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THE HESPERIAN.
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WEEKLY JOURNAL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA.
Vol. XXVIII.
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, SEPTEMBER 30, 1898.
No. 3.
UNIVERSITY BOYS AT MANILA.
W. J. Hun'ting1 Graph icully Describes the Trip to the Philippines.
Mani:, P. I., Aug. 20, 189E. Dear Pall Friends:
It is about 'time I wrote j'ou a letter if I expect to get i't to you ly
the opening1 of the Uni. year Now, not for the sake of apology, bu'b for
education's sake, le't me tell you how I am writiwg. I am facing C. C.
Tellesen, his genial countenance deeply lined with absorbed interest,
for -he is writing to "some one." We are seated 'in cane chairs on the
south side, (the shady side 'liere in. Manila now), of a Philippine shop.
I have a second cane chair turned over for a writing fable, over which
I am bent at an angle of 'thirty-three and one-third degrees. 'My much
abused 'founltain pen is the only part of the writing outfit I own. The
ink was borrowed at Olias. Corey's expense; the paper at Telleseni's,
Behind me the river Pnsig is a scene of activity as our forces are at
work, naising launches and boats sunk by the Spaniards as we came
into 'the eily, down toward the mouth blasting 'has been carried on
to remove 'the wrecks of Onseo's sunk to block the river against that
man Dewey. Farther up the river dozens of ships lie ut anchor our
prizes. So here I om in old Manila, fen thousand miles from the old
Uni. on this cloudy, August morning, and
"I would that I could utter
The tiho'ts that arise in me."
Aud if by chance I could get one solitary idea imprinted upon this
(burrowed) paper I shall feel that I did not borrow this ink tin vain.
I have just exchanged t!hc stamps 1 received on my last letters from
America for some Philippine stamps. The woman who runs tins shvp
seems very intelligent. There my desk !lias fallen, the chain, slipped
down from the wall.' There, now I have it. I've got the chain on my
lap and can 1eau back like a gentleman of leisure. Tellcsen lias a
borrowed inxok to wrPtc op, but I wouldn't exchange for a great deal.
The rumor is afloat this morning that the Nebraska boys are to go
home sooiH to start inside of ten days, but I will nkt believe anything
any more until I have tested the source and have made sure of the
"quollen." We have been tantalized enough by reports and rumors
in the army. 1 am almost ready to agree with David when he ex
claimed: "All men aire liars," but I thinflc that is a little sweeping,
even in the army.
It -would "be a little bit discrediting to Pulladiian intelligence and1 oat
riotism to attempt to give you a history of the events of out ser
vice, i. e., to give them a$ a matter of history, information, etc., for
you -have read the whole in the papers, trutli and falsehood together.
But to make a frank confession, I shall have to wait till I get home
to find out just what we have done at times in our work here. We
ore left to conjure and rumor starting, and so no wonder we are vic
timized by vivid imaginatkais. However I shall tell you some of our
experiences, with their historical setting, in order to give you our view
of things from .the field, ant) when it gets to you some months, (or
possibly only weeks), her.ee you may study these pages, (search
would be a less egotistical and more appropriate word), for hints of
niood, character, eitc. My last letter to you was from Camp Merritit
San Francisco; there I also received those eighteen missive in rerun
lhan we sailed on June 15 for Honolulu. I shall ever remember that
jrBv ov bivKr ies, x wrin-K so, and if It was not seasickness in
out
ms
earnest, I pray to be spared the genuine thing. Not two hours
I was feelings (wait till I fleht mosciuitoes n hit. , n.n ...
sleeves. Why, those villinnous insects have half eaten me up just be
cause I was absorbed- in waiting to my Pall friond. -nX ,i ..
stem to realize at all that
T3lv illn nrtf
I suffered enoux?fh Inwf, niooa . .u!
conMnfed forces. Oh the horrors of a sleepless night in an, old More
house in Manila,) Well, J was feeling very -bad, such strange seusa
taons rn head and digestive regions. Hut 1 said I must not give un
Soon I felt much worse, and I gave up nearly everything; But I must
leave the subject, it is painfully vivid yet; how I crawled nround for
THEHE AltE NO BETTER SHOES F
three days through sun and rain! How I slept on piles of canvas,
ropes, boards, under boats and flat om the deck, any place but down in
that hold where mortal stomach and brain- reeled like the heaving old
ship. We got to Honolulu, were captivated by the hearty hospitality
or the people, their integrity and energetic business-like qualities.
