Omaha daily bee., 1899-12-17
SOLDIERS ENJOY CHRISTMAS
Boys in Blue Devote One Day to Feasting
and Pleasures.
ATTACK TURKEY IN THE PARKWAY LANDS
Volunteers of Nebraska and Iowa Tell
of the Passing of the HOIi-
day of One Year
Int Ago.
ATTACK TURKEY IN THE PARKWAY Lam

The other day a number of the members
of Company l.. First Nebraska Company d
Third Nebraska, and Company L. Fifty-frs
Iowa volunteers happened to congregate in
one of the fashionable club rooms, where in
an animated manner they discussed the re-
cent victories of the Beers over the English
In South Africa. Later the conversation
drifted around to the war in Cuba and the
Philippines. Finally the listeners tired OF
the yarns and one man who sat upon the
outer edge of the circle spoke up. saying
"rrilby"-that's the name that attached
to ID. o. Barnell of the Thurston Rifles when
he went to Manila and has clung to him
ever since-"tell us about last Christmas in
the Philippines"
Barnell, though 10th to talk. was fnall-'
prevailed upon to talk. Last Christmas
wac rather an uneventful day with u.s. he
said "At that time the Filpinos were
friendly, the Spanish had been driven out
and apparently there were no
enemies of the stars and stripes
on the island of Luzon. Last
year on Christmas day we were camped at
Santa Mesa, up the Pasig river about four
miles from its mouth and just on the out
skirte of Manila, along the road leading to
the e,pumping station, where few weeks later
we did some pretty hot fighting, establish
ing the reputation of the First Nebraska.
If / remember correctly the day was
scorcher. the mercury lingering up in the
90s during the greater portion of the time
A Hot Old Christmas.
Last Christmas we had a good sized
company fund and two or three days before
the holiday We sent man into town to buy
chickens, geese, ducks and sucking pigs
In Manila the market is not heavily stocked
MID ha.y ittgf
toned, but we found enough, with the ex-
ception of turkey. OF turkey there was
none. One of the boys who had been scout
ing along the water works road said he knew
of the whereabouts of a flock of turkeys
end he was given a special detail to bring
In couple Of the birds. The night before
Christmas he went out and before midnight
returned with two as fine gobblers as you
ever saw. What he paid / don't know, but
not much, fancy, for the next day China
man was around our camp hunting for a
couple of turkeys. said to have strayed away
the night before.
"On Christmas day half dozen men were
detailed to assist the company cook. Just
after noon the boys drew their camp chairs
around a meal that would have been fit to
set before a king. We had roast chicken,
turkey. pig, lamb. fish and several other
kinds of meat. We had vegetables of all
kinds and fruits. In fact, it was about the
best dinner that l ever tasted, and, by the
way, l have sampled a good many in my
time. The tables were set in the company
street and were covered with great sheet
of canvas to keep off the rays of the burn
ing tropical sun After dsposing of the
dinner, Spanish cigars were brought out
and Captain Taylor, as POSTMASTER, called
upon the boys for speeches or songs. We
had some pretty fair orators and the elo-
quenee let out upon that occasion was
caution. Then there was singing, solos
duets and about everything that you could