The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-07-21
The COmmissary Departments
Bad Management
Responsible For a Disgraceful
State of Affairs
ON THE TRANSPORTS.
Food Poor and Not Enough of
1t
For the Soldier Boys En- Route
to Manila.

San Francisco, July 21.-A large num-
Der of letters have been received here
from the troops on board the
United States transport China, bound
for Manila which shows a shameful
state of affairs, for which the war de-
partment at Washington is being held
directly responsible
Extracts from at least a dozen letters,
written to different people. extracts that
can be verified at any time. tell the
story. OF some parts of it the nation
may well be ashamed.
1T seems a long time ago since I
used to cut camp and run the guard
We do not get enough to eat-that is
the cry you hear on all sides-and the
sick men suffer terribly. I wonder if
the Red Cross couldn't do something to
change it for the next lot of fellows"
Another soldier writes from on board
the China:
1--WE are truly having an awful time
on this voyage. I understand the Red
Cross sent supplies for US, but thus far
We have seen only some prunes, sold
to US. The men have also been obliged
to buy the Durham tobacco, which we
were foolish enough to suppose was
present to u.s.
Most of the letters have come from
the second expedition. One man writes:
I'VE are awfully sore over our treat
ment by the commissary officers. The
men talk of giving them a coat of tar
and feathers, and even mention throw
ing them overheard. They certainly
deserve any mean thing which can be
done to them
Another extract:
Every man in our company went to
headquarters and made a roar about
the ratiOns. We all had the same in
our tin pIates-twO tablespOonfuls of
stew and a few hard tack and some
coffee that wasn't fit to drink. The
men kicked bitterly and staid with it till
the colonel tried to interfere. We are
not up to living on corned horse and
hard tack. I don't see how a prison
could be worse. Those Of US who saved
our money are, however, able to buy
a twenty-five cent sandwich from a
Chinaman. The Cinnamon on board
charge double prices for everything we
have bought of them was so glad
Jack was able to steal half a dozen
cookies. We had to pay twenty cents
for the smallest kind of a pie, so we
thought we had right to steal the
cookies. I haven't been sick yet, but
will be pretty soon if we don't get some
thing to eat. They are just starving US
to death. Some one says the quarter
master broke open the Red Cross boxes,
and is selling the contents at high
prices.
1.-The cook stands in with the COM
pany quartermaSter, and they starve
US till we have to buy things. Just to
show you how he rObs US; Twenty cents |
per dozen for ginger-snaps and twenty |
five cents a can for a One-pOund can of /
beans. The ton of tobacco donated by /
the mandatory is being sold to US also |
There's no doubt but there'u be mutiny |
if something is not done"
Another soldier writes:
MY chum and had a very good din !
ner today. We bought it from one of |
the Chinese COORxS-tWO bowls of rice J
and a small pie.
TT is raining to beat the band, hot /
as -, and you know you're ap- /
preaching the gates and it don't make /
you feel any better to have to live on |
coffee and salt bacon-and mighty little |
of that.
half who are not are praying to God |
to strike Honolulu and square meal. /
Tell the boys to stay home. It's no pic
mic"
But the trip has not all a sad side
here and there one dnds a soldier who
catches a CLEAN of the humOr in the
scenes around him:
This is wash day. We are each CIV +
en- two gallons of water. You ought to !
see the clOthes-sOme of them on the
fence and the rest spread out on the
=
You know my chum, the big six
foOter? He slept in a space on the
deck last night, about four by one.
He's been spending all day trying to |
get the kinks out of himself I wish
you could see his new crop of De Witt
Talmage whiskers!"
There is just a touch of pathos in one
of the sentences:
Here comes the City of Peru. The
boys rush to write line, but I know
she won't stop. I tell you, it makes
lump in your throat when you think !
they're all hOmeward bound. Wonder
how many of US will ever be home
ward bound The passengers are
cheering US like mad, as they go by
our band strikes up the Star Spangled !
Banner'-one fOrgets that he is a man,
and remembers only that he is a sold
aer''
Here's another:
''Wen, friends. it's our last Sunday
and we're the hungrieSt lot of men you |
ever laid eyes on. Hope there won't be
much lighting till we get fed I have
made up my menu for our Sunday din
ner, and inclose you a copy:
Bill of fare, Sunday dinner June |
18th, U. S. S, China: Consomme of |
birds nest a Ia Chinese. Fish-Broiled
gold fish, without the gold. Entrees
Mule heel croquettes; saute of horse !
blanket. ROasts-Roast umbrella, rain
water sauce; roast mule; gray mule;
brown mule; roast canned horse Pas
try-Sawdust pudding, stewed air
sauce Drinks-Water, salt water"
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