Sistersville oil review. [volume] (Sistersville, W. Va.) 1896-1901, 1898-09-14
IN SWELLING PROFITS
Of This Oily Gastropod?-Rail-
roads, Which stockholders
Holders OF the Standard and Business
Partners Of Government officials are
interested in. Dictate the Location of
the Pest Holes.

H. J. Duvai, president of the
Florida Central and Peninsular
railroad, is business partner OF
Secretary Alger. The significance
of this fact becomes almost stupefy-
ing when events in connection with
the establishment of the Florida
camp are taken into consideration.
When troops were hurried south
ward in the beginning to prepare
for an expected attack upon Ha-
vana, Key West was selected as the
first point of mobilization. The
choice met with general approval
from army men, but it soon became
evident that there was neither room
enough nor water enough for the
legions of men who poured in.
Then came the summer, which
increased the discomfort of the
troops. By this time it was decid.
ed to postpone the invasion OF
Cuba until the fall, in Difference to
the suggestion of General Miles,
who advocated scattering the troops
throughout the north in small
camps, where they could be thor
oughly drilled.
Immediately there arose a de-
mand that the troops should be re-
moved from the enervating mid
summes climate of Florida and that
they should be sent north in &C
cordance with the suggestion made
by the commanding general. 1t
was confidently expected by the
men that this would be done, and
they rejoiced, although at that time
there had been little serious sick
ness among them.
At the first suggestion Of remov-
ing the men from Florida the rail-
roads at once brought powerful in-
fluences to bear to keep the men
there. The hotels, too, mad derived
a great deal of profit from the pres
ence of the troops and their inter-
est was at one with that of the rail.
roads.
To the great establishment of
most people and certainly of the
officers and men then at the Key
West camp it was announced that
The base Of operations would be
shifted to Tampa. There was a
good deal of grumbling at the or.
der, but the tremendous task Of
loading men, horses, guns, supplies
and the thousands of tons Of mis-
cellaneous equipment was perform
ed as rapidly as possible and the
men camped on an arid plain near
Tampa, which was almost totally
without shade and which, in many
other respects, was most unsulted
for camp.
Their journey to that point was
of a piece with the rest of the ar
rangements for transportation. The
government contracts with the
railroads included first class fare
for each man, with the privilege of
carrying $50 pounds OF baggage.
Instead the men were crowded into
second. class or emigrant cars and
the officers suffered nearly as much
discomfort as the men. They were
supposed to be entitled to a berth
apiece in sleeping car, but in the
whole course of their wanderings
from Florida pest camp they sell
dom had sleeping car accommoda'
tons, and when they were provided
they were of the meanest and most
wretched.
There was no ice water for the
men, but instead, barrels of foul,
stale fluid stood upon the platforms,
blackened with filth and coated
with oil. This was the only pro-
vision that was made for their com
fort by the railroads that were paid
first class fares for their transporta .
ton.
The trains on which the officers
and men rode were handled as
second class freight trains-even
those bearing the sIck-and were
side-tracked and held up for every
passenger train which did not
carry soldiers. Perhaps, however,
more was not to be expected of the
railroads when the facts Of the re-
tention of the army in Florida are
borne in mind. They had their
prey fast, and could do with them
what they pleased.
The camp had not been long at
Tampa when fever began to ap-