The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1899-01-30
TROOPS IN MANILA.
Frequent Delay of the Mail So
Eagerly Watched For

Manila. Dec. 15.-OccaSionaily the Eind-
ly fate which watches over the lives and
fortunes of Uncle Sans soldiers and
sailors intervenes with the mail destroy
ers of the postal service and few sacks
OF letters get through On behalf OF about
IS, 900 men in the land and naval service of
the United States remarks have been made
about this subject before, sometimes by
cable. but they have had apparent re-
suit. The arrival OF the new batch OF
transports brings the subject up afresh Just
now because there is a new instance of the
apparent disregard OF the feelings OF the
men out here with which postal affairs are
handled at home. Probably there is no use
in trying to make the Sheltered peop.e"
understand how eagerly the men await
their mail, with what joy and pleasure
they get their letters, or how terrific is the
blow when they get none.
When mail comes so far and is so long
| in coming its value to the recipients in
| creases in geometrical ratio with the miles
| Travelled. When mails come so infrsquent-
| ly il is knock down blow to get the post
| masters negative shake of the head, and
| big husky fellows who would go forward
| cheering under fire fairly stagger away
from the general delivery window. Per-
| haps the people at home do not write. II
| is beautiful demonstration of the worth
| of friendship to put it to that test Even
| kinsmen grow careless Those things have
to be borne as best they may.
| To go back to the beginning. Neary all
| the ships OF the American lines running
out OF San Francisco were taken by the
Government for transports. Theraupon the
Postoffice Department declared that its
mail service was broken up. The War De-
| partment jumped into the muddle and Or
dered the mail sent forward by transports.
| There was q line of express steamers run
ming from Victoria to Hongkong which
made the trip in three weeks with the reg
| ularity of Jersey City ferries. and VIII ch
was not in the least disturbed h. the war
or the transport service. But this was
! foreign line and could be utilized only in
emergencies.
There was no hesitation about using the
| foreign-owned line of ships that ran from
San Francisco to HongkOng. But these
| ships take from twenty-eight to thirty
| days for the trip that the others make in
twenty. II every bit of the mail had been
| held for Victoria express steamers no
doubt it would have reached here. Often
it might have got here had it been dis
patched by another route, but there would
| have been this tremendous advantage, that
| the service would have been regular and
to be relied upon. whereas as it was moth
| ing was to be depended upon. 1t was hit
and miss, take your chance and trust in
providence.
That, however. is. after all. only one
phase of the arrangement. 1t was when
! the determination to forward mail by
| transports was put into effect that the
bright and shining light of some overmas-
tering intellect began to dazzle the West
| ern world. There was the case of the
Morgan City. Many on the East Coast
| know the Morgan City. She is the old
I ~aff hot tal for tkr
trade and when she left New York last
December all South Street made pools on
| the point of her collapse Well, she got
around to Frisco. after being reported as
| repairing on the way, and was sent out
with troops and mail. OF course they put
the mail on her. There wasn't another
| thing so slow on the Pacific Ocean. and
it was too good a chance to lose. Two
days after she left San Francisco the New
port sailed with General Merritt and his
staff, bound through in the shortest pos
| sible time. In Honolulu the Newport had
| n chance TO take the mail from the Nor
gan City. but the Newport people said:
She left before We did; she hasn't any
mail for u.s." So the Newport came along,
and five days after she reached Cavite the
Morgan City came in.
On August 20 the Arizona left Frisco
On August q the Seandia followed. with
! the accumulated mail of the week. In
| Honolulu they met, and the Arizona came
| on as fast as she could, but do you sup
| pose she brought the Scandals mail? Not
| the Arizona, The Beigic which left
| Frisco on September 3. reached Honolulu
| before the Arizona left, and placidly kept
| on to Hongkons with her weeks mail
| The skipper OF the Arizona couldn't be
| bothered with it. The Arizona went back
| to Honolulu from here for troops and
stores. When she left Honolulu to come
back here the Indiana, Ohio. and ZeaIan-
| dia, transports, and DOric, liner. lay in
the harbor there. all with mail. The
| Arizona is the fastest of all these ships
and she was coming through at top speed.
| The Indiana had the mail from October
20 to the 27th, the day on which she left
| Frisco.
The Ohio started from Frisco the next
day with one days mail. The Zealandia
! the DoEic on the Goth. with another days
| there in Honolulu. the AriZona steamed
teen days and never brought letter or
| paper. Since then the Ohio has come
| in with her one days mail. and the In
| the Pacific. The Doric's mail will come
down from Hongkong some time by aud
/ by. and We hope the ZeaIandia will get
| in safely.
| There is little doubt that If there were
! no mail whatever it would be better for
| the army. HOmesiekhess often follows
| the receipt of home letters. which proba-
bly, would not be caused if it were not