Omaha daily bee., 1899-02-12
TELLS OF LIFE In MANILA
Corporal Primeau Describes Styles Of Dress
and Bill of Fare.
PLENTY OF FOOD AND WHOLESOME, TOO
When Not Fighting the Boys Spend
Their Time Amusing Themselves
in Much the Same Ways
as nt Home.

Corporal G. NJ. Primeau, Company L, First
Nebraska volunteers, was found at his
home, 2123 Webster street, suffering from
severe cold, the great change in climate
from Manila to Omaha having proven too
much for him. Corporal Primeau was Ill in
the Philippines for two and one-half months
with dysentery, malaria fever and bronchi-
tis, so that he found very little time for en-
joyment of the sights in and around Ma
Mia.
The corporal said that naturally his opin-
ion OF the climate of the tropics could not
be very good, as he had been Ill 30 long In
the hospital. In speaking of the trip to the
islands and the manner In which the boys
pass their time he said:
when we left Nebraska each man had
his blue fatigue suit At San Francisco
each drew a brown khakie suit. The blue
was packed away in boxes and we saw them
no more until we reached Manila, the boxes
having been left at Cavite during the brief
campaign. The brown suits were very good
for the hard work around Manila, as they
did not show the dirt. After the surrender
of the city we each drew two suits OF white,
the goods resembling canvas, but being
much lighter even than the duck one sees
here during the warm months. These were
worn almost constantly, the rules making 1t
necessary to appear in them when In the
city.
"As to the ratlons, ! cannot say a great
deal in their favor, but ! presume they are
the best that can be supplied there. On
our way over and while attacking the city
we used the regulation rations OF canned
salmon, beef, hardtack and articles OF that
character. After the surrender or along to-
ward the last, at least, we drew fresh meat
from Australia two or three times a week.
This was the best thing we struck and the
boys enjoyed 1t. Dried applies and dried
peaches were also being issued. 1t Is i'm
possible to secure vegetables as all that
can be purchased are needed In the hos
pitals We used canned tomatoes and DIRE "
potatoes often, but they were Of inferior
character. as 1t is impossible to keep them
from rotting on account OF the climate. We
had plenty OF ice for use In the hospitals.
This ice Is manufactured In Cavite. six miles
across the bay, or twelve miles distant by
the wagon road. The nurses In the hos
pItals are men. with the exception OF a few
Red Cross women who devote their time to
preparing deicacies for the sick soldiers to
eat, The Red Cross society has a hospital
in Manila. Our boys do not go there. but
to the division hospital, where they receive
very good treatment. ! was there long
complain The regiment was healthy when
| left it, very few men being III.
They Miss Their Conee.
"One thing that the boys missed. or at
least a good many OF them did, was their
coffee. The coffee issued was of excellent
quality, but it was green and We had nc
way OF parching 1t satisfactorily. I did not
| drink a cup. don't think. after I arrived
in the Islands, Some managed to brown the
coffee sufficiently to make themselves a
cup. but they were the exceptions. Now.
understand, good roasters have been issued
80 they can drink all they want.
"All the water used was boiled. We could
not get enough ice to cool 1t. so it was left
standing in Jars to cool during the night
Sometimes the boys would hll their can
| teens with hot water and dampen the out
side. This would soon cool the water in
side so they could drink 1t.
During the attack on Manila our boys