The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-09-26
CAMP WIKOFF SOUVENIRS.
soJDIKRS GATHER a COLLECTION or
MONTAUK POINT CURI0a

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Buttons and Badges with Camp Inscriptions
Also PopuIar-An Intermittent boarding
House mt the Point-One Case OF I'm
deserved Criticism at the Hospital.
CANT wIKoFT. MoNTAuK POINT. l.. IL Sept.
o5.-In proportion as the camp decreases the
souvenirs OF II increase. Every train brings
new ones, and half OF the visitors who now
roam the camp are blazing scintillations Of
metal and gay colors. Buttons. badges. pins.
pendents and hatbands are all seen. Not many
OF them are popular with the soldiers. who
realize the incongruity between their war
worn garb and the bright colors of the orna-
ments. The only two souvenirs which find
much favor with them are tho button with q
very good picture Of the Montauk Point light
house on II and the original Camp Wikoff badge
which was itself originally a Remember the
Maine" badge. The ingenious Wholesale dealer
stamped across the tricolor ribbon which at
taches the bronze pendent to tho bar pin the
legend Camp Wikof. 1885, and soon the
supply in the general store at the station was
exhausted. The favorite place for the badge was
on the side Of the soldiers SLOUGH hat. Many OF
the men are taking away souvenirs from here
the symmetrical. sea-worn stones, beautiful
specimens OF which may be picked up on the
beach a mile east OF the Ditch Plain Life Saw
ing Station. Rnarly slaves out. from the thick
patches OF Barbary oak. and specimens Of
the hard fungi found in the Hither
Wood, which lend themselves readily to
illustration or inscription. A Twenty
fourth Infantry private took with him
when he left a bit OF quartz almost
exactly Identical in shape with a Mauser bullet.
which he picked up on the shore and values
highly. Two troopers OF the Ninth Cavalry
have a pair Of turtles which they are training
for the responsible post OF reGimental mascots.
The Ninth did not exhibit any OF the charac-
~teristics Of the turtle during their Cuban career.
and the pets are not regarded with high favor
except by their owners. Some men Of the
Second Cavalry started a den OF garter snakes
which they purposed taking with them when
they should go. but in the storm OF Friday
night the serpents got away and have not yet
been recaptured.
Cuban souvenirs. after having reached a
fancy price. are now on a falling market. as the
men are overloaded with small mementos of
the war. 1t Is possible now to get Mauser bull
let's for 81 a clip. Spanish officers buttons, of
beautiful design and workmanship. may be
bought for % cents apiece. and other relics are
In proportion. except machetes and sabres.
which are very hard to get. Every soldier
wants to keep at least one machete to take
Rome with him, and few OF them brought back
more than one. 1t is an open secret that there
are men IN camp who have diamond rings:
Of value taken from Cuban battletelds, but
these are not on the market as yet.
The question OF the day, Where can l get
Q good mea! p has been considerably compli-
gated by that strange, institution known, as
house stands on the hill near tho life-saving
station, and Is owned by a ,li!e-saver, named
grees OF relationship that are absolu tely laby-
Ftnthine: 1t is a sort OF intermittent DoardlnR-
n H9II be- w in the % Spd Pa ene an nq i.,t:Ty "a sf ipr { fiIty
cents. and in the evening. upon application for
another meal. though he came holding forth
that " "This Place has closed" or We can't
feed nobody tonight" or We amt got more
II is that there's no way OF telling when album
dance will reign and when the stony counte-
farer at the door, Those who have been there
have tried to study, out the signs and several
on the hill II, anybody will QUALIFY as prophet.
but nobody has offered who is competent for
the job; One One day or rsreJnt ~ y, = 81, saq H0us ot o the
to fn1 the sisters and the cousins and The
S1nt s.. q the he P PIfd6ds sron dancing s% . fan.
ty stove. Another day a very animated
discussion. not to use a harsher term. over the
that the cooking OF dinner was omitted. Mean.
time the officers make pools on the number of
meals in succession which will he obtaipable at
the yellow house. Five is the record thus far.
and II is worth mentioning that the nth Of the
on the part of two willy officers who, after being
turned down." stood outside the open window
sons veo reminded them of mothers.
Waiting for the incoming train was the bust
ton an officer of the Ninth Cavalry and one Of
the correspondents were Standing together
broad-sh oulde-ed young negro with a shining
black face, came rolling along. stopped. stared,
ing. flung himself on his knees. threw his
arms around the correspondents legs. and
began to sob out, incoherent eIaculations
which seemed to indicate a spirit of thankful
--"Confound you!" cried the amazed civilian.
Let 60. What's the matter with your
Get up there. you rascal" ordered the off,
Ger; What do you mean by ACTIN Ike that"
trooper raised an appealing face to the civilian.
oh, Mistnh Percy! Don you remember
well, no. hanged II l do. Get up. any way.
The: Trooper stood up. STRUGGLING for speech;
then. throwing his arms out with a dramatic
gesture. grated loudly,
.le call me slave; an, We DO vel TO can MN
why. you must be old Aunt Liddy's son
for the Grafton. His parents were slaves OF
Ger, "and his mother was bound TO make Pom
pey q preacher. so l drilled him In elocution;
I think il is"Swas his piece de resistance. Then
he ran away and J9lned the army and we ail
s yo@' fFsS dead d NV What tR RaVe; You yo%f BEEN @n" doinnE S" With
Then came, out the boys story. told In eager.
than be a preacher IT neber could a made
them gesturesss" he said. pathetically) how
and then West, doing odd Jobs. until he
chanced upon 9 reeEr,giting office, and the
He enlisted and Joined the Ninth Cavalry.
HIS narrative ended with an APPEAL to know
Wn@s sbe w Ris the met lnst I T hea St5l! a said the corre-
spondent, and was thinkinG Of getting some
mourning clothes In your honor. She thought
Won were dead. I'll wire home and make In
Qulries.'
lie wired that Pompey was alive. well and a
trooper IN Uncle Sans army. and a few hours
later got this reply:
Aunt Lddy has thrown mourning in the ash
heap and is out in the garden singing hymns.
There was also a celebration in Pompey's
kant that avaninp