The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-22
ANACONDA news.
HOW THEY GOT ON BOARD
Accounts Descriptive of the EN-
barkation of Montana's Boys.
COL KESSLtR CRITICISED
He Is CHARGED With Having Issued Or
ders That His Soldiers Should Not
Partake of the Red Cross
Luncheon.

There was a great time in San Fran
cisco last Monday when the soldiers of
the LIST Montana regiment embarked on
the steamer Pennsylvania. preparatory
to their start for the Philippines. All
of the a Francisco papers printed col
umns descriptive of the embarkation of
the fighting men from Montana, ex-
cerpts from which are reproduced here
and will no doubt be read with interest
by the hundreds of people in Montana
who nave relatives and friends on the
Pennsylvania.
A portion Of the stories in the San
Francisco is devoted to
criticism of certain orders alleged to
have been issued by Col. III. c. Kessler
TO the effect that his soldiers should not
partake of the luncheon prepared by
the good women of the Red Cross So
ciety. The articles are anything but
complimentary to the colonel, and one
or two of them are severe.
h following is the story of the en-
barkation of the LIST Montana as II APP
pears in the San Francisco Chronicle:
The Chronicles story.
Three hundred soldiers from Califor-
mia n a thousand from Montana will
be on the sea to-day, the former bound
70 JUN tHtlI CDInTdueS VI Hc , ,dl-
fornia regiment, who went first to up
hold Dewey in the Philippines, and the
men of Montana to make a name for
themselves and their state in the islands
of the Orient. Yesterday they marched
from Camp Merritt to the transport
Pennsylvania, and at S o'clock sought
an anchorage in the bay. Their going
was marked by scenes more than usu-
ally full of anguish and excitement.
Many a fighting man left the shore with
his mothers, sisters or sweetheart
tears upon his cheeks, if his own had
not wetted them, too. Hundreds of
spectators cheered the departing and
there was much of the feeling of the
first expedition to make the day MEM
orable in the minds of those who saw
and heard.
The Montanans were not without we'll
wishers of both sexes to give them god
speed, and the Pacific street wharf saw
many affecting scenes among the
mountaineers. The crush of people,
mostly women, was overwhelming.
They filled street, wharves and every
other available space, lingering until
the ship cast off and even Their 10th to
leave the water front. The entrance to
the wharf was poorly protected. The
police lost their heads and several times
serious trouble was averted with diff
Guilty.
The troops left Camp Merritt early
and were greeted by an enthusiastic
crowd during their long march. Briga-
der General Otis was at their head,
with Lieutenant Colonel Schneider of
the 9TH California volunteers and Lieu
tenant Colonel Wallace of the Montana
regiment beside him and a detachment
of police clearing the way. Along the
route some misguided acquaintance of
the men and o~ver-generouS saloon
keepers handed them bottles of liquor,
which made the steps of a number un-
steady and brought grief TO not a few
before the end of the day. An hour
or more before the soldiers reached the
wharf a throng had gathered which
soon taxed the patience and strength
of the police.
The people insisted on going on the
wharf in spite of sentries and police.
They pressed forward to the doors and
had TO be continually forced back to
make a passageway for the troops,
teams and visitors with credentials.
After the Montana men had passed in
the doors were closed and the California
recruits were kept standing outside for
some time. Some of them took advan-
tage of this leisure to escape the watch
full eyes of their officers and to seek
saloons, from which they returned, a
few intoxicated and others merely ex-
cited. These provoked others and for
two hours there was continuous friction
between the police, the volunteers and
their officers. Two soldiers stationed at
the doors proved inefficient guards, one
acting with needless and
the other erring through sheer foolish
ness. The former nsulted a youth, who
was trying to get his sister near to the
transport. and was promptly knocked
down. The hubbub continued until late
in the afternoon. There seemed to be
in the air a spirit of petulance which
made civilians and policemen boil over
at the slightest sign of rouble. How
ever, many people were admitted to the
wharf and with those who secured
points of vantage on adjoining docks
and in boats, bombarded the troops
with expressions of sympathy and or
anges. The latter fruit has played a
conspicuous part in almost all the leave
takings, but yesterday the luscious
California Product was so prominent as
to strike even Brigadier General Otis.
He occupied himself during the day
with endeavCIs to get order out of chaos
on the Pennsylvania, and wen from one
part of the ship to another inspecting
and directing the packing of supplies
and the embarkation of the soldiers.
The forward section was damned with
men, who swarmed in the rigging and
made targets of themselves for the
orange throwers.
Hundreds of the golden spheres were