The evening times., 1898-09-05

dropping mustaches. Their uniforms are
dirty and ragged, and they unkempt
themselves; but they strut about as
though they were proud of these badges
of service, and are not at all inclined to
resent the staring and printing out that
their brotherhood with the famous de-
taehmen: of their regiment brings upon
them. Indeed, Rough Riders and OBJ
stinate army mules are of greater inter-
est than anything else to the men and
women who go to Camp Wikoff to see
what is to be seen.
The hotels IN the little villages near by
are of the weIl-known Summer type
open but during the Summer months and
having little accommodation for transient
guests. There are three at Montauk, CALI
ed First House, Second House, and Third
House; and all are uncertain whether
they are in reality hotels or merely resi-
dences. Not a room is to be had in any
of them, not a cot, not even a sleeping
place in the barns. Amagansett, fifteen
miles distant, has been taxed TO its limit
for three days. Persons arriving on the
late train last night had TO return TO
East Hampton, where they were lodged
with difficulty. The hotel proprietors
have engaged the unused rooms In the
houses in their neghborhood, furnished
them with cots, and let every last one
When the transports reach port, friends
of the men, craving TO meet them, VIII
arrive by every train, to find to their
chagrin that they will have no place 10
pass the night The difficulty is one that
did not enter into the calculations OF
the War Department, and with Wnlch
the department has, of course, nothlns
10 do; but il will give rise 10 mucn dis
comfort and loss 10 the pubic, never
the!ess The expected rush OF next
week added 10 the host of Government
contractors and their agents, the many
seeking suffers privileges. the newspaper
representatives,. the officers VINO nave
found quarters within easy reaching dis
tance of the camp, and the hangers-on oil
every kind, will cause no end or trouble
for all persons concerned
The reports which have been published
from time to time since the war began
concerning the lack of system which mas
characterized the conduct and prepara-
tions in the various camps which nave
been formed for the concentration OF the
troops have been read by local military
men and members OF the guard with
some reservation, and they have been In
clfned TO think that they were in many
cases exaggerated but the most recent
exhibition of the same chaotic condition
Of affairs which has been given al Mon
tauk Point tends to make them believe
that almost anything which has been
written on the subject may be true. Ma
tionaI Guardsmen VINO went 10 Camp
Black when the New York troops were
first sent there OF course. knew tnat
great deal Of hardship was endured there,
but that has been somewhat excused Dy
the comparative suddenness of the emer-
gency. and it was moreover, a State af-
fair; but that the same condition of
things should have obtained. on the part
of the United States authorities. al which
is practically the end of the war. and
after the vast preparations and eXpendi-
lures of the last two months, is some
thing local guardsmen cannot under
stand
The same want of common forethOught.
guardsmen say has been displayed by
the authorities, in the preparation of Mon
tauk Camp as has marked their work
elsewhere in the earlier stages OF the war;
and instead of the camp being ready for
the reception of the large number of
troops which are TO be sent there. and
who are now on the way. II is only now
in condition TO take care of those al
ready there.
1t will be supposed, ii is urged. that a:
least adequate arrangement would have
been made TO take proper care of the sick
and wounded men as they arrived. but
although there were. some days ago. some
patients in the hospital tents. of whom
eight are suffering from typhoid fever
and some of them in a very critical con-
dition. no cots had been provided for the
tents nor had the wooden flooring been
laid. the latter want being caused by the
strike of carpenters. AS a result OF the
absence of cots. the responsibility for
which is discIaimed by everyone in au-
thority. the fever-sJricken men were COM
PEELED 10 lie on the ground.