Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-06-15
FOURTH OF JULY IN HONOLULU.
Transport Likely to Start for Manila Soor
With Grand Rapids Bows Aboard.

Presidio, Cal. was lately received by
his mother, Mrs. Lydia E. Houston, in
Centralia. We have been permitted
it's use for publication, as follows:
Presidio, June t. 1Sge.-My Dear
Mother: Received your letter yester
day afternoon and as today is the day
of rest and recreation for us soldier
boys. [ will answer it. for fear that
the morrow will be busy for me.
Our time is pretty well taken up by
drills, fatigue work and guard duty
but it all helps to pass away the time
and that's the main object of a soldier,
for tent life is at times, slightly
mOnOtOnOus."
Reveille sounds at 5:55 a. m. and all
of US tired and sleepy boys roll out for
roll call at a. m. Some are half
dressed and look like a rose of last
summer, but reprimand or two from
the head push. arOuSes him from his
seemingly mummitied state Gym
nastics (arm, leg and body exercises
begin at a. n. but we do not have
such every day. The regular drill
commences at 7:30 and ends at s.
Next from $50 to $50, next from 10 to
1920 and the last for the forenoon
commences at IL and stops at 11:30.
That is all for the fOrenOOnS work.
We fly kites during the spare mom-
entS. Dinner any time from 1870 to
12:15 p. M. and it is really swell
affair, although pretty hard to get
acquainted with, especially after one
has been used to hotel bills of fare.
Would send you photograph, with
the latest platinO finish and richly
embossed in gold and silver, of some
Of our meals, but the time, finance
and also the photographer are lacking
so will keep it, the intention, till
some future date. To say the best for
them they are rocky and surely Uncle
Sam could feed his boys better than
he does. | should not censure uncle
for he provides enough but he has
thieves in his employ and in the
army. Well, [ believe all have par
taken of the kings banquet, let us see
what the afternoon will bring forth.
First drill commences at 1:30 and ends
at 2 o'clock. We are off from work
the remainder of the afternoon but
must be in camp to answer retreat at
2. M. Supper at 6:45 and of course
none would miss an army meal, eSpec-
tally if he had ten cents in his jeans.
Tattoo sounds at 9 o'clock and all
lights must be out in the tents and all
persons must be in bed by IL o'clock.
| have told you, but in rather con-
denSed form, the regular days work
of a regular soldier and deduct for
yourselves and see if our work is play.
| have often been told by old gray
headed men and also by some younger
by twenty or thirty years, that when
a regular soldier comes from the army,
throws off his apparel of blue and dons
the citizens many cOlOred uniforms,
that he is lazy, has no ambition and
that no intelligent person in the west
would hire him because he was
soldier in the regular army of the
United States. / fail to see how a
man would become lazy doing the
work that regular soldier does. If
he was lazy when he became citizen,
then lazy he was when he entered the
army for it is an incurable disease.
We had a serious accident yesterday
while Companies G III and l were
shooting at the range. A young lad
from Company G was shooting at his
target and bullet from the Krag-
.JorgesOn glanced downward and went
sideways through the breast of the
target marker. He lived about five
hours but could not stand the shock.
1t must be hard to die by bullet
wound and not on the battle field.
Rather think he is better off by far
than most of US.
Will Lyon and myself have at last,
by long and diligent pleadings, found
each other Or in other words. we now
bunk together in the same tent, side
by side, as brothers, and sleep and
share our troubles together (alsO grub.
It's the cleaneSt tent on the boulevard,
so the lieutenant says, and also con-
tains the best looking, cleanest and
huskiest ten boys that wear the blue.
1t is the pride of our hearts and the
envy of the rest of the company. If
any of you Wisconsin friends stroll out
| this way, be sure and call on tent No
6, bouvelard No. l and We'll treat you
right. Bring along a jersey COW as we
could give you no cream in your coffee,
nor sugar in ditto, nor butter on your
| bread. Would rather have you call
after supper for then our Salvation
army has it's regular services, COM
mencing at 7:15 to 7:55 D. N. Our
brother private, Mr.. Utter by name,
| is the leader Of these mighty services
| dllu L JOu Will dO LILO
dry and droll remarks and our tent
| would be dull without him.
Immediately opposite our camp, and
out in the bay of San Francisco, is the
Military island or prison for the
soldier lads. Stealing here is serious
offense and if caught in the act, it
means about five years on the island.
There is young lad there now, who
is serving a ten years sentence for
striking an officer. They also send lads
there for fraudulent enlistment, that
is, lad who swears he is twenty-One
years of age and enliSts without his
parents consent. OF course the par
ents make the complaint and then
their darling boy" is put in prison
for year or so, on the strength Of
their complaint.
| am not sure when we leave for
Manila but hope to soon. 1t was re-
ported that we were to leave on the
9Th of June but [ understand our
transport Sheridan is broken down.
A month more will not see any of us
here, / am sure. We shall celebrate
4th of July on board ship Or perhaps
at Honolulu. / remain your son,
GEORGE r. HOUSTON.
liz AuIJGro