Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1906-04-24
Incidents Of the Rush Of Relatives
Seeking San Francisco
Friends.
AS TO OFFICER AND SOLDIER.
Man With the Shoulder Straps Takes
Time 10 Assist an Aged Band
master Find His Family.
Especial to the "News."O

San Francisco, via Oakland, April "a.
When the personal side of the great
disaster story Is finally made OF rec
ord, there will be time to consider the
heroes of the events which now absorb
the public attention, One candidate
Is a little lieutenant OF infantry, wear
ing only ~. s." on his coat collar
and no insignia on his shoulder straps,
indicating he Is not older In the SER
vice that Is BETTING his three and
twenty years.
HUNTING THEIR OWN.
The trains coming to San Francisco
now are not heavily loaded, and those
who sparcely fill the coaches are most
ly separated members OF families who
are trying to find their own. The con-
versatlon on the train as the destroyed
city Is approached Is mostly about
ways and means of finding refugees,
and from the little questions asked and
anxieties expressed. many a story Of
suffering and anxiety of the past week
Is unfolded.
A canvass of the Sunday westbound
from Sacramento to Oakland, made by
n News" correspondent, developed
the fact, that all but four Of the pas
sengers were hunting for friends or
relatives In the day coach was found
veteran sergeant, whose insignia
showed him to be a band leader IN an
infantry command. He was one OF the
old army which has almost passed
away now IN the rigors of Cuban and
Philippine campaigns.
TWENTY EIGHT YEARS.
How long In the service, sergeant"
was suggested.
"Twenty-eight years. only two more
to serve to be pensoned, but this seems
an awful slow train. My wife and
boy are over there, and | don't think
I'll ever find them. They were right
down IN the mission, which was the
first district to burn, and they had no
chance ut all. They must have trailed
away out 10 the Preside or to the
Golden Gate nark-and | don't know.
| think iy boy was sick | shall regis
ter at Oakland, their names, and then
maybe my uniform will admit me to
the burned district, and shall search
the mission, and then tramp out to
Golden gate" The old sergeant was
stationed at Fort Harrison, Montana.
Last Sunday, three days before the
R1TlItiuakt, HIS Nulls WIN WAS NOihlilb
on the coast telegraphed. Father or
mother. come Quick-I need one of you
badly" The father could not get
away from duty, and the mother went
Thursday generous hearted COM
mander dlsobeyed the blue book and
granted the sergeant twenty days Of
leave to rush out and find his people.
The reason the lieutenant Is candi-
date for honors Is this; He came into
tho diner where the sergeant was eat
ing at Que table, and while there were
many empty places elsewhere, he sat
down beside his companion in arms
with insignia marking him for the
ranks OF the command. Then as their
conversation developed the scrReant's
story. the lieutenant took out pencil
and paper. and gave him a number Of
addresses and notes. Afterwards back
In the Pullman smoker, when the SER
geant had gone to his day coach seat,
the lieutenant was talking over the
cigars with a few others. and remarked
concerning his friend from the ranks
"Deuced hard graft the bandmaster's
IN against Wife and son over there
IN the mission. gave him letter to
my old man who lives In Alameda, and
told him to take his family right there
Just as soon MS he could locate them.
Guess father will look after them all
right"
one OF the mon suggested. "Where
ARE you bound lieutenant. for homer"
HARD WORK VACATION.
Guess not" was the answer "Td
like to see the folks, but ] guess they're
all right. I'm headed direct for San
Francisco and won't take time to run
over to Alameda You see ! was field
commissary for long time In the
Philippines, and had a chance to see
what II means to get food to n big
bunch of people camped out where the
Job isn't easy, When this earthquake
broke loose there was some mighty tall
work thrown onto the men who hap
pened to be there, and | guess about
three days Of It has pretty near baked
most Of them, for man lasts quick
under the strain such as this has been.
] guess I'll be on duty Just as soon as
/ get from the train to the commits
sary headquarters"
AS the evening drawled along, II de-
veloped that the lieutenant was on
leave in the east, after getting home
from his first Philippine campalgnand
on hearing OF this catastrophe he
caught the first train for San Francisco
10 report for duty. The time he is TAX
ing out of his leave, and in month
from now he Is due back at an eastern
barracks to report that his leave ex-
plred. and get ready to return with
his new command. to the Philippines.
In the same train were n number
nf Salt Lakers going to hunt for rela-
tves, among them being W. n. War
ner. who Is seeking his sister and her
husband They were living In the
burned district.