The record-union., 1898-08-20
ON THE SANTA CRUZ BEACH.
sACRAMENTO SOLDIERS ARE
ENJOYING LIFE.
They Have Nearly All the Com
forts Of Home, With Greater
Freedom.

A member of Captain Lucey's Sac
ramento company of volunteers writes
the following gossipy letter from Santa
Cruz:
Camp Merriam, August Ioth.
Eds. Record Union: Here are
few items from Camp Merriam: Last
Sunday our baseball club visited FELTON,
and played against the pick OF seVeral
of the mountain towns. Bowlder Creek
furnished two of their crack players,
San Francisco sent up a pitcher from
the old VIII & Fink nine, FELTON, had
four players, and the remainder must
have come in from the woods. Not
withstanding our boys beat the team
SO thoroughly, the boys up there treated
them like princes. A barbecue was
held in the grove and a very enjoyable
time marked the end of the day.
Our boys would like to hear from that
nine at Monterey, and if they will only
come over here we will do many things
to them When the Gilts come down, if
they feel that the Santa Cruz team will
not afford amusement, let them try us,
and l promise they will know that our
team was on the diamond.
Daily visits are made to our camp
by Sacramentans and they all express
themselves as pleased, not only with
our camp, but with the report down
town of the conduct of the boys. Our
guardhouse is empty, as all the mem
bers know that while they have more
liberties than are granted any com
pany Of volunteers, yet a severer pun
Ehment awaits all offenders. Our COM
pany tailor, Private Thomas Daven-
port, is very busy man. Each after
noon all the lads who buck for or
derly keep him on the jump getting
their uniforms in apple-pie order. Our
barber, Private Ben Conrad, is likewise
occupied by guards. He has things
down in shape, so that his headquarters
is no longer called a butcher shop.
You ought to see our mess Privates
Merritt, Adams and Charles Redmond,
under the supervision of Corporal
Archie Cook, are performing their work
in excellent shape. We live on the fat
OF the land-salads, wild game furnished
by Privates George Scott and Charles
Moon, the hunters, and fruits procured
by that wide-awake Quartermaster Ser
geant of ours, William Thompson Now
and then mess Of mountain trout from
the rods Of Privates Scott and Red
mond are added to the bill Of fare.
We think seriously of dropping Pri-
vates Silveria from our baseball team,
as We find he is a grand stand player
The ladies of FELTON, occupied his whole
attention last Sunday. 1 do not know
what ne would have done if the FELTON,
nine had been able to connect with his
I Of
ions of loveliness before him he would
have gone to pieces.
The pet of the camp is little Jimmie
Crowley, our hospital assistant With
that red cross on his arm he has all the
lassies of the beach dancing attendance
on him, and the rest of the boys have
TO take back seats. Corporal Thommie
Strachan in his new uniform, catches
the eyes of all the sea beach summer
girls, and he has hard work to avoid
mixing his dates.
Talking the other day of the material
in the company, some one said. They
are all Sacramentans, except the doc
tor Captain Rottanzi and the hospital
steward, DR.. Ludlow of Oakland" !" Lud-
low was up in arms Immediately when
he heard it. He wanted to know where
he came off, as he was born in Sacra-
mento and had more claims on the town
than the majority. Old Sacramentans
would know the doctor, he being the
son of w. B. Ludlow of the railroad
shops, now located at Oakland. DR.
RottanZi is absent at present. as he
had TO attend the Supervisors meeting
at San Francisco. DR.. Plant of Santa
Cruz is attending the camp. BY the
way, he is a Sacramentain-Ben
Plant son of the engineer at the shops
Each week we visit the shooting
range, and under the able supervision
Of Lieutenant McMartin and Corporal
Petitdidier the company is making re-
markable progress. l believe this is the
only company in the volunteers that
has made any progress in shooting, and
We have been enabled to do Il through
the kindness Of the California powder
works folks, who furnish us with pow
der and lead, and Schaw, Ingram.
hatcher & Co. have sent US a complete
loading outfit.
We continue our daily drills, notwith-
standing the reports of peace We
have the best drill grounds that a COM
mander could desire, as we tramp for
miles over hills and dales We are we'll
acquainted with the geography Of this
part of the country, even including old
"Tripe Hill"
Our Top" Sergeant, William Bessey.
continues to merit the good will of all
the boys by his even temper. You
know wheE a man has a kick of any
kind coming he just visits the TOP
and tells his troubles. Then. if the
latter thinks fit. the case goes to the
commanding officer. Privates Joe Mil
hgan and Dave Hillebrand. the photog-
faphers OF the camp, are daily adding
TO their list of treasures and furnishing
US with some very good views.
Our health is all that could be desired.
for healthier spot could not have been
found. Our grub" is good and of suffi-
clent quantity. The Governments list
OF clothing still continues to arrive. and
We are in very good shane. Captain
Lueey, Sergeant James Gray and Cor
poral McNaun and Privates RYAN. Olea
and POLAND are in San Francisco ON
business, and are expected here TODAY
or tomorrow.
We understand that Sergeant Alex-
ander, now stationed at Fort Point ex-
poets to sail with the Seventh Regiment
as member of that body.
Below Is the score of our ball oama
with the Feltonites:
Company +. +. a. 20 bb eh q Oh
Movnahan. T