The San Francisco call., 1898-08-24
Volunteers Find That Unloading Transports in tbe Sun
 Is No Joke.
First California Gaining tbe Distinction of Being the Crack Regiment
 at Covte.

elements ana some men are never propitious to the boys In blue. When it is guard duty that has to be done rain Is the accompaniment of the lonely sen- tinel; the order for a long march is the sure precursor of a broiling hot sun and clouds of stifling dust on the ap- pointed day, while the taps of the tired soldier are the reveille of the frolicsome and omnipreSent mosquito.
 There is duty known in the army as fatigue. The first man who so called it knew his business. In all places where troops are to be found 1t stands for the laborious duties attached to a camp or garrison. It means the same thing down here in a general sense and the hold of the Peking in particular sense. The troops are forced to unload their own stores from the vessels, and every day a fatigue detail from each company Is sent aboard to rustic bales, boxes and barrels in the hold of the vessel Such work is considered fairly laborious when performed by men ac- customed to 1t and in cold climate. Imagine what 1t must be in the tropics to men, many of whom have never lifted anything heavier than a visit ingcard in their lives. They stick to 1t like good ones, however, and one never hears complaint. It seems to be considered a matter of honor among the boys to say nothing and persptre until their clothes are wringing wet and their shoes slop as they move about. The First California Is composed of good 'uns, "an' that ain't no lie"
 Drills take place twice day and are held in the early morning and evening so as to escape the terrible humidity of midday. That they are ac- complaining their object can be seen by a man with half an eye. The inn provement in the carriage, gun hand ling. marching and general demeanor of the men must be very gratifying to their officers, and I don't hesitate to say that before the first years enlist ment has expired the First California Volunteers will be able to compete and hold their own with the best regulars in the country or out of 1t. AS to their fighting qualities-well, just give them the chance and let the result speak for them.
 Not only have they had the ordinary garrison drills, but skirmiSh and re- connoitering drills have taken place that have carried the boys of the Sec ond and Third Battalions under Majors Tilden and Slime many miles through the enemy's territory and well up toward the defenses of Manila
 The officers of the regiment are quar- tered in the houses occupied but a short time ago by the gold-laced Dons that Dewey sent scurrying toward Manila, while the rank and file are occupying the quarters left vacant by the hurried departure of Spains crack regiment, the Infantry of Marine"
 The natives tell us that thirteen men were killed In this building during the bombardment. If this Is so the boys don't worry much about 1t. Every even ing song, jest and badinage fly thick and fast and as yet no CaStilian ghost has seen fit to put in an appearance at the festivities.
 The navy has presented Colonel Smith with a fine twelve-oared barge, captured from the Spaniards, and 1t Is considered quite a privilege to be al lowed to form one of the crew. A place on one of the barge'S thwarts Is not alone coveted for the honor of rowing the colonel, which is not specially light and easy work on very hot day, par ticularly if Lieutenant Colonel Duboce and Adjutant Kelleher make up the balance of the party. But as the colonel always gives the boys good meal at headquarters when they miss their own dinner hour and as they generally con- trive to miss it the work of tugging at the oars assumes the aspect of a dis guised blessing
 The other day one of the boys was sent to town to purchase some fishing tackle for an excursion the colonel had decided on. The fellow succeeded in SelllHB HOOhS, put was informed by the man who sold them that as for lines he might as well give up his quest as none were to be had in the whole place. A Spanish prisoner of officer rank, who was standing near by, said:
 There are lots of fish lines in Ma nila. Why don't you fellows go in and get them?"
 We will In a few days" replied the American, and when we do we will find the bait there to put on the end of them.''
 The conversation then came to an abrupt conclusion.
 Speaking of prisoners, there must be nearly three thousand of them here al- together. They receive excellent treat ment, much better than they had been told would be their portion if captured by the American savages." and the relations existing between them and their conQuerors are of the most cordial character. The boys stroll along In front of the buildings in which the prisoners are confined and try to carry on a pleasant conversation with every one who appears behind the bars of the windows. As the windows are large, and as they are always crowded to their utmost capacity a continual con- versazione of large proportions is the result That 1t must perforce be car ! ried on In two different tongues, with | the result that only one-half is intelli- | gible to one party at a time, does not seem to make the slightest difference. | The prisoners have instituted a sort of | bureau of exchange, where they and | their captors meet and through crossed | iron bars carry on a lively traffic in | buttons, badges. gold braid. chevrons,