The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-06-19

| Spain in 1898, 1 went with one of the
first regiments of volunteers. You re-
member that morning, senator, when
we left, and how the girls brought
| boxes of sandwiches down to the depot,
and stole what few buttons there We're
from our secondhand uniforms, and
we had to beg a few pins in return TO
hold ourselves together until the train
pulled out. Well, we went to San Fran
cisco, where we lived two months on
orange bombardments and sea breezes.
At the end of that time we received
three new uniforms, and these were dl-
vided uD among nine men, so that as
many men as possible would have at
least one new piece. These garments
all smelled strongly of opium or some
thing Of the sort, like they had been
, made in some Chinese den, and L guess
they had been, too, but this did not ef-
fectualIy keep away the fair sex from
those brass buttons. The three brave
lads who got the pants were the only
unpopular men of the uniform rank.
Finally, we sailed for Manila in the
! City of Chow Chow, if | remember the
name In Manila, we hobnobbed with
the insurgents and snapped whisky
for cheroots for a few weeks, until sew
eral of us came down with fever
Was among the number, and l laid at
weeks. so the Red Cress attendant told
me, but / guess l didn't have the ad-
mission ticket, for | got better enough
to move about a little, and decided 10
| leave the accused country, as the sur
geon said it was my only chance. SO
| got an honorable discharge and let
| ter of recommendation from General
! Wesley Merritt for battling so valiant
| ly against the hordes of Philippine bac-
terra.
$50 1 left Manila and went back to
San Francisco You bet | was glad to
sniff the coast breeze>Sgain, and I'soon
got strong again. But l hadn't got
enough yet. 1 read in some leading he-
publican papers of the brilliant work
| the war department was carrying on
in Florida. One morning the headilneS
would say: United States Forces Re-
moved from Tampa to Chickamauga
This Shows the Wisdom of Our Level
| Headed Chief Executive in Not Allow
ing the Troops to Be Exposed to the
Demora lizing. Malarial Climate OF
Tampa Next morning it ran: United
States Forces Taken Back to Tampa
The Forethought- of President Mck1n-
ley Is Apparent in Endeavoring to Get
the Boys in Blue Acclimated Before
Landing Them All Unprepared in the
| Cuban Jungles.' Next we would read:
I Armies at Tampa MdhS a hoGcNASii
Move on to Chickamauga. 1t Is Wen
that We Have a Pres. dent with Enough
War Experience to Know the 1mpor-
lance of Thorough Maneuvering of In
experienced Soldiers. And so it went
until I could stand the excitement no
longer, so I joined the regulars and
went to Tampa.
while al Tampa. / was poisoned twice
and shot once through the ear py
Spanish spy, and 1 have five terantuias
and i3 centipedes at home now In spirits:
These were taken from my knapsack ana
bedding while at Tampa. They are some
times found in such situations, but not IN
such numbers i tell you. senator, those
Spaniards are treacherous devils.
But why continue taking up your time
I have good letters from Generals Miles,
Merritt and Fitzhugh Lee; have
medal, and was promoted successfully I'M
til / reached al first lieutenancy. 1 am
quite strong yet, for an old man-far TOO
vigorous to go to the Old Soldiers nome
and await the reaper there. what would
like to get you; to do for me, senator, is
70 lay these letters before President 10
bart (son of McKinley's vice presidenD;
give him little talk about my good
record. and try to get me some kind of
commission. / am old. and you know my
circumstances are not all that could be
wished for to insure comfortable decline
in life. Do what you can Tor me. sem
ator-"
Senator McJones was glad to do this
little service for an old friend. for the
beauty of it was. that it made no appeal
to his pocket whatever. and he was
good fellow anyhow so after listening like
the wedding guest to the Ancient Mar
liner. to the foregoing tale: he went his
way, resolving that unselfiSh patriotism
should be set above great riches. Alas!
man proposes and GOOD disposes.