The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-05-01
UNDER A TROPICAL SKY
A SURGEONS DAY IN CAMP
MCKINLEY.
Vivid Description of the Time When
the New Workers Were Here-Remin-
iscences of One who Knew.

and presents a phase of life in Camp
Mckinley as it was then, which has
not been often described:
"All is still except the monotonous
breaking of the waves on the coral reef
which skirts the beach but a few yards
distant. The beautiful Hawaiian moon
is sinking in the blue depths of the
grand Pacific Ocean.
"A hundred white tents, pitched in
rows, stand like sentinels at attention
on the side of a great mountain whose
peak is now enveloped in a fieecy cloud
which is slowly drifting off to sea.
More than five thousand miles from
home and loved ones, within these tents
are sleeping nearly fifteen hundred
brave boys, who at the country's call
stepped one pace to the front, and an
swered Here Sleeping? No; not all
are sleeping. Some are Offering up a
silent prayer to Him who alone can be
| heard from all portions of the globe.
| Some are thinking, sadly, of those at
! home. Sleeping or waking, as they
| turn restlessly on their cots of earth, or
! toss about in the agonies of fever, they
! see before them the tear-stained faces
of mothers, wives, sisters, and sweet
hearts. Here is one silently watching
and nursing a comrade, a brother, per-
/ haps, or maybe only a tent-mate; but
that sad, tender expression tells how
| faithfully and willingly he performs his
task. Sitting upon the dusty ground,
with his back resting against the tent
pole, his companions head in his lap,
and quietly waving a fan over the face
of his charge-his face turns slowly to-
ward the tent~opening, and he sees the
| dawn of another day. Carefully and
gently he lays his companion on the
hot sand.
Day is here, but the sun is still hid
| den by that great heap of ashes which
] I'M los Nv 10 orr
lions of volcano, whose grave has
long since. been marked by a gigantic
mountain of red, cold lava.
Lying on his cot in a small tent un-
der an algeroba tree is the surgeon of
the regiment He cannot compose him
i self to sleep, for in yonder tents he
| knows the soldiers are tossing in fever
and pain. He hears the clear silver call
of bugle sounding reveille. The still
ness is unbroken except for the sharp
challenge of a sentry as the relief APP
pears, and now and then the wild cry
of the myna bird as he leaves his nest
under the sheltering leaves of royal
palm.
"As the last notes of the bugle echo
against the walls of that old crater a
thousand men pour out of their tents,
like bees from a hive. But moment
ago all was quiet; now all is hustle and
hurry; the awakening of a regiment is
accomplished.
1.-THE urgeon starts on his way to the
company streets. Let us go with him.
We stop at the first sergeant's tent, we
hear the command, Fall in for roll
call One hundred and six men should
answer, Here only forty, however, re-
spond. Where are the others? Ten
are on guard and special duty, sir.
Twenty are in the regimental hospital;
thirty-siX are in their tents, unable to
respond to roll call. Let us look in this
tent. All, here are two. We bend over
a smooth faced lad gentle tap on the
shoulder causes him to look up. His
eyes are heavy, his cheeks are stained
with tears, the face is covered with a
fine red dust, much thicker on one side,
where the face lay on the ground, and
has been dampened by flood of tears.
Touch the grimy hand; it is dry and
hot; he trys to speak, but the tongue
refuses to moisten his swollen and
painful lips. The surgeon takes in the
situation and says, Never mind, my
boy, you will be better SOON His tears
well up and he cries-yes a soldier can
cry-those two words, my boy are the
words his mother used, and this is the
first time he has heard them since he
said goodbye to her.
Here is another fellow sleeping
soundly. oblivious to the charges now
being preferred against him-the lad
; now sleeping off his drunken stupor. As
soon as he has slept off his debauch he
will begin his ten days guardhoUsc
duty, policing the camp, and digging
: latTines-such is the cost of indulging in
'swipes.' This is but one street; there
/ are many others TO visit.
"Wearied with the work and sadden-
ed by the misery around him, so little
comparatively, of which he fells he car
lessen, the surgeon returns to his tent
to look over his notes, to write his pre-
! scriptions, and to dispatch ambulances
to the sufferers, that they may be con-
? veyed TO the Post Hospital
/ How many of these will return
greeted with cheers in a few days tC
their camp duty, how many will be car,
ried to yonder camp of rest, while the
echo of three volleys will sounC
: through Nuuanu Valley and be re-
echoed by the means of terminates II
y the hospital just above, on the hillside
Now the bugler sounds mess call
the boys fall in with tin cups and mes:
kits, for stewed tomatoes, bareback and
coffee. That fellow who takes his ra'
lions, finds a shady spot, sits down anC
4 eats with an evident relish, is recognize
ed as one of New Yorks bankers. An
other takes his rations, but does no
attempt to conceal his disgust for Uncl
Sans food: he punctuates the act o
against the Government, the officers
and the poor cook this man was a five
dollars -week clerk in a dry good
s store. Breakfast is over, another cali 4
e sounded by the bugler; this call is quit
n as sad as the retreat. More than tw
+ hundred men try to form in line column
e of twos; with the assistance of com
+ rades they march i'm a pitiful, stagger
e ing, waVering, hating line to the sur
| geOn'S tent, where they are mercifull,
permitted to break ranks and seel
!. shelter from the now blistering rays o
a sub-tropical sun. The big-hearted
- sunny-faced hospital steward calls tn
names and each man is given as mucl
care and attention as is possible i'm
>, very brief time, for OF all work whicl
must be hurried, It is this reports mus
go into headquarters in order that tn
detail for the day may be made. on
is marked light duty, another quar-
y ters, and others hospital while nov
: | and then some fellow who had PROMISE