Mexico weekly ledger., 1898-09-08
HOME, SWEET HOME.
THE SOLDIER BOYS SCARCELY
CAN WAIT UNTIL THE TIME
COMES TO LEAVE CAMP.
Sick and Tired of the Nonotonous
Life, They Are Anxious to Come
Home The Mexico Boys
Viii Be Here in q
Few Days.

Correspondence OF the Ledger.
CAMP HAMILTON, NEAR LEXINGTON,
KY. ,Sept.1.-The old saying thatstall IL
quiet along the Rhine" would not hold
good If it were applied to the camp
of the 9th tonight. There is no show
of enthusiasm especially, but everyone
is busy preparing for the 80 day fur
Tough. 1 do not believe that there is q
doubt but that the 9th will leave camp
for the barracks to- morrow (Friday);
at the latest we will leave here Satur-
day. I do nc think that we will be in
st. Louis over two days, SO it may be
seen that the boys of Company L will
form a bowling mob in the streets OF
Mexico in a very few days. VIII they
howl? VIII the good people of Next
CO be shackled2 Well, I guess yes.
By the way,I have received implicit
instructions from the boys to use my
best efforts with Mayor Potts to have
the streets of Mexico well cleaned
when the company returns. It il
feared by many that they will be re-
quired to get out at fatigue call each
morning and police the streets az Of
old. Perhaps it may not be known
that there are some of the finest
street workers to be secured in the
ranks of Company L.
To-day all of the officers have been
busy checking in the equipment Of
the absent soldiers. The shelter tents
of those present were also checked In.
I am sorry that Captain Black re-
turned before ali Of these worrying
details were attended to, as he should
really be resting, but instead Of that
he pulled off his coat Is soon as he got
back and was soon up to his ear In
reports and lists. AS one of the boys
said, he ia one of the "workingest''
men you ever saw. By the way, /
had to sneak off behind the kitchen
tent to write this.
I notice-no, I don't notice any
thing; Pm going to keep out of poll
tics, especially since the LEDGER said
that some soldiers were doing too
much talking for soldiers. I suppose
it was a hint for me to hold q tighter
rein on my in impulsive pen. Well, it
will be q rare old treat for the boys to
feel the handclasps and hear the
words of welcome of old friends when
they return to Mexico and mother.
A source of great pleasure will be the
groaning tables laden with good
things; remember, that the boys have
varied but seldom from the regular
fare of a soldier since they have left
home. These words set well with the
tune of mess call:
Soupy, soupy, soupy, without .
single bean
Perky, porky, porky, without a sim
gle streak of lean
Coffee, coffee, coffee, without a bit
of cream. (Repeat.)
None but those who have been in a
''cruel war" may feel the pathos ex-
pressed in that touching verse. But,
sits all over now' comes within an
ace of expressing the situation.
Acting Quartermaster Sergeant
Clark, of Centralia, was allowed ra-
tions for breakfast only for to-mor-
row and when he received this issue
he was told that it would carry him
over so it is thought that tomorrow
will sure be moving day. The boys
are still cleaning house this late in
the evening-s:45.
Although I have spoken of it quite
a number of times, 1 do not believe
that I have fully expressed the ap-
probation of the boys for the kind
ness of the LEDGER in supplying the
company with every item of Mexico
news. The paper has the everlasting
gratitude of the boys, all of whom are
deeply interested in the success of
the Street Fair, promoted by the
LEDGER. If the members of Com
pany L are not IN the barracks at the
time there will be 80 per cent of them
in attendance. Without a doubt 1t Is
a great advertisement for Mexico
and the merchants should subscribe
literally. WILL g. HUTTON.