The annexation bill had ixassed the house and we hoped more than
ever it -would pass 'the sonde. We did not know of it unlcil we got to
Manila on July 17. The vcyagc from Honolulu to Manila was ted'ioua
indeed. Crowded on ship hoard1, deprived of opportunity for health
lul exercise, and well arranged diet; almost suffocated in the hold', or
drenched with water if we slept oiv deck; or covered with soot from
the smoke stack on. clear night. We often awoko im the morning
feeling stilt and tired, head ns dull ns a Philippine plough, and temper
ns cites grained' as a knot; oh we were capable of doing most any
thing on those 'hot days. Some nights a sihoiwer of fire came pouring
out of the huge smoke stack and hot spots on, our pemsonls 60on
brought us to consciousness, or if we were miissed by the tire, wo were
sure to be caught by the Qi'ose when the sailors turned on 'thtei water
to wet things down. One night Mr. Tellesen, and1 I lay sweetly
sleeping; side by side, he on the deck floor, I on a four foot bencht. In
the still hours following close upon midnight, a fearful rain storm
--fearful a't least hi penetrative faculties came sweeping over the sea
from the sou bin The roai disturbed my sleep a little, but I still
dozed on; then the water came splashing in under -the canvas awn
intg into my face; more came, 1 stirred pretty lively trying to cutI
up under my blanket, and lay still, them wondering how C. C. was
getting along doWni on. the floor. Ilia blanket stirred-. "Hun'ting, what
shaill Ave do?" "Let's go down below." I suggested. But he was loth
to go, so I concluded I could stand as much as he and. hUigged' my
blanket dose. The rains-descended, (plural number, rcrncmiber), and
the floodis did come, faster than. ever. A figure wrapped in a dragging
blanket enme nlong the deck ait a very uncertain gait. It took a start
out along toward the long stretch of humanity on the floor beside; me.
The founltains of the deep were not broken up, but I know they were
badiy jammed1, as 'iellescn suddenly came to n half sitting posture and
roared, "Say, felCow, what " but the figure had fled down' the stairs.
"Let's go down," said C. C, and down we went, only to deposit all
wearing apparel and come !ack to have it out with tlie raging foe.
We were paler and whiter when Ave returned, but it was mot from
fear. But I would have bj borrow a great deal more paper if I told1 off
half of the trouble Mr. Tellesen got me into oni the way over, and
since we lanUud.
Sunday morning, July 17, we pulled' slowly into Manila Bay. It was
a pretty sight, the prettiest I ever saw. The hills oa each side, of Wife
entrance, the slowly brigl lening twilight and the low clouds, Mice
a blanket over the hills and valleys, the wide calm buy, all made it a
most beautiful sight to a man who had becn on the ocean for over a
month. Their Ave came in sight of Manila and Cavite. There lay Wi'e
shattered hulks of the Spanish fleet, and we tried in imagination to
pic-byre the quiet waters before us, as they must have appeared on Wiot
Sunday morning, May 1. But Ave were not to be long Avithout oTidence
of war; smoke row from the hills about Manila and the sounds of
firing came faintly over from the shore. The-insurgeirts were hanging
away at 'the city. Then a e longed to get ashore and have a chance
July 20, we went ashore and Camp Dewey began to present n, long
stretch df low white tents with just room enough for two. Pardon
my mistake! strike out th word "enough" and' put in the Avord "as
signed," and the truWi will be relieved from a severe dbraSni. For
"There were two long boys in a dog tent, where scarcely one couldl lie,
and their feet stuck out and their limls were drenched-, by rains and
morning dcW."
I think there is more to the atory, but I can't tell it mil on, account
of the strong language used, as those boys got up at midnight Avith, the
rain running freely about them, Mr, Tellesen and I Avere not in that
tent, at least I Avas ndl, foi by curling upa little I always- mariaged
-to keep in out of the rain. We busied ourselves at first in making
OB MEN THAN REGENTS'' $3.50, , 103G 0 STBEET.