The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1901-06-06
CHAPTER vi.

The great thoroughfare of that won
derful city, seated on more than her
seven hills, and ruling the western
world, was thrOnged from curb to curb.
Gay with bunting and streamers, the
tall buildings of the rival newspapers
and the long facades of hotels and bust
ness blocks were gayer still with the
life and color and enthusiasm that
crowded every window. Street traffic
was blocked. Gable cars changed vain
ly and the police strove valiantly 1t
was a day given up to but one duty and
Que purpose, that of giving Godspeed
to the soldiery ordered for service in
the distant Philippines, and, though
they hailed from almost every section
of the union, except the Pacific slope,
as though they were her own children,
with all the hope and faith and pride
and patriotism, with all the blessings
and comforts with which she had load
ed the foremost ships that sailed, yet
happily without the tears that flowed
when hef own gallant regiment was
first to lead the way, San Francisco
turned out en- masse to cheer the men
from far beyond the Sierras and the
Rockies, and to see them proudly
through the Golden Gate. Early in the
day The guns of a famous light battery
had been trupdled, decked like some
rose-covered chariot at the summer fes-
tival of flowers, through the winding
lanes of eager forms and faces, the can
noneers almost dragged from the ranks
by the clasping hands of men and
women who seemed poweress to let
" hai
tossed jauntily over the broad blue
shoulders, half regiment of regular
cavalry dismounted, had gone trudg-
ing down to the docks, cheered to the
gateway of the pier by thousands of
citizens who seemed to envy the very
recruits who, only half-uniformed and
drilled, brought up the rear of the col
umn. Once within the massive wooden
portals, the guards and sentries holding
back the importunate crowd, the sol
diers flung aside their heavy packs, and
were marshalled before an array of
tempting tables and there feasted, com
forted and rejoiced under the ministra-
tons of that marvellous successor of the
sanitary commission of the great civil
war of the sixties-the order of the Red
Gross There at those tables in the dust
and din of the busting piers, in the
SCOT and heat of the railway station, in
the jam and turmoil at the ferry
houses, in the fog and chill of the sea-
ward camps, in the fever-haunted wards
of crowded field hospitals, from dawn
till dark, from dark till dawn, toiled
week after week devoted women in
every grade of life, the wife of the
mn ION l.
laborer, the gentle born, the delicately
reared, the social pets and darlings, the
humble seamstress, no one too high to |
stoop 10 aid the departing soldier. none |
too poor or low to deny him cheer and |
sympathy. The war was still younp
then Spain had not lowered her riddled |
standard and sued for peace. Two |
great fleets had been swept from the
seas, the guns of Santiago were 81
fenced, and the stronghold of the ORR
emit was sullxing in the shadow of the
nag but there was still soldier work to
De cone, and so long as the nation sent
us hghting men through her broad
ana beautiful gates San Francisco and
me Red Cross stood by with eager.
avlsh hands to heap upon the warrior
sons OF score of other states. even MS
'Pon their own, every cheer and COM
ort that wealth could purchase, or hu-
nan sympathy devise. 1t was the one
eature OF the war days of '9s that will
ever be forgotten.
at one of the fower-decked tables
ear the great stage" that led to the
lain deck of the transport, a group
plIthe young matrons and pretty
iris had been busily serving fruit, cof-
e and bouillon and substantials to
re troopers, man after man, for over :
so hours There was lively chat and
cry war of words going en- at the :
oment between half dozen young :,
licers who had had their eyes on that :
rticular tableeyer since the coming of !,
e command, and were now making -
e most OF their opportunities be- =,