The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-13
WOES Of THE PRIVATE
Life in the Army is Not One
Grand, Sweet Dream.
SLEPT ON STONE FLOORS
Officers Are Inconsiderate OF the Com
fort o. the Men to a Sad Degree.
Soldie r. Fined for Inra-
terial Offarses.

r.. S Shields OF No - West Granite
street has received Ii" following verv
interesting letter from his brother. 5.
NJ. Shields, now a. Manila:
Manila, p. J., jar. 2S--if ever a lot
of sturdy young fellows missed their
proper vocation in hfc. the Montana
regiment, now dong garrison dury
here, can lay claim t" the doubtful Is
tinction. Little did they dream of their
present condition when they placed
Montana's name first in the sisterhooa
OF states by responding first of all to
the president 8 call for volunteers. Ours
was the first regiment to be mustered
into the national service and is so ac-
credited upon the records of the war
department. But what did this pa.ri-
otto promptness avail us? While we
soaked in the moraSses of Camp Smith,
more favored regiments were being hur-
ried to the front. How much more de-
srable was our portion when we were
finally transferred to the mist-hidden
sand lots OF Camp Merritt For rea-
sons which the poor 'swatty' can only
surmise, we were studiOusly kept in
the background. Other regiments, in
no ways our superinrs, We're sent to the
Philippines and glory. But still the
boys kept heart and were satisfied 10
serve their country as their superiors
might direct. Al last another chapter
of our history begun. We tasted the
pleasures of Honolulan hospitality
doubly accumulated by the trials of our
later adventures on the Pennsylvania.
Your readers have already an idea of
how an indulgent government tickled
our pampered palatps W.ih slum gull
lion, and even on one rare occasion
served a whole case of y entire ana
unbroken cars of tomatoes to our regi-
ment OF only u companies But to
briefly pass these days of luxury and
feasting, we finally reached Manila, the
magic goal of our ambitions, and the
scene of our future glory. But, Us
usual, we We're too late. Manila had
fallen and we were assigned to quarters
in Cavite. Again did our indulgent
government provide US with royal com
forts. We We're placed in low, damp
barracks, previously condemned aud
abandoned by the Oregon troops In
addition to this our ratiOrS were made
almost sufficient to sustain life by the
addition of our prinCelV monthly sti-
pend of $3.50; but still some of the
boys kicked, though they had been off
cially informed that bareback and bl-
con was good enough for the animals
What difference if half of the BOYS
were sick and some of them died If
quarters?
What did the powers reck of the suf-
ferings of the privates, when most of
them were drawing the biggest salar-
les they had ever known? True, the
men were confined for several weeks
within the walls of the little town, but
those superior beings with shoulder
straps could cross the bay to Manila
at Will. What higher ambition IVES a
Rocky suppose to have than a de-
sire to perfect himself in such intricate
ly movements as 'fOurs-right-abO in
the mud? How great the condesCension
of officers who would honor their COM
pany mess with their presence but not
their pay. But finally there came an
end to this ecstatic existence. The Fill
pinos were threatening Manila and we
were called to the rescue. But like the
war horse of scriptural fame, we could
only scent the battle from afar. There
was no fight and we had not yet been
cleared of the hated epithet of tin SOL
diers.' Here every effort was made
to cater to the maidenly instincts of
the School girls so pleasantly re-
ferred to by one of our battalion COM
manders. Not content with delighting