The herald., 1898-11-12
FOR MASTERING OUT
PREPARATIONS AT AGRICULTU'
RAJ PARK COMPLETED
WARM AND COMFORTABLE
Only Two Tents-Pharmacy and Hos
pital-Grand Stands and Stables
Fitted Up for Occupancy

Before sunset this evening the Seventh
regiment, California volunteer infantry, will
once more have resumed the routine OF the
camp and the discipline of soldiers life.
For couple of weeks it will be Camp Mer-
rtt over again-with difference. There
will be no cold, raw winds from the bay, no
damp sand dunes to lie on at night, no fever
laden atmosphere from an abandoned Chi
nese graveyard. The new snug, dry, shell
tered quarters, ready for the boys today,
deepens the regret so often expressed that
Los Angeles, and not San Francisco, had
not been selected as a rendezvous for the
Seventh and other regiments. Many light,
sprnging step, supple form and bright eye
would have been among the living in all
human probability, who are now camped lin
low green tents, whose curtains never out
ward swing" But be that as it may, the pres
ent camp ground is idyllic as military camps
go.
Agricultural park has been changed and
renovated beyond recognition by the most
persistent frequenter of agricultural horse
trots in the past and trots devoid of familiar
pumpkins and old-fashioned bed-quilts of
later years. The pavilion has been fitted
as a barracks, with sleeping accommodations
for 500 men. This is probably the choice place
of the entire camp, but what companies will
occupy it has not been determined. The
betting ring has been boarded in and shell
tered from wind and weather, and the old
grand stand and pool sellers shed have been
swept out and hunks built for 400 men. The
racing stables have been cleaned, white
washed, disinfected, foored and fitted to ac-
commodate 400 more, including depart
ment for the officers cots. Each set Of
hunks is built between uprights and stand
some three feet off the ground. Two men
can sleep in bunk, or more correctly,
four men on big wide shelf, and dozen in
section, with ample room for comfort.
The kitchen on the north end, under the
grand stand, was busy place yesterday
afternoon. A mammoth range was already
in place, with two fifty-gallon tanks for
coffee. In row beside it were six bright
little gasoline stoves, each provided with a
shining new boiler, with cooking tables and
other necessary appurtenances. In an ad-
Joining room the quarters of three fine, fat
beeves and eight sheep were being cut up
into steaks, roasts and joints for today's
rations. In addition to this there were 1000
pounds each of bacon and salt pork, the en-
tire supply government inspected and the
best to be found in the market
Adjoining the kitchen is the mess room,
with long tables and benches to seat 600
men, so that they will have to be reset but
once. w. A. Kelley has contracted to feed
the regiment at l21A cents meal, and will
furnish plates, knives, forks and cups, as all
such utensils were turned back to the gov
ernment when the regiment left San Fran
cisco. A. Melsted will have the supervision
of the kitchen and mess ROOM
On the west side of the upper entrance,
under the shade of big pepper trees, are two
white tents, the only ones on the ground.
One of these is the drug store, fully equipped
with medical supplies, and the other is the
big hospital tent, lined with green, sent by
the Los Angeles Red Cross to the Seventh in
San Francisco. Both tents are foored and
the latter has fourteen cots, furnished with
clean, white sheets and other bedding. The
floor is covered with rugs, and altogether the
hospital looks inviting enough to make it an
object to get sick for the pleasure of being
there.
The hospital corps are REGULARS" from the
Preside in San Francisco, all wearing the
now familiar Red Cross brassart on the left
arm. E. S. Barry is Major Choate's mounted
orderly, and under him are two hospital
stewards, j. A. Allen and Morris Lothrop,
and Nurses r. H. Sanborn and Torrey
The city companies will go into camp early
in the morning, with Company of Pasa-
dena following soon after. During the morn
ing the various companies from the surround
ing towns will arrive, with H and E from
Ventura and Santa Paula at 1890 Each
company will probably go from the station
to the camp at once, where the first work of
settling will be filling the ticks with fresh,
clean hay. Colonel Berry says there will be
about 1900 men in the park, and the new
camp will probably be christened by COM
mon consent Camp Pratt, after the muster
ing out official.