Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-01-10
ON DUTY IN HONOLULU.
Uhh Doy With v,uales Engineers Nurin
fescPaiicnis.
ttacJ uccit Al Of Experience In That
capacity New Workers rs Patients
Longing Tor Home.

The following letter was received
yesterday By Miss Flo Graham Of this
city. from her brother. james A. Ora
ham. who II q member " company *"
Second regiment Of unitod states vol
untser engineers Colonel willard
Younrs-which IN stationed At Homo
lulu
The letter was written the day after
Christmas. and N given Ia full. with
the exception 90 . few pusaagca that
are not ~ gcnrrni interest
Dear sintcr-Ycatcrlav was Christ
mas and today IN Honolulu 10 n some
thing like a dun Fourth NJ July In Sat
l.ntr, lHo sun u shining brightly. the
trees arc green and the iluwcra bloom
Ing. The ladies nrr wearing thclf white
clothing. and iaft. but not least. the
boys arr nlinE on hrcrturkcfH
The boys from tho rtntrr. however
aru accustomed to having turkey. a.i
spending Christmas like Christmas. 50
company v. which has quite n repre-
fcntttlun from Salt Lake made prepaf-
niiuna Tor Christmas feast. The oih-
corH Of the company were entertainers.
and prepared me dinner, For myself.
I can only say that when u came 10 pic
tsoldiefv' delight I had room for only
one slice. Nearly all the company were
present. our good captain having gone
the rounds OF tho various hospitals, 10
rr'hor his family IN.
The dinner went on IN hnc order. but
grub poorly cooked.
was "comc-down" 70 return to "a
.,.ai ~..a fun Of sick. fen To my
The First Regiment. New York vol.
uutcsff, has been uurn w the side or
the Third battalion Of engineers.
may say that tho engineers have done
little else than take care ~ the Scw
Workers since they came 10 Honolulu.
Hut with all our care they took fever
and started an epidemic ~ typhoid.
The government decided 20 send them
home. but the engineers We're lgft DO.
hind TO nurse. While IN. New Workers
were here their sick greatly uui.num-
bcrcd our battalion. hut W. ala our
duty and ran the danger ~ nursing
fever eases. thankful that We should
see some real service before returning.
The patients did nicely ana We lost
only two or three eases. ! am sorry 10
fny that several 81 our boys contract
cd the fcvcr-my own comrnde being
among the numbcr-but they arr now
recovering.
have been nursing now for over
three weeks. and do not expect 60 be
relieved for some time 10 come. Nurn-
inr Il By no means n snap. We get up
report for duty at seven. In a. ward
there are a. patients. To attend these.
there nre four female nurses ana four
engineers during the day. ana for tho
night one female nurse ana two cnEi-
nccrs. Ray YOUNG and myself. with
two men nom Company &C." have the
day shift.
our duties are 20 wash the patients.
and give those who have the fever milk
and whisky. ana ilTht food to those
whose temperature II not high. We
rive several Of the fever patients Ice
baths during tho nay. and do other du-
ties Incident upon nursing. Altogether
II II trying work. and we hardly hay"
time 10 ut down for five minutes to-
Ecther, We only have twenty minutes
for dinner. ~ y. m. We are relieved
by the nirht nurses, From then until
$50 We have the tim. 10 ourselves. We
arr under orders 20 be In our tents at
that hour. that II, the hospital corpai
the others can Fet night passes.
our hospital steward. pr. wetHei 0f
Salt Lake has made quite name FOR
himself, and II loved by every patient
In the hospital. Some 81 tho other
stewards, I am sorry a. say, nut on
airs. one was a tender OF a soda wa.
ter fountain In his fathers drug store,
east. and 10 the worst Kind 81 u nnoh.
Thoso ~ the boys who arr not on
hospital detail tend 10 the government
mules aud horses. left here by the
steamship Tacoma. or do garrison duty
az camp. The barracks have been fur.
nlshed nnd are quite home-iikc.
I will say In conclusion that this
place does not seem natural. long to
hear the sleigh bells, 10 wear an over.
coat. 10 go skating, ana ride ON an cicc.
tric car.
Lieut. Mills was very m. but N now
on the mend. The doctors have at
last got tho fevcr under coutrol Wish
Ing you merry Christmas ana hap.
ny New Year. I remain your brother,
JAMES A. GltAHAM
Comp. X, See, Reg. u. \, v. Eng.