Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-05
ON BOARD : !: DIXIE
i 10.
Story Of DrummerBoy From
sd ia
Washington T
BELONGS To- MARINES
DESCRIPTION OF THE TRIP DOWN
FROM LEAGUE ISLAND.
Exciting Time on the Arrival at
Colon-Peace Preserved on
the Isthmus.
BELONGS TO- MARINES
ON BOARD Y. 8. 8. DIXIE,
COLON CITY, IstiImus Of Panama,

tience of the music instructors and the
kindness of all the officers made my nine
months apprenticeship very pleasant. My
wages until 1 passed my final examination
were $40 a month. Since then I have re-
ceiyed $13. which has always included free
medical treatment. board and clothing
throughout the enlistment which in my
case is about four years more. ! now know
the value of the daily Instructions received
during my apprenticeship in the lessons of
geography, spelling and arithmetic as 1t
is taught to the boys at the marine bar
racks in Washington city. The daily out
door training has made of me a very strong
boy with muscles like iron. I am now a
real soldier.
Departure for League Island.
was sent to the U. s. s. Panther, at the
League Island navy yard. at Philadelphia,
with three other boys, with an officer in
charge of US. When 1 arrived 1 found every
body very busy There were over 400 ma
rfnes and many sailors on the ship and
everything looked bright and clean. The
U. s. s. Minneapolis lay alongside Of us
and the Z. 8. S. Yankee on the other. All
day long 1 could hear music on the neigh
boring ships. Every one of us slept in a
hammock that swung high and remained
up until the cant get EN- up was heard
at the usual early morning hour.
L found the food equal to what I got in
the barracks in Washington. good coffee,
bread and butter. beef stew and Boston
baked beans. called bullets by the SOL
diers. Even if they were called cannon
balls 1 would like them. They are cooked
very nicely especially on board the u. s. s.
Dixie. l was told that while l was on the
ship 1 would have to wash my own clothes
My special employment was doing a little
guard duty in my turn, l often got liberty
from pm. to am. to visit Philadelphia.
When the news came to us that the
Z. S. S. Panther going out of COM
mission and that We were all to be trans
ferred to the U. S. s. Dixie we were all
glad, because the L. s. s. Panther was so
overcrowded some of the marines called
it mad house" The band was first to-
leave and soon we were all on the lookout
for the L. 8. s. Dixie, that was to come
for us from New York. The T. s. s. Dixie
came proudly in sight, and she fired thir-
teen guns just before she passed us. We
were soon in order on board the U. 8. S.
Dixie. One lesson that was hard to learn
was to know where to hide my knife and
fork. If misplaced, presto" gone
tiers that l had in the Washington bar
racks. but am getting accustomed to the
change.
Ordered South.
When rush orders came from Washing
ton for our ships to sail at once none of
us knew where we were going but we
were all glad to go. The weather was
beautiful and our ship and ourselves looked
extra fine when we sailed down the river
past the American war ships. All the men
on the ships were standing at attention
| The sights along the river that the father
OF our glorious country crossed over one
cold winters night were most interesting
l saw Chester, Wilmington and many parks
and pleasure places. In due time we
reached breakwater, and only when we
were out on the real ocean did it begin to
rain. slept soundly, rocking in my ham,
mock. When heard the cant get-'em-llr''
I quickly jumped out, feeling fine, but near
ly everyone else was sick. / ate three other
rations with mine, and L had many kind
invitations to eat If l wanted to. They
were a sick lot.
1 made many enemies for the time being.
because L laughed at them. 1 wasn't sick
the whole trip, and had all 1 wanted to eat
without asking for it,. I felt like another
"1shmael." Everybody hated me because 1
was feeling so fine. The following day it
began to get hotter, and we had rain once a
day. We could see birds following the ship.
and many strange fish would show them
selves. Flying fish would rise and drop into
the water. We passed large schooner and
large steam ship with many people on il
We saw an island in the far distance and
another island we passed close by had
lighthouse upon 1T and two pretty little huts
covered with bamboo Beautiful green trees
and flowers could be seen plainly.
At Guantanamo.
w iici VIC iceiCtAcd Day the
weather was most beautiful and everything
around us looked pretty. There are a few
Cuban cabins near the dock, and the Gu
bans visited the ship to sell tobacco, cigar
cites. jelly, etc. / bought a fishing line, and
spent most of the time fishing. The U. s. s.
Atlanta came into the bay while we were
there. We did not get any liberty because
the nearest city was too far away.
When orders reached us to sail we left
immediately and reached the city of Kings
ton IN Jamaica on a Sunday morning. We
fired twenty-one guns, and the fort opposite
fired the same in return. Then we fired ten
guns more. The city looked small, but very
attractive. The mountains seemed to touch
the sky. The strange way our ship was
coa1ed by the negroes, who carried the bas-
kets on their heads, even the women and
little children helping, was very interesting
They get only about a cent for a basket
load. Most of the houses are only one story
high. with their roofs painted red. Before
the coaling of the ship was completed rush
orders came from Washington to sail at
once for Colon. 1t grew hotter and hotter
While on our way a doctor explained to
US about the first aid to the wounded. The
men were drilled in firing and sighting.
revolver and belt filled with ammunition
were given to me.
Colombian Soldiers Expelled.
AS we were nearing Colon the u. 8. 8.