Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1899-09-01

Diarrhoea Remedy, and have the
pleasure of stating that the half Of
one bottle cured me-" For sale by
e. s. Beardsley.
AT
Musician Pettee Writes CT Life in the
Military Hospital at Corregidor
Island.
Musician w. J. Pettee writes the
following letter from Corregidor hos
pital:
U. s. Military Hospital, Corregidor
Island, July 6, 1S99.-You will see by
this letter that I have been transferred
from the Manila hospital to Corregi-
dor, where the government now have
a regularly established hospital. There
are about one hundred patients here
now.
I find myself rapidly improving al
though my system is so run down and
infested with malaria that l hardly
expect to do more duty on Luzon isle.
Our regiment should be ordered
home very soon now as we are next on
the list, the Colorado boys having re-
Gently received their home going or
ders. Two companies Of the 18th U.
s. infantry are stationed here doing
garrison duty, so we have quite a pop
ulation away out here thirty miles
from Manila. We have good rations
here. The patients and hospital corps
all eat in a big dining room. All o
valescent patients are expected to
help in the dining room, so l am de-
tailed as a waiter-sOunds comical,
doesn't it?
l have charge Of one table and have
to set it ready for each meal. All
the walters eat together at a sep
arate table, so we have a good many
extras" and on the whole live very
well.
This hospital is costing the govern
ment Il good deal Of money, and the
few officers and stewards stationed
here live like kings and pocket the
balance Of all funds they draw for our
benefit. A sick man is allowed sixty
cents Il day in addition to his regular
r%ations, SO when they feed us for
about twenty you see it leaves a nice
little profit.
.Corregidor is a very pretty little
place-an ideal location for a hospital.
Substantial frame buildings are now
in cours Of construction and will
probably be finished in three weeks.
Miss Penney, our regimental nurse,
was out here and spent a few days last
week. She seemed to be very glad
to see me. She is a very pleasant
lady and called to see the North Da-
kota boys almost every day at the
Manila hospital. A patient died here
Sunday and was buried the same after
noon. It was a pathetic sight to see
the t1ag-wrapped coffin taken to its
last resting place by strangers hands,
but the stars and stripes as the friend
OF all seemed to lessen the sadness
of the event. The casket at the
grave, the surgeon read a simple mill
itary service and then at a signal the
three volleys were fired and ''taps"
ended the career Of n more Amer
ican-died 10000 miles from home.
There is a quartet of native musi-
clans who come over from the village
every evening and play in front Of the
wards. They make very good music
on two mandolins, two guitars and q
violin. The other night they rem
dered the Lower Scene'' from II
Trovatore.
Isuasa salome estah? (Whas is the
name of thatD I asked the native.
He didn't know, but I assured him it
was appreciated. These Filipinos
are natural musicians. They remem-
Der a pretty air whenever they hear
it. They play all the American ma
tional airs and half Of Sousa's famous
Quicksteps, and don't know what they
are playing excepting that its "musica
de Americana, mucho bueno."
l have had no opportunity to touch
my cornet since New Years. I will
have it brought out here if possible,
but it's hard to get anything from
quarters. I sent there for some
clothes over a week ago and have not
yet received either clothes or answer.
At the time l enlisted my music was
my most pleasant recreation and the
few months I played with the Idaho
and Wyoming bands passed more
quickly than any during the even
months we did garrison duty. Our
experiences since the war began have
been many and exciting but now that
they are over and we expect soon to
60 home. I think most of the fellows
will be satisfied to return to civil life.
The rainy season has set in now
and it is wet all the time.
Our wards are in big tents, but they
are we'll protected by "fies" so we
sleep peacefully while the rain comes
down in torrents. Our tents have no
floors, but I got some natives to help
and put a rough floor in ours.
The doctor as he came through in
the morning commented on the i'm
provement and wanted me to take a
detail Of men men and do likewise in
some other wards, but declined as L
didn't feel strong enough.
Money matters here are in somewhat
Of a mix-up as the regiments are SO
far from Manila, but I understand that
our regiment received two months pay
at Morong just after l came to the
hospital. .
I mail to you the Freedom for July
18th. think they had some celebra-
ton in Manila but here all was quiet
Me-