The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-12-09

ANGELES. Luaon. oct q. 1T Is
quiet enough to-day for me TO easily
believe It to be Sunday, and the day to
thus accord with the cal Oar. could
hardly call the quletude Characteristic,
for it consists IN the absence Of rihe
shots and the boom Of field guns. Since
nv first days on the island, In late
July, I believe this Is the htst day
have not heard the cracks Of rifles.
either on the firing line or as an ex-.
change Of delicate and maybe doubt
ful. courtesy between outposts. sup
nose those Of US who formed In early
youth our literary style and built up
our vocabularies In the careful study
OF those thrilling tales in which the
rife Cracked" much. and often will
always speak carelessly Of the explo-
sion Of modern small arm as a
crack" a little more fidelity to fact
and a little less poetlcal eftusion would
render the explosion of Krag-Jergu-
son rife more like the tearing OF Of
tin roof than crack"
During the week we have lived in
comparative quiet as far as the insur-
rectos are concerned only a few hos
tile shots, and they in answer to the
down In front suggestion Of some
watchful pickets rife as an insurecto,
was caught In little personal or mill
Itary rlbber-necking. But during these
days Of possible quiet there has been
more noise than enough to make a
tImid man nervous and cuss out the
patriotism that has brought him so far
away from a quiet home.
The whole Second division has spent
the week at target practice. Every re-
crut has had to fire fifty shots, and
every old soldier twenty-five shots. The
targets we use are not the conventions
al bull's-eye. bot silhouette repre-
sentlng in outline the figure of q man
lying down or kneellng in 1.-THE act Of
firing rife. The men besides have
been practlced in volley firing. So.
With all the clatter about. it has been
inst as comforting TO know We were
within the zsne Of FIRE. Target prao-
ticc Is generally part Of the soldiers
education that he gets in those days
Of peace when 1t is best to prepare for
war. Although the American people
are scientists and economists in many
particulars, their sense OF propriety
viii hardly be offended lnStnis instance,
whea they have made 1t necessary for
the soldier to serve his apprenticeship
and do 3ourneyman's workat the same
time.
In peace times. however, 1t is with
great care that rifle range isseleet-..
cd, The butts are built with great
pains. 50 as to stop the balls in the UNI
desired excursions they might take
through the adjacent country. On the
range Of the Old Fourth Foot in Cuba
boy was shot one mile beyond the
target. ~
The order directing the tarket prac-
tice stated that the ordinary bullet
need not be constructed by the troops
in the field, as the range could be To-
Gated SO that lines Of IRE would not
eudanger any valuable llves''-a great
economical consideration. incidentally
Erag-Jorgeuson bullets have been de-
scrIbing all sorts Of radi was a mile or
two out in country from this town
as center.
A week ago to-day we had our mer-
riest time. All the week before we
were fred upon every night. The lat
ter part Of the week went down to
Manila for two days. MY worn khaki
showed anything but an artistic con-
rast to- the Immaculate white duck
uniforms Of those officers who are liv-
ing in town and studying the orient in
more comfortable, more scientific and
perhaps safer way, than that en-.
IOyed by the troops on the line.
The last night in the city, with no
particular place to go. felt like a
farmer on the evening OF circus day,
tootsore, weary, full of red lemonade
and ready to get back to the place
again. II had been in any danger
of succumbIng to the seductive charms
Of city lob" was saved that last
night, for an earthquake almost shook
me out Of my bed in the hotel and my
prayer for ,dellverance was n promise
to myself and others within hearing
dIstance) to go right back to the firing
line and take my chances Of being shot
by nice clean Mauser bullet, than to
be covered up by the dirty ceilings of
a collapsed oriental hotel. It is COM
fortIng to remember that the walls and
ceilings are not plastered. so your
clothes look better after you escape
or are dug out Of n building that has
fallen In an earthquake.
returned to my regiment Sunday
afternoon just in time to appreciate
how much better 1t was on the firing
line than in the city. That night the
insurgents made the most demonstrn-
lions in our front that have seen since
came into this town with the Twelfth
infantry. August 18th The morning of
the nth we were shaken UP little by
the enemy trying to enter the town
again, but then every man In Tie ten
companies we had was on the line and
the enemy had no artillery.
Last Sunday the affair was different.
OF course there was no possible chance
of their driving US out or damaging US