Gilpin observer., 1899-08-24

pSSictdiy lNoOt HIS lSSueu OTueTS lOT
the Twenty-seventh, Thirty-first and
Thirty-fourth regiments of volunteer
infantry to proceed to San Francisco at
once. These regiments will sail for
Manila when transports are provided.
The War Department has set aside
two large tracts of land near Honolulu
MS military reservations. One tract
contains 1884 acres, situated about
three miles northwest of the city, ana
the other, 14,40O acres, is nineteen
miles from Pearl HarbOr.
Secretary Root has in contemplation
visit to the President at Lake Cham
plain. He has not yet finally deter
mined whether to go, but will decide in
a day or two. The fact that General
Wesley Merritt Is to have n conference
with the President during the week.
combined with Mr.. Roots prospective
trip, has given rise to fresh rumors OF
n apostolic change in the command of
the troops in the Philippines.
In letter from Admiral Dewey TO
the secretary of the navy, dated at
Naples, August 9TH, the admiral gives
his plans as follows: Il propose to re-
main at this point about one week.
then to proceed to Leghorn for one
week, and then to either Genoa or
Nillefrance for about the same period.
1t is then proposed to proceed to CID
raltar for coal, etc, and to leave that
port about the middle of September
This contradcts the report that Ad-
miral Dewey intended TO go to London
before returning to the United States.
The order for bringing to the United
States five battalions OF soldiers sery-
II. Il tt,l
ions, n system that has not been known
in the army heretofore. The order also
provides that troops, batteries and COM
panies will hereafter be formed into
battalions in alphabetical order, ex-
cept that the light and siege batteries,
being mounted, will not be placed in
any battalion. The troops ordered from
Cuba are to be stationed as follows:
Battalion +, First infantry. mt Fort
Leavenworth, Kansas; Second infantry
at Fort Thomas. Kentucky; Fifth in
fantry at Fort Sheridan. Illinois;
Eighth infantry ut Feyt Smelling Min
nesota; Tenth infantry at Fort Crook,
Nebraska.
The correspondent of the Chicago
Record telegraphs his paper as fol-
lows: Major General Nelson A. Miles.
commanding general of the army, is
going to the Philippines. He will start
the latter part of October. He will not
take command of the forces in the
field, nor will he supersede General
Otis. He will, however, act in his ca
pacity of general of the army and
will have n supervision over field oper-
atoms. He will direct the assign
ment of the different regiments and
participate in mapping out plans of
campaigns. He will reach the Philip
pines about the close of the rainy sea-
son and remain until peace is restored.
The statement is made upon excellent
authority General Miles has ordered n
tropical outfit, including new uni
forms, etc, and the fact that he is 60
ing Is pleasing to the new secretary of
war, although Mr.. Root did not sug
gest it to General Miles. There will be
continued denials of this statement.
and General Miles and his friends will
lose no opportunity to discredit it.
They will throw as much secrecy
around his plans as they did when he
left for Cuba to assist General Shat
ter before Santiago. General Miles
will. of course, take his staff, and his
party will be formidable in numbers.
He will be of material assistance in
prosecuting an active campaign.
HeTe is dctlNlly 1T tue w III DepdTt-
mcnt in the various bureaus which are
charged with equipping and handling
the ten additional volunteer regiments
just authorized. The quartermaster's
department is particularly busy in ar
ranging for transportation. Informa-
ton is being gathered from the various
steamship companies operating on the
Pacific coast regarding their vessels
which may be pressed into service to
transport troops from San Francisco to
Manila. Colonel Bird. who is in charge.
expects with the facilities mt hand, to,
gether with those which will be pro,
vided later. that the entire force of
twenty volunteer regiments will be on
the way to Manila by December 31st
General Corbin estimated that the last
ten volunteer regiments authorized can
be organized by the LIST of October and
ready for transportation by the middle
<of the same month. Colonel Bird says
he believes the quartermaster's depart
ment VIII be prepared to commence the
movement by that time. The vessels
carrying the first ten regiments of vol
unteers will return to San Francisco in
time to assist in carrying the last ten
1t Is stated the quartermnster's depart
ment Is so far advanced In its prcpara-
tions that each soldiers outfit will be
ready and waiting for him as soon as
he Is mustered in. The ordnance and
other departments are also preparing
to meet the demands of the increased
army.
The official report of the mineral pro-
duction of the United States for the
calendar year 1898 was made public
Wednesday by the geological survey.
1t shows that since 1880 the total value
of the mineral production of the United
States has Increased from S369, 310, 900
to SG97. SSO0O2 in 1898. nearly 90 per
cent. The normal increase deduced
from this record of nineteen years IL mt