The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-11-03

lie is forever thinking Of some AsaC
thing he can do to make the exile OF
the boys a little more bearable, ana IN
his efforts neither work, influence nor
personal expense is spared. He knows
no religion in the good he does. Inc
Jew, the Protestant and the Cathonc
fare just the same at his hands. BE-
sides his priestly and military duties,
he has been put in charge of the city
schools and cemeteries, the care OF
which alone involves an immense
amount Of labor.
The quarters Of the California troops
are about the most pleasant in Manila
The First Battalion Is quartered in the
place which was formerly the residence
of the Governor General of Manila. 1t
is situated on the south bank of the
Pasig River, in the district of Malica-
ban; the Second Battalion Is on the
same side of the river a little nearer
the center of the town, in the district
OF San Miguel, while the Third Battal-
Ion is barracked across from them on
the same side of the river and a little
farther down, nearer the center of the
city.
The boys arise at 5:45 o'clock In the
morning, get breakfast, and then drill
Tor about an hour, While the morning
Is yet cool. Drill over, all save those
who are detailed for guard duty, are al
lowed to do as they please until IL
" CAOCh, dI WHICH AOuT Luey nuSI IS-
port IN quarters, where they remain
until in the afternoon, writing, play
ing cards, sleeping or passing the time
in any manner they please, so long
as they do not go out. This order
keeping them in is made to prevent
them walking about in the terrible
heat of the tropical midday. After
o'clock they may again go out, so long
as they appear for dress parade at
in the afternoon, after which ceremony
comes supper, then more liberty until
9:45, at which hour all must be at home
and in bed.
Numbers Of the boys from different
companies are on special detail In the
quartermaster's commissary, custom
house or other departments. These
fellows are allowed ration money and
communication of quarters and live
apart from their companies. In many
cases they club together and rent lit
tie households of their own, living very
comfortably on very small amount OF
money.
The one thing that the boys down
here do long for, and the lack OF Wh1cn
they greatly deplore, is good reading
matter. The men have so much time
on their hands (the climate making II
impossible to do work other than that
which is an absolute necessity that
they find it hard to know what to do to
pass the hours along, and supply or
reading material, such as histories,
biographies, novels and magazines,
would be perfect Godsend. The Call.
which is about the only paper that
makes any sort of showing down
here, helps much. But books are what
we want when once the news has been
digested, and there must be many an
old volume floating around the homes
of San Francisco which could be easily
spared.
The city is full of embryo soldiers
who have come down here in one posi-
ton or another connected with the diff
ferent stats, commfSsary or quarter
masters departments who strut
around in all the glory of gold lace ana
shoulder straps and look down with
high and lofty disdain on the fellows
who carry a gun. These young gold
washed sprigs of army aristocracy are,
for the most part, sons Of wealthy or
influential families at home, who have
never shouldered gun in their lives
or who could not tell their right foot
from their left without turning around.
They have been appointed to soft bill
lets in preference to the men who did
the work and having had nothing but
a summer holiday themselves are ut
terly incapable of approaching what
the real men have gone through. They
sneer at and belittle the work which
they themselves did not face and cast
a damper on the achievements in which
they had no part. The reports they
will take home concerning the work
of the troops and the shadow they will
cast on the brilliancy Of our Oriental
conquest will be materially deepened
by the jealousy existing among the
troops themselves. Each regiment is
so much afraid of being outdone by the
other that every possible honor has at
least a half dozen claimants, each OF
whom, while endeavoring to claim
everything for itself, does all in its
power to decry the work Of the others
The consequence is a great amount of
lying and the consequent confusion is
such that the seeker after truth is lost
in a wilderness of misstatement and
end by disbelieving everything and
putting the army down as an aggrega-
ton of inconsequential braggarts. For
tunately the position of CALIFORNIA;
BOYS is so we'll defined that 1t is be-
yond question and even the most en-
vious are forced to admit that from the
day they marched into the Preside to
the day they stood beneath the walls
of Manila they have been absolutely
the first in everything.
AS l said at the beginning of this
article the boys are all anxious to get
home. Yet the regiment has used no
influence to accomplish thar end. 1t
is composed of soldiers, not of poll
ticians. However much the boys may
wish to see their homes they will not
ask to be sent there, but will wait pa
tiently until their Government says
come" then they will go as they went
forward to the conquest Of Manila
with a ringing cheer. each fellow rae
ing in the endeavor to be first.