Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1898-06-10
ABOUT THE SOLDIERS.
Some Notes of the Doings Of the
State Soldier Boys in Camp
at San Francisco.
Several Cases of Measles in One of
the Companies and the Boys
Isolated for a Time.
Boys Admire California and Think the
California People the Best
in the Land.
The States Volunteers.

The States Volunteers.
When will the North, Dakota boys get
away from San Francisco is the ques-
ton that is Of most interest to friends
and relatives of the soldier boys in this
state. 1t is a difficult one to answer for
the reason that there are enough troops
to form several ship loads and as the
government is short of transport facili.
ties it will take som time to get ships
and get them into readiness to sail. If
the men are sent in order of brigades the
North Dakota troops are second on the
list, the regulars being first. Still, it is
claimed that the brigading is only tenn
porary, and may be changed before the
troops start.
The Minneapolis Journals correspon.
dent at Camp Merritt says of the ar
rival of the North Dakotans: Ask any
North Dakota volunteer at Camp Mer-
rift which state he prefers next to his
own, and he will answer ninety-nine
times out a hundred, "California." Ask
him why, and his response will be, "be-
cause of the way they treated u.s." The
hospitality SO generously extended every
other arriving body of troops did not
fail North Dakota Tuesday noon. At
Oakland two battalions which had been
following independent routes were
united. They crossed the ferry to-
gether, and at the landing were met by
the ever warm-hearted ladies of the Red
Gross with lunch, coffee and flowers.
This was but a prelude of what was to
follow. AS they marched out Market
street to Camp Merritt, they we're given
an ovation. That they were only partly
equipped, and that the civilian dress
sadly marred the military smartness of
the thin little column aroused popular
enthusiasm the more There have been
some cases of measles in this command,
and apparently foe this reason General
Otis temporarily isolated the North Da-
kotans. They were ordered to pitch
their camp down near Montana, half a
mile from Camp Merritt proper. Lieu
tenant Colonel Trueman's lambs, who
turned into this enclosure, had it clear
ed in a trice of sage brush and weeds.
Tents, which had been brought along,
were set up in short order, but there
was a delay of some hours over addi-
tional shelters to be provided by depart
ment officials for two companies without
tents. They finally appeared as night
and rain came On together. Neither
lanterns nor candles were to be had, and
it was slow, dark work raising the last
of the canvas roofs. En- route two cases
of measles developed among North Da-
kotans, and both were consigned imme-
diately to the marine hospital on ar
rival. The sufferers we're Privates
Brown and Travis of Company D. North
Dakota is brigaded under Colonel Reeve,
being given this assignment because
later it will occupy a square in camp
near Minnesota instead of the present
location.
The government has sent 100000
to Camp Merritt to be used in paying
all Of the troops month in advance,
The funds will be gratefully received by
the boys as up to the present time they
have received nothing in the way of pay
The officers expense accounts were ad.
justed before they left the state, but nc
per diem was paid them, and as many
of them want to send money home, il
will be we'll if they are paid before they
start for the Philippines, as at best mail
facilities and money transactions over
there will be few and far between fol
some time.
The government has made arrange
ments however, for soldiers to send
funds home without charge. 1t will be
done by means of special drafts on the
United States treasury which will be
always available to the boys wherever
they are and which will be payable at
any bank in the United States.
Colonel Grigsby of South Dakota has
been made a brigadier general and the
North Dakota boys whorwent out with
this regiment of cavalry find their com
mander honored the first thing. Min,
nesota has also been honored with a
commission of the kind. 1t was largely
for this reason, the possibility Of promo
ton, that the North Dakota authorities
wanted the guards to go out from this
state as q full regiment. Then the
colonel would have been in line for pro.
motion. AS it is the commander of the
two battalions will always be a lieuten
ant colonel, and there is no possibility