Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1902-04-23
Letter From the Philippines.
Continued from Page ]


of cattle and sheep seen frcm the car
window. On entering Wyoming we
began to encounter the mountains.
and the railroad no longer lay in
long strsight stretches, but accom-
mOdsted itself to the ruggedness of
the country. As We passed through
Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, aud East
ern California. On the morning of
the. 3Oth we awoke 10 find our train
passing through the Sierra Nevada
Mountains and surrounded by mag
nificent scenery. Towering above us
were great peaks and ranges capped
with snow, high cliffs of rocks that
seemed to hang over the train, while
valleys aud gorges lay on either side.
We passed through fOrty-6ve miles
of snOw-sheds in those mountains,
and everywhere along the road, out
side of these sheds, huge embark
men's, high bridges and long tunnels,
triumphant over natures fortiGcs
tons. whore struggled the army Of
builders IN their march to the FL
Dorado beyond the mountains. After
reaching the point where the road
begins TO descend toward the West, il
did not take US many hours to reach
the heart of California, where the
green grass and trees, the flowers,
orchards and VINEYARDS in full bloom,
the natives clad in apparel sppropri
ate to midsummer, make a striking
contrast to the country of snow and
sleet so lately left behind Running
down the beautiful Sacramento Val
ley, we arrived at San Francisco on
the afternoon of the 30th. and went
into camp at Fort Preside. On the
3lst We were mustered. and on the
following morning put aboard the
United States Transport ~. r. Bu.
ford, which, holsted her anchor at
noon and went ont of Golden Gate
bound for Manila. On April 9TH.
after being o"t al sea eight DAYS. We
put IN at Honolulu, Hawaii. This
place not many wears ago was dull,
unlmportant tropical town Today
her harbor Is full vt shipping and
she Is power IN the commercial
world. She is sort of wayside inn
for American vessels, stepping
stone to the Orient. On Friday, the
18th, we left Honolulu, heading
westward, and on the morning of the
] Sth we crossed the international
Date Line, which is $50 degrees west
of Greenwich, England. At that
place all time pieces were turned
forward "a hours, so the 18th was
lost entirely, the date going from the
18th to the 18th without All inter
mediate day. On the 23d we dropped
anchor off Guam, another possession
of the United States. We STAYED
only a few hours at that place. and
10 days later entered Manila Bav
and cast anchor on the water historic
AS the tomb of the Spanish fleet
which three years before defied the
American fleet bearing the flag TO the
islands. Leaving Manila Bay on
May 6, we sailed northward several
hundred miles along the western
coast Of LuzOn, to San Fernando,
where we disem barked and the four
companies separated at 7.3O p. m.
Company G, in heavy marching order.
lined mp for a trip into the interior;
our equipments consisting of blanket
roll, haversack, canteen, rife, aud
belt containing 100 rounds of ammu
milton. A detachment under Sergt.
Julius BOstrow wss ordered to Ma.
guilan, and the rest of the company,
under Lieut.. B. L. Scher, TO Aringay.
The company arrived at Aringay in
good order at a. M, having broken
any previous record for marching
made on the island. The detach-
ment WAS not SO fortunate. After
leaving San Fernando, its guide was
lost for six hours on the mountain
trail, and, encountering a severe
storm, it did not arrive at Naguilan
until =. m. | shall not attempt to
follow the company in it's short
marches and stops in this mountain.
Gus country, but shall try to tell you
something about the country and in
habitants. Being thus stationed in
the mountains of Luzon, we are
somewhat removed from the danger
of the diseases more frequently at
tending the lower sections of the
ArchipelAgO. The mountains here