Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1900-12-01

Space will not permit me 10 20 into De
tail, 50 will BIZ briei Ate. dash
across the Continent over The Southern,
Seabord Air Line, Iron Mountain ION
which We nearly bad smash up by cur
engine breaking a side rod while doing
O. miles ain hour ard the Denver & Rio
Grande r r through Atlanta Memphis,
st Louis, the sand plains Of California
the Grand Ccnyon and Royal Gorge Salt
Lake Cry on down through the Sierra
Nevaday into FRISCO seven days after
leaving ~ ashington, ID. G. We arrived
tired aud dusty but after good
bath aud refreshing sleep in a sibley
tent on straw matt esseS. were ready for
the morrow and marched down 10 the
wharf at the head Of our squadron playing
our liveliest airs. We embarked on the
U. S transport Meade Aug. at 4 80 and
as night was closing in we could just see
| the last Of the Golden Gate.
The next morning on board was anus.
| ing il not ahead OF any farce comedy
ever saw. All hands with the exception
few old salts in the band were sea sick.
| AS for my self was not Bit sick. but
4 just the same can remember about a
half hour in which did not care if the
ship went TO the bottom.
Our vessel was good craft being an
old Imam Liner. The City of Berlin and
was one day an ocean greyhound.
made quite record on the trip repair
ing the soldiers watches and playing in
band concerts every day from Frisco to
Kobe, Japan. Arrived in Kobe Aug. 23
and here we heard for the first that Pekin
had fallen! How the men did cheer when
/ the news was announced. From Kobo we
went through the Inland sea. This is one
Of the worlds gre atesr sights. The vessel
moves over water pea green in color, and
which is scarcely disturbed by ripple,
between islands large and small all very
high, cultivated into terraced tea gardens
with the NEST cunning little villages at
their foot. Scarcely creature is seen and
the whole is just like large painting.
Arriving at Nagasaki spent two days
ashore and most OF nv loose change. The
| Japanese are great business people and
know how to charge the inexperienced
ones double for souvenirs The only cheap
thing is the jrickshaw and this you can
hire all day for IS cts. SI.5o Japanese
money.
| | visited Budda's Temple. markets,
bazaars, jewelry shops and tea gardens.
saw Buddhist street parade and wander
ing musician, with baskets over ttis
heads. When | wanted my jrickshaw
man to slow up and tried to tell him So
he would go faster. just gave it up and
went through the principle streets a. a
good pace, but would often stop him just
to give him rest. These are wonder
full people and must have a great vitality
to stand the pace they make.
After giving concert at a big English
ho.el here we went on board to find out,
that though it was expected we would go
to China. the order had been changed.
and we. the band and four tro ps would
go TO our headquarters in the Philippines.
Many OF the troopers were greatly disap-
pointed and for the rest of the voyage to
Manila most of them wore rather sour
expression. On the evening of Sept. 4th,
we sailed past Corregidor Island Light
House ana dropped anchor in Manila har-
| bor
| From our vessel the next dav we could
see Dewey's trade marks, viz: The halt
submerged hulls OF four or five vessels
nearly eaten up with rust Manila har-
Dor is grand place and vessels flying the
flag of nearly every nation were anchored
here.
We were taken from the vessel in large
cargoes loaded on toy railroad, the on
| ~ one the island affords, and landed at
| Caloocan. This is where great deal of
| lighting occurred and works of defense,
Krag bullets, etc, are numerous. We
| were quartered in Bamboo Barracks and
were nearly ca ried away several days
later by severe typhoon.
Except false alarm caused by a re-
cruIt dlschargng his gun and wounding
himself, nothing OF special interest occur
red.
Several of the band fellows including
myself bad all kinds of queer telling when
| they heard that gun shot ring out on the
still night air, as the novelist says.
On 1.-THE 10th Of Sept. we left Manila for
Vigan on German vessel the Petrach-
Koln and were transferred to a smaller
vessel the Don tJuan, at Salamagua
bay. Here we lett our four troops Of
cavalry and played Aud Lang Syne as
we sailed away. These troops left Fort
Myer with us and had formed many ac-
qualntances among them. We are now
at Gen. Young's headquarters and must
say | like it better here than in Manila
The place is about as healthy as this
country can afford. being at the foot of
big mountain range. All the water is
steralized before being used, and the town
is kept policed by natives. There is very
old cathaderel here with chimes and a
town clock that does not run, | think
will petition the church to let me fix the
clock, as it is an eye SORE not moving.
We are quartered in an old Spanish
college and the building is very fine. A
large hall and mahogany stair case, doors,
etc. A great deal of skirmishing is going
on around Vigan and the war is in my
opinion about as near an end as il
was months ago. There is tribe OF
Negorties who are cannibalistic in their
practice. some of them come to town and
are fine looking fellows though rather