Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1898-09-09
CARE TOR SICK SOLDIERS
Return of the Fifty-Second lowe
Regiment Brings the Ques-
ton to Home People.
MANY OF THE BOYS SERIOUSLY i'll.
Been Well Cared For-Thc Repub-
lican Campaign-A Novel Sight In
Des Moines-Hope to Welcome
President Mckinley.
Especial correspondence

return OIL the ElIty-SecOlQ TeSl-
ment Iowa volunteers to Camp
Mckinley brings the question of
caring for the sicl; soldiers right home
to the people, and they can understand
better how hard a problem it is to take
care of an army in a hot climate and
prevent or cure sickness. The Fifty
second reached Des Moines last Tues
day afternoon, August 30, and is now
quartered in Camp Mckinley, whereit
was mustered into the service May 26,
and from which it started for the camp
of concentration in Chickamauga Ma
tional park, Ca. May 2s. During that
time, without having been engaged
in any duty except waiting. the regi-
ment has suffered 70 deaths and has
probably rot recover.
Well Taken Care OF.
Since its arrival in the state of Iowa
the regiment, with its sick, has been
well taken care of, and the boys are
fast recovering their strength and
health. The most seriously ill have
been distributed among the hospitals
In the city and the local Red Cross so
ciety and the Iowa sanitary commits
sion have both fitted up hospitals on
the grounds or camp A large sani-
tarium near the camp has been Sc
cured and converted into hospital,
for which the government pays. The
plan adopted by the government is to
give the boys 80 days sick furlough,
and when that has expired extend 1t
20 days, thus giving the boys 60 days
on pay, during which time they will
have recovered sufficient strength to
return to their usual avocations.
They will then be mustered out of the
service in good physical condition. OF
course many pension claims will grow
out of the present unfortunate condi-
ton, but the 60 days rest will minimize
these claims.
In Bnd Condition.
The Fiftieth regiment, which has
been in camp at jacksonville, Fla, Is
also quariered in Camp Mckinley, and
will be treated tire same as the Fifty
second. This regiment has not, ii is
understood, suffered as badly as the
Fifty-second, but still the men are in
bad condition, many of them. Capt.
Howell of the Seventh regiment,
United States army, has been assigned
to have charge of the commissary at
Camp Mckinley, and he is seeing to 1t
that the men are we'll fed and have
plenty of fresh vegetables and all the
most desirable food that the regula-
tions allow. He is an experienced Off
Ger, whose regiment saw hard service
and lost 35 men before Santiago, and
he has paid some high compliments to
the Fifty-second.
Appeals to the Governors.
Gov. Shaw is being besieged with all
kinds of frantic appeals to get this or
that regiment mustered out, or to Sc
cure the discharge of individuals. The
parents and relatives and friends of
the soldiers naturally want them re-
leased from the dangers of disease and
exposure. now that they think the
need of soldiers is practically past.
But the governor hesitates to put
the STATEN the position of being asked
to be released from its share of the
drugery of closing up the war, work
in which there VIII be no opportunity
for glory, but, on the contrary, de-
mands for patience and endurance of
some very dull work.
Some wild Talk.
The sickness IN the Iowa regiments
has started some wild talk and some
very extreme complaints have been
ri
nected with the army. Mass meetings
have been held in some towns and rep
resentatives have been sent to see
what could be done to relieve the suf-
ferings of the boys The assurance is
given from the army now that the suf-
ferings will speedily end. Some of the
officers in the regular army have ipti-
mated that the sufferings of the vol
unteers were due to the incompetence
of the surgeons and officers of the vol
unteers, who did notknow how to take
care of their men, and to the Needless
ness of the men themselves in their
personal habits and unwillingness to
leave green fruits and other prohibit
ed articles alone
Received a Setback.
The doctrine Of municipal ownership
of waterworks, ETC., received a set
back in Des MONIES last week, when
the proposition to purchase the city
waterworks was defeated by small
majority at the special election held
for the purpose of deciding whether
the city should purchase or not. John
Macvicar was elected mayor of the city
last spring largely on this issue, but
when the bargain had been agreed to
w the Representatives Of the city and
the owners of the waterwor1s, the plot+
ers rejected the proposition. The rea-
son for this was .hat the tax promised
to be heavy and the experience of
ether cities that had tried similar ex-
periments was not encouraging.
Republican Campaign.
The republicans intend to open the
speaking campaign in Iowa late this
year, probably not before October i,
though of course some scattered local
meetings will be held before that time.
The fusion conventions will be held in
Marshalltown this week, September 7,
wien the issues will be squarely de-
fined and the candidates selected, as
the republicans neld their convention
IN Dubuque September /. Gov Shaw
has promised to 60 to Illinois to make
an opening speech in the campaign