The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1900-07-05
A SOLDIERS EXPERIENCE.
Harry Mosser's Voyage Across the
Pacific. How Soldier Feels
When lie Hears His First
Order to Go Into
Battle.

ing the "Golden Gate" ON our
voyage of eight thousand miles
across the Pacific, the motion of
the vessel made me feel sick, and
"the longer the worse. " 1t was
about four days before | began
to feel any better. About the
third day, | felt so sick that |
don't think | should have tried to
get out of my bunk if | had known
the vessel was sinking. You
may have read of Sea-SickneSS, or
heard those tell who have had it.
Still you know nothing about it,
and you never will till you have
it; and then after you get well
you will never be real happy, for
the thought will never leave you
that you may not some time have
to experience it again.
All the time the sea-sickness
lasts, the stomach will not retain
a mouthful of food; and when you
desist from eating anything for Il
while it seems to try to turn it,
self inside out every few minutes
as though delighting in adding to
your misery. The thought of
our return trip across the ocean
is sufficient to cure the worst at
tack of homesickness.
After blowing ahead through
the seemingly eXpanseless ocean
for eighteen days, we reached
Honolulu, the capital of Uncle
Sans recently acquired terri
tory in the Pacific.
1t is two thousand six-hundred
miles out from San Francisco,
and here we stop for coal. 1t is
the finest town that | have been
in in all my travels not so much
50 on account Of the business
done here as the delightful eli
mate, the attractiveness of the
surroundings, and the abundance
of tropical fruits. 1t seems to
be u realization of ones ideas of
an earthly paradise. After re-
naming at Honolulu about Il
week we set sail for Manila. TO
add to my misfortune, the day
we left, ] took measles, and there
were just enough Of them to last
me till we reached Manila nearly
month later. You may imag-
inc how glad | was to get off the
boat. 1t seemed IA real luxury to
be able to tread the earth again.
Well, if it is not one thing it is
another. | had scarcely had
time to congratulate myself that
| was rid of sea sickness and
measles, when orders We're Civ
en-, "Make ready for the firing
| lme"-that meant, "Malfe ready
to go ou 1t and give the Filipinos Il
chance to shoot at you"
/
You may have read how impa-
tient a lot of boys are to get into
battle, how orders to get ready
for action are received with
shouts of applause, and how
brave they feel as they bare their
breasts to the aim of the enemy.
Don t,you, believe the half of that!
Talk about your sea-sickness.
Talk about your measles. Those
are trihing Incidents when com
pared with the attack Of palpita-
tion of the heart that follows
ones first order into battle.
There is no Disgusting the fact
that most people are anxious to
live as long as they can. The
soldier naturally thinks of the
time when he will be permitted
to return to his home and friends
there is possibly lurking am
bition that opportunity may come
for promotion or honorable dis
tinction, and yet as he enters Il
battle the thought comes to him,
"Many men are likely to lose
their lives on this field may be
one of them. "
Do such thoughts as these at
such times indicate cowardice?
Not by any means. The bravest
man is the man who viyidly
realizes the danger but who
dares to go forward in the face Of
that known danger, when called
to do so in the discharge of duty.
EOrtl1notalV tho ,,o1,Ni+otio,,