The Ellensburg dawn. [volume] (Ellensburg, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1899-02-17
Another Manila Letter.
MONDAY, DEC. Goth, ss

MONDAY, DEC. Goth, 9o.
DEAR Folks AT HoME-Merry Christ
mas and the happiest OF New Years TO
one and all! Say, but I'll bet you're
having a fine old time today, and you
can reckon that I'd like to be there.
You said that in my picture | looked
homesick, but | wasn't or have not been
any time since leaving. would not
have missed this trip for anything IN
the world But don't know anything
| should like better than to be home ana
HELM "stow away" the eatables to-day.
You know | am a capital hand at thai.
Well, we are just one dag and eight
hours ahead oil you people there. We're
| fast people so we had our blowout yes
| terday. You will notice that my letter
is dated Monday, the Goth, and it is only
sunday the 25th. How is this? Well
YOU see time is counted from $50 degrees
Greenwich. Wecrossed the l80th meri-
dian on Saturday. and so lost Saturday.
1t simply dropped out OF existence. Pm
not going to try to explain this, and
could not do it satisfactorily ii | tried.
1t is said that you can never overtake
time, but we came pretty near doing it..
One OF the boys birthday was on the
18th OF November, but as that was the
day lost, he mad to be content without
any birthday this year When We 90
back to the states, we will have one day
OF 4S hours when we cross the lSOth
meridian. First, let me say for myself
that am we'll, enjoying fine health and
getting latter every day. This country
seems to agree with me. have sore
arm at present, my vaccination is taking
beautifully" SO have 10 be careful to
keep 1t from getting hurt. But just as
soon as my arm gets well. am going to
romp, tumble, race, wrestle and tear
around like mad to see if | can't keep the
flesh off me, because have no ambition
to rival Slemmons in avoirdupois. |
suppose the next thing you want to know
is how we spent Christmas in Manila,
10000 miles from nowhere" as the boys
say, especially when they feel a little
homesick. The day before Christmas
Co. + was doing outpost duty about a
mile from quarters, right up near the
Insurgent line. Fourteen OF us were in
blockhouse II and could see the Insur-
gents practicing and drilling all day long.
We can 60 inside the Insurgent lines any
time we want to and they will not mo-
lest US in any way. We were talking
about Christmas all day long and in the
evening and late into the night we laid
around on the outside Of the blockhouse
and amused ourselves and revived pleas.
ant memories by telling how we spent
last Christmas eve, what we were doing
etc. The bright, shining moon made
everything almost, as light as day, and
we did not 90 to bed until after taps, As
1 was walking up and down on my beat
l remarked to the boys that this evening
last year, was singing "My name i;
Jack Frost and Pm jolly fellow ETC.,
and now | am ten thousand miles from
: home, far, far across the sea, walking
my lonesome beat in "a hostile land, Tc
know for a surety that | would never
speud another Christmas on this island
is as fine a Christmas gift as | would
wish. l am enjoying myself first rate
, and l find everything ever SO mucl
better than / expected. But year il
just about all want OF it, Well, | wenr
to bed at 10 80, and as my relief went or
at ~, told the boys tina. WAS gong &c
, wish them Cherry Christmas first
because thought | would be awake
when IL o'clock came, but | suppose
was too tired because there was chorus
OF "Merry Christmas by the boys
awoke me, so was left again. Went tC
bed again at and slept till morning