr.v tsso month"; and have not get re-
es4yed one cent from either state or na-
ton Many OF us had a little money wnen
we entered the ranks. but that WAS soon
gone and since then IL has been hard
GRAFT. II we could only get the money due
ia from the state II would not be go tad,
fs,ti 10 men who are accustomed 20 having
money In their pockets, II comes hard nor
to have a cent. We cannot even ROE on
the street cars except the one or two lines
which do not collect fares from soldiers.
A visit was paid 10 the quarters Of Com
pApy IA. OF Seattle. and there the best idea
ofs,ha ssnt!men. n the troops was OBJ
ta.ned. Il IL located on the fourth floor OF
the old warehouse. IN the east end OF the
bunding The ceilings are high, the ven
,lIatiou Is good. and there IL plenty OF
room. \ jolly lot OF soldier hoyE was
fo11nd. They had Just come ia from drill
ana locked the picture OF health Hard
work has melted away surplus. and the
snc,s are in the condition Of trained ath-
Ietes When asked II they wanted 20 go to
Manila. every maa within hearing was all
attention, and from half dozen came the
question:
-is there any chance for us|''
One tall young fellow with franz: coun-
tcnance and clear eye. who was formerly
counected with Seattle paper, said:
.lf IL were put to a vote. every man In
bof} hattai,ons would say let us go TO
Manila
He WAS asked as to the truth OF the re-
porss tha. there was talk of deseslons II
the troops remained here. He replied
promptly:
II don't believe man would leave. OF
coHrs'e, We are All sorsly disappointed. we
expGENd 40 ~snssk~ the trip 20 Manila and
all are anxious for shot AT the SpAniards.
but II We are kept here Ne viii make tho
best Of IT, OF course, !, hardly seems fair
TO VIZ that We should be sent 50 far from
home 10 guard California pozta. when
there are plenty OF men right here avail
able for the purpose Just say for the
company that we are not deserlsrs. but
soldiers who Will obey orders
Tire son OF a regular army Officer. who
Is n private In one OF The Seattle eompa-
nles. Was very frank and emphatic In his
statement. He declared that che suea were
in perfect health. barring a few colds.
we are proud of our country and our
state he saia end will d. not a.ng 10
disgrace our uniforms. while dsappoirft-
cd that we have nor been detailed 20 80
10 Manila, We are moi complaining OF the
treatment We receive here We gat lust as
good food as ~ need and plenty Of t. al
though there was 4 time when We were In
hard lines because a skinfnt contractor
sought 10 make money hy Starving us
That affair was soon re@fifed ard va ftow
have IN abundance. treah vegetables are
donated hy patriotic rtt'zsns. ana ;ho gov
ernntent supplies thr staples
There has been some 4 Inpiaiut because
We have been kept here in The warehouse.
instead ~ being sent u the Pres!aio or
camp Merritt such complaints are
gfoundiess. FOR as mAitar Of fact our
quarters are Ear superior 20 thosf II amy
troops ROW here. We have 4 roof over
our heads. and the Heor whns hard.
makes az Ea0i a raj IS the ground and
IS much cleaner We caa cat without hay
irg our foot Glled VIA sand. whsra is
more than can oe sa.e OF the men AT the
campo
we want 90 80 to Manila. hu, Il w.
can't 20 SO. ~ woa,A prvtee to 80 hack 10
oar own SKATE ard - garrison du.y."
A. the Fost-ln.e.aeeneer man taraed to
leave thote Vas a chorus:
a. .-4--s 81, g., Nf...tr,