The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1898-07-02

ID SDsAF shS W. ~
ter from one of the Brnle county boys with the
First regiment, which he has kindly allowed US
to publish:
San Francisco. Cal June II, 1893.
MY DEAR FRIEND
Well, we arrived at Frisco o. X. and it is u
different town than 1 expected-all hills and
holes and sand. Our camp is I'LL sand three
hundred feet deep, everything is full of ii. and
if it takes sand to make soldiers it will make us
the best.
This part of California has a very chaugeable
climate. 1t is foggy ard misty a few days ut n
TINA and then sunshiny with n splendid cool
brseze from the ocean.
The trip out here was worth five yeals of my
life. 1t was eplendid-l can not pencil it. We
came through passes, over mountains, around
SHOW piles. through orchards, across sandy DIES,
erts, no woader the fortyniuers had such a
~serugglo to cross. After We left tho Cheyenne it
was nothing but sand and mountains till we
struck California; nothing but eand. rocks,
hills, canons and sage brush-a worthless waste
of land. always thought it was a good stock
country but it SCENE to useless land. Occasion
ally there is a herd of sheep. We came through
the best part of tho country over the same route
that the forty-ninors took. | cannot begin to
tell all saw. l wish you could take the trip.
l often ask myself why u man will stay in South
Dakota when there is a place like this. The
Sacramento Valley is simply too delightful to
write about.
Along Salt Lake is n deserted looking place.
There ARE humps of salt lying about ali over. 1t
is a swampy country, and hills which you can
not sec to the top of. We came around q curve
that the engine nearly touched the rear coach
right Of the side of the mountain. The track
Just cut into the side Of the mountain.
We get all the fruit we can eat, When we ar.
rived the ladies of the Red Cross gave us a din
ner, then we marched four miles through the
town to camp, people cheering us ell tho way
When we arrived to the place where we pitched
our tents the citizens commenced to throw
oranges until the air was alive with them. They
are five cents adozen, cherries two quarts fol
five cents, while street cars arc free to the boys
in blue. We have got everything but cur uni
forms and are now dressed in state militit
uniforms. We will get them this week and will
probably get paid till tho first Of July. Our reg.
imcnt is in the fourth brigade and third expedi.
ton to Manila. The second sails tomorrow
They load today. Our boys cheered till the,
were hoarse when they marched by. Everyone
seems crazy to get there.
Just returned from drill. We had an attack
drill, run a full mile and u half over hills and
through brush. Over half of them played out
ard l came up in full charge half way behind
all the rest. Bert Jones was sick with measles
when we left Sioux Falls, bAt he got out OF the
hospital Sunday. A Spanish woman shot q
Pennsylvania soldier dead last Sunday. He in.
suited her. Some men don't have sense enough
to know a decent woman when they see her.
Each company has a cook and he has three
men detailed each day to help him. Tho men
have a frying pan and plate and u pint cup. We
line up and they pour US out our c~huck-beans,
potatoes, pork, bread and coffee. They hay {
been feeding us on a biscuit, II piece of pork and
coffee, but VIC all got up and kicked like steers
They are commencing to feed us a little better
today. We have roll call at 6:15 a, M, 60 tc
drill at $3.50, come home at II 90 fall in again al
2:l5, stay out till $50, then have roll call at 7:9(
and again at 1000 and il 3 man is not there he il
put In the guard hoase and probably sinet. 90. SC
You see VIC have not much chance to run the
lines ard go up town. I've run the lines twice
and came near being caught. A guard chased
me all over camp at 8 o'clock in the morning
| lodged between tents till he lost track and
gave up the chase, Gosh, but l was scared.
ne SuAncsS ueIc DS Iue tuOu'
sand, Japs, negroes, dagoes and u little Of every.
thing that resembles a human being.
like army life first ratio but it is not like |
expected. We are not allowed to leave gu,
regiment ground only once n week. Sunday We
get all day off. Last Sunday l explored the
Golden Gate park. 1t is the incest place l evel
saw-trees of every kind and flowers I'LL in
bloom, and the museum ANIMALS and everything
| 49,, JN-.- La
r%ything. l WAS dumbfounded astonished and
amazed. Then there was tho wild animals OF
every description and a free theater for the sol.
diers, and the 613 pound man. If they would
only let us off SO we conld get around more il
would be all right.
ALLISON MEYERS,
aEE a.#"fH. ~ EE.. nj D.-I q,