The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1898-10-03

I d
of the long journey. but do not COM
plain much, as long as the food is
pretty good. Some of the boys feet
are swelling, and they kick about hav-
ing to go barefoot, but it is my first
chance, and I rather enjoy it. We
have measles in the hospital aboard,
but as I have had both the American
and German article do not care, I'M
| less they are Spanish.
| We are going at great speed, and will
probably wait for none of the others.
Sighted the Puebla at breakfast di-
rectly south, SO guess she can keep up
| all right.
You should see the sugar they bought
at Honolulu; just like pulverized glass.
| Left the Puebla behind over the east
ern horizon tonight.
August 12th-Fair day; slightly
cloudy; getting gradually warmer.
| Nothing to do but lie around and read
novels. There is an abundance of old
| literature on board, with magazines
dated fifteen years back.
I guess / have neglected to mention
that we have Murat Halstead, the
writer, on board Think he came on
| at Honolulu.
In the artillery battaIions there are
all nationalities, and last night we had
a regular entertainment on the deck,
all kinds of songs, speeches, college
cries, ETC.
The officers held a mock court over
Mr.. Brooks, Associated Press CORE
spondent, last night. I was asked to
act as stenographer and was prepar-
ing to see some fun, when they con-
Guided they would not need me. l
saw them pouring water on his head
| however.
AS near as can see from looking
/ out of the window, we are in the same
place we were the first day out. A
| Samson Court has been in session for
several days They don't do a thing
| but fine the boys from So to one
months pay, and from ten to thirty
days hard labor Some of the con
/ demned'' are standing in the starboard
galley pulling ropes attached to swing
! ing fans over the heads of their su-
| periors.
"Oh, this army is great, and war is
| hell"
| August 13th-Fair and warm; the
sea for the last week has been as
smooth as the bay at San Francisco
| Slowed down to five knots yesterday
afternoon and this morning the Pue-
bla is in the rear. 1t is rumOred to-
day that a man died in the hospital
last night. Men are all cheerful, and
do not complain as they did on the
first trip; in fact we are enjoying this
one.
Although I cannot help thinking of
| home, aside from that I have not a
care, and to awake in the morning with
the whole day before me, instead Of
eight hours hard brainwork, is GER
tainly a load off my shoulders. All the
older men agree with me that joining
the army was the best medicine I could
have taken, and many have said they
never saw anyone pick up" so. The
boys spend their time playing cards
and reading in the daytime, and sing
at night. 1t is like a river picnic at
night. Little is said Of death or
war, and if it occurs to them, they put
aside the thought that perhaps we will
not all take the journey back.
August 14th-Fair and very warm.
Have spent an hour trying to wash my
duck pants with salt water and sea
soap, and succeeded in spreading the
color around, making them a light
steel shade.
The boys gave an entertainment to
the officers last night, which went off
quite we'll. I attach the program,
of which I had to get out fifty copies.
Getting exceedingly warm, and little
uncomfortable.
Stopped for two hours to-day to wait
for the Puebla which suffered an acct
dent to her machinery. Expect to
pass the Ladrones soon. One Of our
boys has been sentenced to two years
hard labor for going to sleep on post.
He will be returned to Alcatraz Island
in San Francisco Bay.
August 15th-Fair to-day; passed the
Ladrone Islands between and 5
o'clock to-day, and expect to make
Manila in five more days. We are in
some heavy swells, and it is raining
now This is the typhoon district.
Little to do but sit around and wait
from one meal to the next. We had
quite a spread to-night-boiled onions,
canned salmon, vinegar, cheese, hard
tack and coffee
It was a false alarm about the man
dying in the hospital. They have fif-
teen cases of measles and one Of typh-
old pneumonia, though.
August 16th-Fair to-day; rained
heavily last night. The man in the
hospital with pneumonia died this
morning and was buried at p. m. to-
day It cast a gloom over all on board,
as all afternoon the body lay on the
deck under the Union Jack, but when
it was slid over the side the men
crowded to the rail and rigging, so the
vessel listed a great deal and all were
as curious as if they expected to see
shark open his mouth and catch it.
The man, we learn to-day, was not a
soldier, but a waiter on board, so it
was not a military funeral
August 17th-Fair to-day; sea rather
rough; nothing new to-day except that
we We're given a better meal than usual
this noon. We have only about a thou
sand miles to go, and will arrive Sat
urday or Sunday.
August 1Sth-Fair to-day; sea still
rough, and boat pitched a good deal
1t is cooler since we passed the La
drones. The boats pitch considerable,
and they say some were seasick again
down in the hold last night MacFar-
lane, another Sacramento boy, is drug
gist in the Hospital Corps on board
We spend our days now up on top of
the cabin, under awnings, playing
whist, and have real good times.
August 19th-Fair: a little cloudy:
sighted the Philippines at l o'clock,
and all day we could see points of
them dimly over the horizon. We passed
very near to the larger separate ones
on the north, between which the sea
is smooth as glass, though no sign of