The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-10-24

Take the Montana regiment for ex-
ample. They always have two men on
the line for each one of any other reg
iment, and I know they drink at least
three times as much as any of the 9TH
ers."
Il believe said one of the soldiers,
that l would have been planted long
ago if l hadn't used whiskey.''
Speaking of General Macarthur,
there is well-founded belief existent
| among the Anaconda boys that GEN
eral Macarthur is about the only COM
petent officer high in command in the
islands They express the conviction
that Macarthur could put down the re-
bellion in short order if he were given
liberty to go at the insurgents rough
shod. 1t is said that Macarthur has
several times had large bodies of Fill
pinos at his mercy, but was never per-
mitted to strike a decisive blow, being
called off by his superior officers.
The Montana boys have a great deal
of respect for General MacArthur.s
qualities as thoroughgoing, shrewd
soldier and they point with consid-
cradle degree of justifiable pride to sew
eral compliments that General Mac
Arthur has paid the regiment The
Copper state lads also regard Colonel
Bell, formerly Major Bell, as one of the
best men in the service. 1t was he
who directed them in the fierce fight
at Caloocan which resulted in so much
honor for them. Macarthur and Bell,
they say, are always in the front ranks
leading their forces, instead of being in
the rear driving them. 1t is also said
that General Otis has never visited the
front of his army. A tale also is to the
effect that when the natives threatened
to storm the walled City," Otis issued
forth from his tent every five minutes
or SO and asked his sentry whether
they are coming nearer"
THE Walled City is entirely invul-
nerable to infantry operations, being
! a strong, oldtime fortress built of
stone, with a big moat and draw
! bridges all around it, added the man
| who told the story.
Then the talk in another car drifted
on to the subject of peculiarities of
| Mauser bullets and the effect they have
| upon the object struck. Captain Dillon
says when the bullet struck him that SO
| nearly ended his life he at first thought
| a man at his side struck him in the
chest with his hand.
Joe Callahan was pumping lead into
the Filipinos one day when a Mauser
bullet came sizzling along and struck
his cartridge belt. The impact was SO
great that Callahan was whirled around
like top, making two or three revo-
lutions and finally fell to the ground.
The boys who We're fighting near him
thought, of course, he had been Sc
verely wounded. but to their surprise
an examination developed that the cart
ridge belt was torn to shreds. but Cal
lahan received only slight abrasion of
the skin. Then followed some stories
of narrow escapes. How many in
stances have been noted where the
enemy's bullet imbedded itself in the
.I, III Ia In &C
| firing rapidly.
| The boys do not hold very highly the
soldierly qualities of the Filipinos.
| They could have held trenches that
we took easily, if they had only laid
| low and poured lead into u.s." said one,
but they have no heart. They aban-
don their bitches as soon as the fire
gets little hot and retreat upon very
slight cause. They cannot stand up and
| fight square out-and-out battle. Their
system of warfare rather is to keep
away from us. retreating as we adj
vance and leaving only few men in
the trenches. who keep up fire for the
purpose of deceivng us as to their
| strength"
Talking about guns. the men of X
and M have a wholesome regard for
| the Mauser, the merits of which pat
tern have heen taught them by expert
ence. THE Mauser has a very decep-
tive report. 1t is peculiar in that it
| is very hard to locate the point whare
the firing is being done" said the lad
who had the floor Sometimes you
think you have it located, for sure, but
| just about that time there comes an
other ping and you are as much in
| doubt as ever. In this way the Fill
| Pine sharpshooters from trees and
| other places of concealment used to
keep us on the ragged edge all night
long, and the trouble of it was that we
couldn't get back at them. But after
we had been in the bitches few days
| and nights we got used to it and didn't
mind it, We took care. of course, to lie
low and not expose ourselves, for the
! Mauser is capable of killing at a dis
| tance of two miles.
| And with running talk of this sort the
| hours passed pleasantly for all.