The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1909-01-19

Almost under the shadows of the
Waianae range and directly in front
of the picturesque Waianae Gap, an
entire military post has been con-
structed within month, and when the
troopers of the Fifth Cavalry marched
up there from Honolulu, they found
their homes awaiting, them, and all
that was required was to picket out
their horses, enter the quarters, unroll
their blankets, eat supper, and prepare
for a night IS rest. Seldom has gar.
rison moved from one post to another
which had everything so perfectly in
readiness for its entry.
A Ready-Made Post.
On Friday the two squadrons reach.
| ed the new post-which is yet with
out a name-and troop by troop the
men We're assigned to their tents,
| which were arranged on perfectly.
aligned streets The colonel found his
quarters open and ready for occu-
pancy; the adjutant, sergeant major
| and rcgimental clerks occupied COM
modious headquarters building, where
| they deposited their record books and
tackled up the order of exercises for
| was assigned to a tent where scales
were ready to weigh out the rations;
| the company cooks found temporary
stoves in open-air mess halls, in which,
at the regular hour, they served sup
per to the tired troopers. AS soon as
the troopers had picketed their mounts
and the officers had located their vari-
GUS quarters and office buildings, then
the routine of post life, which had been
interrupted since their departure from
Arizona, was resumed.
The post yesterday morning looked
as if the troopers had been there for
long time. Everything was orderly,
the camp neat and free from litter,
and the men seemed accustomed to
their island life.
AN Arduous Task.
And it was no wonder that post
life could go on smoothly in spite of
the arduous task of moving two
thirds of a regiment across mountains,
seas and into an entirely new country,
for the new camp is an example of
the methods of an energetic army adj
ministration. Captain Cashier, U. S.
A., who bears the title of Constructing
mere scNeldt
weeks ago with instructions to erect
temporary cantonment on the mill
tary reservation at Leilehua, and have
it in readiness for the Fifth Cavalry,
which would arrive on January 10 or
IA. But even then the site for the
post had rot been selected, and when
the army board vert up there in an
automobile, they saw SO many excel
lent sites that it was difficult to choose
the best one. For about ten days the
site question was unsettled Every
day of uncertainty made Captain Cast
ner's task the greater. Finally the
post was located and Captain Cashier
fixed on his constructing camp. Hard
ly had that been located and some of
the materials put on the ground than
it was decided that a site closer to
the mountains would be better, and so
the site and the camp were relocated.
Then the lumber shipments failed to
arrive when expected When they did,
the material was rushed out on the
o. r. & L. Co. line and the cars
shunted off to a siding on the town
side of Wahiawa station. Long
strings of army mules and wagons
were brought into requisition and a
haul of about four or five miles had
to be made. The roads were not al
ways good and it was uphill teaming.
Then it was difficult to get carpenters
when needed. Then came rains, and
the ground became soggy and the
wheels of the wagons sank hub-deep.
Wagons for only a span of mules re-
uured string of eight. Men worked
far into the night.
Cashiers Able staff.
Then came kona wind about
twelve nights ago which lifted roofs
and waited tents off, and the country
seemed to be inundated. That WAS
the hardest trial during the s!ay Of
the constructors men. They worked
until they were wet to the skin. The
teams could haul but little freight.
Everything seemed to be at a stand
STILL Mr. Young, supervising engineer
under Captain Cashier; Mr.. Bradford,
field man, and Dan Sullivan, who has
been with Captain Cashier for years.
put their shoulders to the wheel, and
above all, the dominating mind Of Cap
tain Cashier kept every one on the
move. But it was an anxious ten days.
The cavalry was en- route from San
francisco. But the day the Thomas
arrived in port Captain Cashier was
relieved to hear from Mr.. Young that
the post was practically in readiness
to receive the troops.
Thus, when Colonel Walter s. Schly-
Ter, commanding officer of the Fifth;
Lieutenant Colonel Hunter and Cap
tain Forsyth, the adjutant, rode into
the precincts of the post, they were
amazed to find their new home finish
ed. 1t was an agreeable surprise, not
only to them, but to the anxious troop
ers, who knew that first of all they
must picket and feed their mounts,
and if their tents were not up they
would have to put them up.
Splendid Camp Formation.
The two squadrons passed up the
road from Wahiawa, past the Leilehua |
ranch and on toward the Waianae Gap. |
In the afternoon sunlight the camp
glistened white and looked inviting. |
Passing the ranch the troopers came to
the camp limits, where stakes had |
been driven to mark the picketing |
ground for the horses, which are to be |