The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1898-10-02
TEXAS BOY IN HONOLULU.
The Horrors OF Beinq Sick on Q
Transport Ship.
YOUNG CuSHINCs WRITES home.
He Likes Honolulu and VIII Likely
Renain Therc-Met Gov. Hogg ON
His Honolulu Trip.

nephew. A. 3. Gushing, now with the
Eighteenth United States infantry at Hon.
olulu:
Dear Sis Net.
United States Government Hospital Hon.
olulu. Hawaiian Islands, August 81, 1881
promised to write you from Honolulu. and
although haven't seen much OF the town
yet I've lot to tell and will start In now
and finish my letter whun have seen more
OF the town. From what I've seon from
the hospital windows it's q pretty place
cocoanut ard banana trees in prof,s on.
and lots of shade.
II there's any more Houston boys "han-
kering after" the Philippines, they will
Know what to expect in case they happen
10 get sick on ''the ship that brought me
over expected hardships when | Joined
the army but did not expect them 10 come
on a fellow when he's sick. Well, we left
Frisco Sunday, August 81 at noon was
little seasick, as | expected | would be-
but soon got over that. On TUESDAY
had hot burning fever all day, sleeping
with o1ly a sheer OF canvas between me
and the fogs In San Franc SEQ did it. on
''t'HtS4as itibEteu SICK ana WAS sent to
the hospital. Then began my tale OF woe.
] had had no breakfaat but a cup OF cof-
Fee and all got in the hospital was beef
tea, without salt. AID OF all the sad, sick
ealng things | ever tasted beef TIA without
salt Is, believe. the saddest ana sick
eninges'. But that's All got for two days
NO bread nor toast. nor anything appetiZ-
Ing, and nearly starved | rom smber
Thursday afternoon the widest visions APP
pfafoi hefore my eyes OF feasts o. which
] had pariaken and OF things | would like
TO have 10 eat Thnrsiay night / got a
cup Of cocoa and 1t tasted fine. One OF
,he Colorado volunteers was In the hos
ptal and DR. Bure' a lady physician. sent
out By the State OF Colorado. brought him
down some cocoa and gave M some. She
can newer know how much god she dil me
FTb1ay morning they brought me my beef
tea Il was msd5 from cnricnssd water
ana had distinct black, oily Taste aud
coul5n'g swallow drop OF IL. So. as there
was nothing else TO cat I starved tin about
ii O'Clock. when Dr. Bure brought dom
another pitcher Of cocoa for US. That was
all ] had 70 eat that day And lee ma
cay right here that the starvation di1 not
apply 70 my case alone: there were ten Of
u IN the hospital FOR various ailments
but we all got the same diet except that
Two o. three got q couple or cracinrs--not
hard tack. bat little sodl crackHrs--at each
with the expectation OF having sick men
OIL the ship and when they found
few the brain force OF the CONTROLLING
spirits OF the hospital department was no
strong elough 10 obtain appealing tod from
the ships commisSary or else Major Nor
RS simply didn't care. which | think 4,
more. probable. That day starvation con
tinted and al night my temperature was
l0+ and fraction, Then they commenced
10 battle me In ice water ana feed NE
That night / got cocoa eggnog ami matted
milk 10 any quantity and the next morn
Ing worked them to a queens taste
hadn't got quite enough 10 eat yet, so when
thu nurse came with my eggnog | gave
him quarter and asked him 20 spike
1t little deeper. Well ne spiked it, and
he did IL so well thai when the doctor
came around he found my temperatur1
1903 20 got another ice bath and
wanted TO eat that day. That l. the first
time ever deliberately got drunk, but
m sure III he forgiven, as | did il 'fol
the stomach's sake" Poor devil that
was, was too weak 10 laugh at the sue
cese OF my lible ruse, but Just lookeI a,
the nurse ard grirned That might (Sat-
urday) We Law 10 outside OF Honolulu and
tho next day We went into the dock (You
may be sure | didn't get any SUNDAY DIN.
rer). Sunday afternoon five OF US wcrS
transferred 10 tina hospital here. one pooI
boy was transferred Yesterday to his last
long camp. He's out OF misery, poor fellow
He was delrious aboard ship and got ur
orie night and started home. Gle lives or
PruH pect Hill IN San Antonio). The nurse
cofili 10 nothing with him. but / told him
the cars bad stopped running now ana h,
would have to wait till morning. Their
he wart back 10 bed. He belonged to com.
pany OF the Eighteenth. When came
hers ] was 80 weak ] got nothing 10 eat
bH milk the first two days, Then toast
and milk and today saturday. September
3D. am advanced as far as potatoes and
gravy ! hops TO reach meat soon. a.
haven't tasted fresh meat for nearly two
weeks. II ever get sick aboard troop
ahtp again ] shall keep quiet about It ne
long as | can, as that hospital IL about
the worst hole was ever in. There were
six double hunks In three tiers. so you see
tho space between the hunks was not more
than about two feet. ! WIS on a top bunk
and had perhaps three feet between me
and the deck above, and to make matter,
worse and make us all the more feverlsh
ehe nurses would get their meals--,nice
roast beef and liver and onions, potatoes
etc.--and bring them down aud eat them
right under our noses. | read an incident
once of a Spanish officer In Cuba who
IN passing through concentration camI
pushed an inviting piece OF meat out OF
tho car window and when II was greedily
reached for he jerkcd NJ back and grinned
nt the hungry reconeentrado. Well, our
case wasn't quite that bad. but we were
recoucentrados nevertheless. Major Morris
may be good doctor. but I'll be hanged II
l SEQ how you can make a man well by
starving him to death. and 1t Is n signjfi-
can't fact that since I've been getting more
to eat am getting better l haven't had
any fever now for two days, though they
won't Let me sit up yet. ! read somewhere
Last spring that nothing is considered toc
A.. al lar