The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-03-24
tConclusion.)

l do not purpose describing battles
[ however. so will content myself will
: giving you, as was my first intention
: an idea of the hospitals and their worl
In Bloenfontein. BY the middle O.
, April the immediate neighborhood wa!
clearec OF the enemy, and We began
To build our hospital. In the mean.
time sixty of our men had been seizef
upon by the Highland, the Nineteenth
and the Guards brigades whose ambu.
lance men had been decimated al
Springfield and Sanna's Post. Thus
hfty-eiSht of US had to do the work
of 12O, and we did it, too Ninety mar
quees, 22O bell tents. for invalids and
Is officers and 20 mems tents were nut
up In ten days. Not only this but dis
pensing tents, mortuary. service corps
quartermaster's stores and bed stores
N-ray tents had also been put up and
were in full working order Two weeks
after the first peg had been driven we
mad 1880 patients in the hospital. a
unique record in relief of sick and
/ wounded. But the fearful work was
beginning to tell. Man after man went
sick of typhoid, until we were forced
In the middle of May to demand REIN
: forcements and the return of our own
. borrowed men. Half of these, however
had gone up country and we had to
manage as best we could. One night
in three we got six hours sleep; on
others, two; still no sound of grows
ing" was heard until the conduct of the
colonel became unbearable This man.
wishing to cater TO the non-commis-
stoned officers had, in defiance of the
commander in chiefs orders, supplied
them with liquor. This. in itself, was
enough to procure his discharge but
his warning to them on no account to
give any to those lazy devils under
you, stamped him as a vindictive cad.
He then gave orders for a double-roof-
ed marquee in which eight sick men
could be housed. to be put up as a mess
for the sergeants. This was done and
that night the rains driving in through
the single roofs of the bell tents caused
the death of more than one man. This
action on his part was absolutely in
excusable. While there We're sick men
too Ill to live on StretcherS, he had no
right to take even a blanket that
should be theirs that the healthy should
be more comfortable.
Another little incident a pathetic
one, in which the senior major and the
colonel were concerned: A well-mean-
ing Boer farmer came into Bloemfon-
TEN with a cart load of Injuries for
the wounded. He stopped at the hos
pital and inquired for the commanding
officer. The senior major stepped out
Il have brought some fresh milk. eggs
and butter for the sick and wounded"
said the Boer. All" replied Hosie
you see there are none of our patients
so we'll that they can eat these things,
but, he continued, as the Boer turned
TO go, Il have no doubt the officers
mess could make excellent use of
Them
Sir. 1 did not bring these for healthy
men. Kindly show me some other hos
pital. Now, although the major knew
perfectly well that there was hospital
not five minutes away, he waved his
hand around in majestic manner and
said, "Oh, there are places all over the
place, but L advise you to leave them
here
The Boer, frightened, no doubt, that
his kindness might be wilfully msin-
terpreted and he be arrested as a spy,
left his gifts behind. and they We're
thereupon taken to the officers mess.
If this is not thieving in most dis
honorable manner, | should like to
know what as? The quartermaster. too,
was an eVil-tempered, vindictive scoun-
drel, and he had risen from the ranks
not that that is not to the mans cred
it. He took an infinite delight in show
ing us that he appreciated having gen.
tlemen under him to order about. Just
before l was taken i'll of fever, 1 was
standing before a truck of beds and
other hospital neceSsarieS feeling pretty :,
bad. Now. Mr.. Neumann," he below
ed at me. when you're ready, will you
kindly begin to work?' Thank you,
sir" l replied. you recognize my
rights" 1 do not accuse this man of
being accessory to his sergeant or of /,
being a thief. l know, however, for
fact. that the quartermaster's sergeant
IF No. General Hospital, Bloemfon-
tsin, sold riding breeches, boots, felt
lats and rum 600 gallons had been pre-
Sented TO the men by the ladies of the
Red Cross Society. The rum selling
n itself was criminal offense, and
hese things he sold to niggers, or any
)De who would buy them. An Austria
fan applying for a pair of riding
)reeches was informed there were none,
yet twenty minutes later the knock
lneed police corporal was seen strut
ing around in a brand new pair Such
re the facts. 1 know positively that
he sergeant profited to an enormous
,xtent. Is it likely the quartermaster
lid not get his share? These facts L
lid not hide when questioned by the
,eople who caused the inquiry to be
made regarding hospitals in South At
lea. / maintain that the hospitals in
themselves We're excellent; the men in
Tendance were efficient and never
hirked. but there We're worms in the
wood. Men who are a standing dis
race to the British army and the med
cal profession. and it is these men
Who are responsible for the hatred of
he army medical corps.
Lady Roberts inspected our hospital,
likewise. Mr.. Burdett Coutts. They
aid exactly what / am saying, that
he men were willing and efficient, but
hat there We're too few. and that the
Ulcers were both too numerous and
Inefficient. Our colonel capped his eX-
client conduct by getting drunk and
iding his horse into the Bloemfontein
Tub, thence removing a plate on which
-ere the names of some Boer leaders
\ the Basuto war This was too much
ven for his companions. He was sent
own under arrest, and was heard of
o more.
\ Major Barrett took his place-a
ullying cad. an unmitigated coward,
nd a most unpleasant man to look =
pon. He met his match in burly
australian. a splendid fellow who had
cen wounded in both knees and could 8
crawl. He dragged himself.
Imported by two comrades, to Bar
att's tent. What the HI is the
leaning of this theatrical perform
nce?'' that worthy roared. why the