The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1917-03-23
COLONEL BRYAN IN CAMPS

around Jacksonville thirty thousand
United States troops. 1t was golden
harvest for the metropolis The feed
and grain merchants, the hardware
and dry goods firms. the barroOms
and groceries. the hotels and restau
rants. the soda water and lemonade
! stands. the bO0tblacks and washer
women. the lumbermen and lot own.
crs. the newspapers and railroads. all
eXacted heavy toll and the city was
prosperous as never before We made
visit to the various camps at the
time and made note of what we saw
We make the following quotations:
OF course the editor of the Banner
could not visit the camps at Panama
ithout paying his respects to Colo
mel Bryan.
HE found him alone in his tent. lie
was leisurelT dressed in blue flannel
shirt, linen trousers and boots. the
boots serving as legsings He wore
no strap to indicate his rank This
was not exceptional as we noticed
most q he Officers in tents dressed
in the same way. lie looked like d
plain, easy-soing farmer who enjoyed
good living and smooth ccrscience.
We here renl&rh, ~ "ay OF parcn-
thesis. that we afterwards saw Colo
mel Bryan in the city in uniform, and
he made a fine appearance as a sol
der and would attract attention in
any crowd. He was affable to a de
gree. but declined good humoredly to
discuss politics
Colonel Bryan is now going
through process of Information We
extracted a promise from him, how
ever, that after his services as a sol
der cease he will visit Ocala and
Brooksville. and perhaps other inter
on politics.
1--WE hope our citizens will bear this
promise in mind and at the proper
time insist upon its fulfillment
A Dark Picture
From Colonel Bryans tent We next
visited the hospital patients, and here
our eyes first rested on the dark side
of the picture of war, and it will long
linger unpleasantly in our memory.
Those pitiful, desolate. tear-impelling,
upturned faces we fear will haunt us
in our dreams.
Under one tent were about TWEEN
ty-four sufferers, several of whom
were more than two-thirds of the
way across the unfathOmable void
which separates the bright shores of
earth from the dark shores of the mys-
terious beyond
THE tent was filled with swarms
of flies and the helpless victims We're
unable TO ward them off, and the nurs-
es 1.-TWO in number) were too busily
occupied in attending to other more
pressing duties to do it for them, and
to see those brave martyrs away from
the loving influences of home. where
every look would receive prompt and
loving recognition. lying there help
less and hopeless, with mouth, nose,
eyes and ears swarming with these
miserable and annoying pests, was
indeed, revelation that appealed
strongly to ones feelings
The picture is a most piteous and
lamentable one Why not employ
colored nurses, or detail soldiers for
the purpose--any raw recruit could
at least brush away the flies from
their feverish brows.
Their brave exit through the val
ley of the shadow Of death should be
made less narrowing
The tents and cots are unscreened
and without mosquito netting. which,
in the absense of nurses, would serve
as a partial protection against the re.
lentless flies
Juot WHY Oul SONcIHlueult 50 ldE-
is in expenditures in other things, is
so niggardly and neglectful of her sick
soldiers. is matter that calls for
sharp criticism.
THE next day we saw from the pa
pers that two of the soldiers that we
saw had answered the last drum b at
and their patriotic spirits were waited
to realms where we hope wars wild
alarums will be lost amidst the noise.
less fiappings of wings of the angelic
hosts as they escort these new arriv-
ais through the pearly gates
THE commanders of regiments. bri.
gades and divisions should sometimes
visit the hospitals and make it their
business to see that the unfortunate
sick receive better treatment than il
now the case. At this time the lack