The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-07-03

IN home would worry themselves
Nj Jess about the boys in blue II
they could look n az camp sorne
evening ard observe the soldier
when the drills and duties Of the
Gay are Dyer The sounds and sights
are sgarceiy those q suffering and 6esti-
tuition. Indeed II would De hard TO fad
a toiler To- ;han the boys In blue VIXEN
evening comes. Away over on tae right
flank a r9Esing cheer ascends over some
song or Story. II c0mss rom the Tafrd
regulars. sturdy chaps from MINNESOTA.
Next 10 Them are the First Texas vo.un-
teeTs, big, strong -iimbed Fellows, while
still farther a<opg are the Eleventh regn-
lars the "AEaebeg. a. s,sy are cal eli.
from Arizona and Eea Mexico. group
! % them are Going good imitation OF
an Apache war dance, and their ky
II realistic enough 20 MAKE one believe
that old Geronimo and his band have bro
hen .euse once more. Neighbors 10 each
other are two regiments or Michigan and
Kansas troops surbarned and brawny.
They are singing one devoting Its atten-
ton TO old Black Joe, while the other
reels off "Ou the Wabash" with Volume
Of sound that shakes the branches over
their heads but r. nor at all uIsmelod GUS
from the distance of the officers quarters
There IL nothing sad or dIsp;ritlng about
the scene and il is only sample Of sat
goes on every night. and among all our
soldiers. Care touches their shoulders but
lightly, yet they ass all anxious for
chance 10 fight the Spanish, anxious 20
do their duty soldiers or the republic
There Is nOthing 70 bring out a mans
social qualities like blazing camp fire.
IT may seem strange TO speak OF camp
fire a Il place where everybody is sup
posed to he swes&sfsng. Bur " hiie the
days are hot the evenings are cool, and
the dampness az the heavy dews is pene-
trating So. Gu almost any evening, tho
cheerful blaze may he seen @bArkllng
among the trees in every direction. and
around each fire a group Of story teslers
matching their experiences.
Such q group was gathered before the
tent OF bronzed and bearded cavalry
captain a few evenings ago. drawn tntiher
by the unfalling magnet OF tho campfire
Besides the host, whose army record ex-
tended back 10 the civil war. there was
another captain. West Pointer. gradu-
ated early in the seventies. Jolly little
man. who would rather fight than eat, SO
his comrades say. There were two first
lieutenants. one from West Point and ono
from the ranks and two second .ieuten-
ants from civil life. Harmony in the ex-
IRENE was evident. and the so-caIled diff
ferences between West Pointers and ranks
men apparently exist only In imagination
Somebody had just asked the bearded cap
tain. the veteran of the group. TO tell how
he came TO enter the army.
1T WIS in August. 1862. just after Pope
met his big reverse. began the officer.
'I was shipping clerk In New York dry
goods house, and had held out against
joining the ranks fer two years because
my mother and sisters were dependent
upon me But after This reverse. which
made the North finally realize the size OF
the Job It had tackled. made up my mind
that il was my duty To 80. IL happened
that just then met friend who had been
I'm the service but was home sick
leave, and who wanted me 10 help him
raise a company for the Metropolitan
brigade which was then forming.
I'VE opened our headquarters in a beer
saloon on Broome street. getting II rent
free because the patriotic old Teuton who
ran the place said that the custom which
would naturally accrue from the recruits
would pay him for has trouble. ! knew 4
number OF police officers and asked them
TO help us in obtaining men How well
they were doing this ! didn't realize at