The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1902-02-13

pretty big dinner. Thanksgiving we
had-mashed spuds and gravy, fresh
beef, OLIVES, catsup, mustard, canned
corn, jam, bread, candy, cigars and
bottle of ginger ale.
So Leslie was made Orderly was he?
/ wonder how he would like to be
orderly for the old Major in command
of this Post? He makes his Orderly
do all kinds of work. or at least he
has here lately, so much that nobody
| wants Orderly" any more.
Dec. 27. Well the big day passed
without trouble showing up. Our din
ner consisted of the following named
dishes: Mashed potatoes, oyster stew,
canned peas, canned peaches, fried
ham, bread and cocoa. "Chow" a
Chinaman who washes for the Com
pany M boys gave out two boxes of
cigars among us, smiling and laugh
ing all the while.
/ The Hon. William Pitcher, Major of
the Sth Infantry, and Commanding
officer at this Post hirea a native
band to furnish amusement for us
and the town. He gave each number
of the band ten dollars. gold, and
! told them if tLey did not make music
| from Reveille till 10 o'clock that
night he would throw them in the
/ guard house. l was on guard that day
| but none of them were brought in,
j SO | suppose the noise they made was
accepted as music. Old Billy (the
| Major) was out around town nearly
all day throwing coins to the children.
| The attack they were expecting the
| other day never showed up, but we are
never off our guard. fl
l Co nno q Chric or hnv
did you?
l knew your kind hearts would
| lead you to do something foolish. /
| am very grateful to you for your
| kindness. 1t seems to me Inat the
| chances are against its ever reaching
| me, situated as ] am away in this
| out-of-the-way corner of the world.
| If you sent it in charge of Lieutenant
| Carlton the chances are somewhat
better however.
Imeant to send you small box of
| trinkets and shells, ETC., but did not
get paid in time, and when / look at
them now they seem entirely too
| worthless to bother with. 1 may run
| across something before long that will
| do to send, though. We were paid on
Dec. 4. / drew $73.S7 and deposited
| $500 with the paymaster, as there
t, is no safe way of sending it home
1t draws per cent and is payable
only on presentation of final dis
charge. Lottie, in her letter, wanted
to know how l ate. slept and lived in
general. Well, to begin with, we
are quartered in the old Spanish
buildings here in the town: they are
| light, airy and way up of the ground,
| making good, dry quarters. We sleep
on, hunks that were the gift of Miss
Helen Gould, They are low, fold
ing, canvass covered cot, which, when
folded, is about three feet long and
ten ircn5s square, and are very easily
transported. When ready for use
they look like this accompanied hy
an original drawing by Perry.)
Blankets are neatly folded at the head
of our hunks. At Reviesie IN the
| morning (5:45) we rise, dress, fclH
our blankets, take our guns and belts,
and fall in near the quarters and
| answer roll call This over we wash
and make our toilet. such as it is.
| At $40 Mess Call sounds, we then
take our mess kits (this consists of
| one light tn frying pan with lid, one
quart tin cup, knife, fork and spoon)
and line up at the kitchen. II there
| is bend in the line we yell at one
another to hang on tight iUhen ece
90 around the corner" this of course,
| is sarcism en- the rate of speed with
which the line moves. We pass along
in front of the different boilers of
food, receiving our share of it and
passing on into the mess hall where
| there is a long table with a board
bench on either side. Breakfast over
we return to quarters and if on guard
spend the time from then till guard
| mount in cleaning our equipments.
III ont on guard we have the time to
ourselves until p. m. when we have
an hours mess call at noon altho, this
is not compulsory, at least no men
are in the guard house now for fail
ure to answer this call. After drill
We stand retreat, the ceremony OBJ
served each evening as the flag is
hauled down. Mess call sounds again
at 5-15. After supper we spend the
time any way we choose within
bounds of regulation of course until
taps. Tattoo sounds at 8 p. m. Call
to quarters 9-15 and taps at $50.
Everyone is supposed to be in quarters
| and lights all out at Taps. We are
ou SudTu every Olll6E uoy uOW liiOi diiu
| this, coupled with extra fatigue and
other things, makes the days moro
busy than would appear from this
| routine. That is about the way things
run in garrison, but when we are out
on the hike things are somewhat
| changed, of course. Our mess kits
are used then for cooking food as well
as to eat from.
| One morning week or so ago we
had good sized earthquake. | was
out of doors at the time. The fellows
who were in quarters jumped out OF
the windows and down the stairs
about "steen" steps at jump and in
fact got out any way they could. 1t
very near shook the building down,
but these houses are built especially
for such occasions and so it still
stands. The ground swayed fright
fully and you can flagine what kind
of motion it IS when | tetll you
that some of the fellows were actually
seasick from It. | expected a crack to
open in the earth's surface and swal-
low me up, but no such blessing was
to overtake the army and | am still
here.
| Well will close for this time, With
love to all,
Your Son and Brother,