Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1900-04-10
A Letter from San Francisco.
PRESIDE on SAN FRANo1sco. Gam.

PRESIDE OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALI
IFoRNIA, April 3, 1900.
Friend Whit has been over
three months since you wrote to me
so l suppose you think that am very
lazy. | am not as much behind time
as you think, however, for did not
receive your letter until March 10th.
1t landed in Manila, Jan. 31st the
very day / landed here from the
Senator" 1t did a great deal of
travelling and am glad it did not get
lost for it was very interesting and
the longest letter have read for some
time. l showed that programme you
sent me to my "bunkie." a solo
saxophone player in the 18th q. S.
infantry band and he said it was
excellent and a band that could play
that kind of music could play any
where. l am glad to hear the band is
improving SO we'll. CreSco must look
swell" in her thew bib and tucker::''
new buildings, electric lights, etc.
The Banda Rosa must have been fine.
| wish you was here in San Francisco
for while, you would appreciate the
good music hear nearly every day.
First and foremost l have heard
Paderewski, the pianist, at the Cali
fornia Opera House. An excellent
band of Al pieces play every Sunday
at Golden Gate Park. They are build
Ling new band stand in the park, it
is to cost $4,000 and is of grey stone.
There is an excellent menagerie in
the park, including large herd of
butfaloes. | wish you could see some
of the beautiful flowers here; Gala
lilies are very common and bloom the
entire year. We have a lot of nice
ones inafront of our barracks. oh, L
didn't tell you did l that I've gone
for duty" and am supposed to be en-
tirely we'll except my ankles which
are still very weak, but they don't
hinder my blowing. The Alcazer
theatre has a Hungarian orchestra
which plays some of the finest music
have ever heard. Every little shack
town in the Philippines has band to
play for funerals, weddings, ETC., and
how they keep the time on march is
mystery to me for they walk along
like lot of school boys. There are
men here from nearly every organiza-
tion in the Philippines who have been
sent home Sick. as was. My chum,
Sergt. Levensohn, is going back to
the islands, the 18th of the month. /
Will not have to go back unless / re-
enlist. There are over 300 dead
soldiers here now and they are burying
and sending them home every day.
We have funeral every day at l
O'Clock and bury from one to twenty
soldiers every day. There were three
of the 4th Cavalry buried to-day by
the knights of Pythias, to which they
belonged, and the garrison. There is
a large National Cemetery here.
Gen. Skaters wife is buried there
and he has had erected fine tomb
stone on their lot at the head of the
| vacant spot which will one day be the
Generals resting place. The Preside
is an interesting place and is beautiful
~ situated on hill overlooking the
bay. From my bed l can see the.
transports and all ocean going vessels
just after they enter the Golden Gate.
On the left of Preside, on the main
land, is Fort Mason, a heavy Artillery
Post occupied by Battery "E" of the
3rd Artillery. On the other side is
Fort Ponsit, garrisoned by Battery
Il" where one of the heaviest land
batteries on earth is situated. In
front of the post about a half a mile
out into the bay is Alcatraz Island,
the famous military prison, guarded
by Battery "N,n in which I have
several friends. The rock rises from
the water nearly straight skyward on
all sides and prisoner has never been
known to escape from there. Beyond
Alcatraz on the right, across the
corner OF the bay, is Oakland, the
Evanston of San Francisco. On the
left and farther out into the bay is
Angel Island. One of the guns on
this island is said to be the highest
mounted guns in the world. Nearly
every barrack of the service is repre-
sented here. San Francisco is quite
place but the streets are not SO busy
as Chicago or New York because it is
so billy. The hills are SO high here
in some places that electric cars
cannot run over them so they use
cables. OF course they are too steep
for any other kind Of traffic, conse-
quently there is grass growing in the
middle of the streets in the heart of
the city. From the street cars you
can see for miles over the city and all
over the Preside and the bay. The
Widest place ever, was in was
Tampa, Fla, they used to kill
sheriff, ''cop" or s'nigger' every night
while we were there. Well / guess I
will quit for this time. Write soon
| to your friend.
GEORGE w. DoBsoN,
Conyalescent Co., No. 1.
Preside of San Francisco,
California.