Scan 23
Musical Courier 1898-10-17: Vol 37 Iss 971, 1898
109 lines. Read by computer on 21 September 2026, twice; the two readings disagreed in places. Printed page 24. See the scan on archive.org.
1A SOLDIER WRITES
2Music and War
3FROM OUR NEW POSSESSIONS.
5THE following letter and program were sent from Camp McKinley to a young lady in this city who is about to marry and who has thrown the soldier boy in Hawaii overboard for a staid citizen. As a last tribute to the hero's name she sends this nameless letter for publication, and we reproduce the program just as received. May she repent.
7CORRESPONDENCE TABLE, ARMY DEPARTMENT,
8OF
9YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION.
11CAMP MCKINLEY,
12HONOLULU, H. I., U. S. A., September 9, 1898.
14MY DEAR ———: The steamer Australia reached here to-day with a large cargo of mail, your last letter included. I found your first letter waiting for me when I reached here last Saturday.
16We had a fine trip, lasting for seven days. Best time and best grub we've had so far. Of course we had to fight for enough to eat, but that's an old story and in this instance we won out.
18It would do your heart good to see the boys steal grub intended for the officers. Chickens, pastry, fruit, &c., were pinched right and left. One morning a waiter found the passage blocked and handed a melon to one of the gang to pass along to the saloon. It was passed right along past the saloon to the stateroom occupied by the "Terrible Two," Coates and Coffin. This was only one of many games we played.
20We are camped now on a sand lot next door to Queen Lil's daughter's palace. It isn't ordinary sand, but powdered lava from the crater Diamond Head that towers up hundreds of feet just south of us, and I think the dust would find its way through an air tight safe. There is a grove of some sort of d—— trees growing on this desert. The trees are full of prickers—nice sort of a thing to run into after dark. Then there are such agreeable neighbors as centipedes, scorpions, lizards, red ants, &c., who try to entertain us.
22One of the favorite tricks is to ravel out the end of a piece of rope and draw it across a fellow's face after he gets asleep. The victim is tickled to death, of course—yells, jumps up and runs; then swears. We are four miles from Honolulu and have to pass through all kinds of guards to get there. But it isn't worth the risk, since every poor sinner is dead, stone broke.
24Uncle Sam is thoughtless now and then, and has overlooked our pay for two months. There is a cold million on board the cruiser Philadelphia, lying out in the harbor, but everybody is tied down with red tape and no one will touch it. Oh! I tell you there's nothing like being a soldier.
26The commissary department isn't in working order yet, and the result is the men are half starved.
28This morning each man received a tablespoonful of hash and half a cup of coffee. For dinner a small piece of leather (supposed to be lamb), one small potato and a hard tack. For supper a tablespoonful of spoiled canned salmon and half a cup of coffee. And this was a good day. There's nothing in sight for breakfast—not a mouthful. A crowd is organizing now to run the guard after taps and raid the Chinese fruit farms up the Mineva Valley, five miles from here. They'll eat a lot of fruit, we'll all be sick and the Chinese Consul will send another protest to Washington. But you can't blame the boys.
30There has been one mutiny here already. Three companies refused to drill, claiming they were too weak. The officers "joshed" them along on a promise of more food, but there's trouble brewing.
32If they'd only pay us we'd chip in and buy grub, but even the officers are getting trusted for their meals.
34God help the poor fellows in Manila! They haven't been paid since June 1.
36But, to change the subject and look at the bright side: The camp is about five minutes' walk from the beach, and the bathing is great. We are down there most of the time when we're off duty. It's quite a sight to see a thousand men splashing around.
38As usual, Edwin T. gets in on a few good things. Was a guest at a native loui (feast) last Saturday night and saw the real houla dance. Hot stuff? Well, rather!
40Monday lunched on board the Arizona with Captain Perry, General Charles King (novelist and bully good fellow) and a bunch of big guns. P. and I were the only enlisted men there. Next night dined on the Philadelphia and last night could have rung in on a loui at Princess Kapiolani's, but didn't have the nerve to go. Nothing but officers there, and we didn't want to push in.
42Just north of camp and surrounding the palace of the Princess is the finest park I've ever seen—avenues of pines and palms, banyan trees, umbrella trees, fig, pineapple, banana and orange groves, lagoons, pretty islands and everything that is beautiful in a tropical country.
44There is a large band stand on the largest island, where the Hawaiian Band plays almost every evening and on Sunday afternoon. I inclose last Sunday's program. There are about forty men in the band, all but three natives, and it's one of the best bands I've ever listened to.
46It's quite a sight on Sunday to go over in the park, hear squat in a circle and sing these weird songs, while the houla dancer, or dancers, wiggle in the centre.
48To sit in a grove of palms and hear the nightingales and other birds singing and chattering; light coming from Chinese lanterns and just throwing soft glow over the scene; the circle of dark faces, gaudy dresses, flowers and lights surrounding the dancers, who move around until one expects them to drop; the low, soft accompaniment of voices; strange musical conversation of the guests, all
50UP TO DATE! WALL, NICHOLS COMPANY announce that they are now prepared, with increased and enlarged facilities, to execute all orders for Commercial, Church and Society Printing at the Lowest possible Prices.
52Official Programme
53FOR THE CONCERTS GIVEN BY THE
54HAWAIIAN BAND
55H. BERGER, Director.
57Makee Island, Sunday, Sept. 4th, 1898
58COMMENCING AT 3 P. M.
60PART I.
61OLD HUNDRED.
62OVERTURE,………………..The Mill on the Cliff,………………Reiniger
63(a) PILGRIM CHORUS, } ………………………………………Wagner one of two readings
64(a) PILGRIM CHORUS, } ………………………………………Wagner one of two readings
65(b) EVENING STAR, } ………………………………………Wagner one of two readings
66(b) EVENING STAR, } ………………………………………Wagner one of two readings
67MISERERE,………………..Il Trovatore …………………….Verdi
68SELECTION………………..Tantum Ergo…………………….Rossini
70PART II.
71CORNET SOLO,………….Don't be Cross…………………….Zeller one of two readings
72CORNET SOLO,………….Don't be Cross,…………………….Zeller one of two readings
73MR. CHARLES KREUTER.
74INTRODUCTION,…………….Lohengrin…………………….Wagner one of two readings
75INTRODUCTION,…………….Lohengrin,…………………….Wagner one of two readings
76PRAYER,……………………Moses…………………….Rossini one of two readings
77PRAYER,…………………….Moses,…………………….Rossini one of two readings
78OVERTURE,………………..Light Cavalry…………………Suppe one of two readings
79OVERTURE,………………..Light Cavalry,…………………Suppe one of two readings
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92BENDIX The Great American Violinist.
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99Sample Strings mailed on receipt of 20c. each.
100Mention Musical Courier.
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