Show SOLDIERS LETTERS on board the rio de janeiro tuesday july 26 1898 the other evening I 1 started to tell you something of the departure of a part of the fourth philippine expedition from san francisco taps called us to quarters before I 1 had said much and the extremely uncomfortable for table condition of affairs on board kept me from resuming my work until yesterday when as I 1 was about to hogin begin the S S mariposa Marl posa hove in sight on her way to san francisco from honolulu we were told told she would stop and take mall from us and knowing how anxious the wide awake readers of the deseret Dea eret news are for early and reliable tidings from uncles boys in blue I 1 mailed that which I 1 had there was a great rush for paper and pencils when it was learned we would have a chance of sending bending letters home and to see our hundreds of boys scratch and scribble and erase and write over in all kinds of uncomfortable attitudes to see aee them run here and there borrowing paper envelopes and pencils while the two ships came nearer and nearer together and the impatient officers called for them to hurry up if they wanted their letters to go was worth fully as much as a good dinner where one can eat all he wants to did they want ther leters to go did they well many of the boys were never from home before few of them had seen the ocean had crossed over from europe in fact but the great majority had never seen an ocean steamer ste steamier amir had never been out of sight of land and way back in utah and south dakota were wives mothers and sweethearts watching and praying for the first line from their darlings yes they wanted their letters to go in a few moments they began to pour into th quarters by the hundreds but there were no stamps on board and ohl oh what was ilo fo be done chos got a stamp pV aay W pat cant you spare a stamp just one haef and one fellow with a square chin and black eyes and hair offe offered reat me for a postage stamp the tha officers soon made hearts glad by say tag ing it would not be necessary to stamp the letters it if the boys would just write in one corner comer soldiers letter and tate state their company in a short time several everal hundred letters with vath the addresses mostly prefixed with the word miss were lowered down in the bou with the second mate and we all settled back to breathe and watch the little boat go g o out to meet the mariposa it was a beautiful sight to see the two steamers meet in mid ocean and contrary to expectation the Marl mariposa posa came over and crossed our stern stem with her flags flying and her decks crowded with cheering passengers they had not heard of the fall of santiago and the destruction of Cerve cerveris veras rals fleet and when they were told cheer after cheer rent the ocean air our masts were soon crowded with hundreds of troopers who climbed as high as they could get and the south dakota brass band got together on the after deck and played the star spangled banner in a few minutes it was all over the Mari mariposa poss again turned her nose to the east while we steamed on to the west happy for having got off a word to the loved ones at home and glad again in the thought that uncle sam and the greatest nation on earth stood at our backs back last night nl or evening rather just as the sun a great ball ot of fire wax sinking in its ocean bed the band cju came on deck aad played sume same popular alre airs to which the boys no longer seasick sea sick danced frolicked and cheered like so many children after playing A hot time after the ball and others of like character it fit struck up col columbia 1 bi and uke like a flash the scene 1912 changed heads were bared and one and all became reverently quiet throughout the piece and as the last notes faded away the sun dropped beneath the hori horizon zolL it was an impressive sight we remained silent allent for a few moments and then some of the utah boys bywater klinke and others got to gether gather and sang the twilight away wednesday july 27 the rio die Janei iro has one passenger less lese than she had when she teamed steamed out of the golden gate this last time some I 1 mother way back in south dakota has prayed in vain tor for her son sons a safe return and one son a man of twenty short summers who saw honor in list listening enIns to and aind obeying his country call to arms has waved his teat to the loved land of his youth has given Ms life for the cause or of freedom and now lies sleeping till the so se I 1 shall give up their dead newell jinks of spear dimsh south dakota marched from his home a few weeks ago to the sounds of music and the cheers of tri friends ends a private and volunteer proud to be named amonia the defenders of his country BBS mother clasped him to her heart and blessed him his sisters wrung his hands and cried with pride joy jay aad sorrow at once his farther said ald glo and gods will be doone done at 7 this morning newell jinks of I 1 IN fish sh south dakota wrapped wrap ved in b ban au ner of stars and sewed in a elmva sack was consigned to the blue pacific while his comrades bare headed and bowed sang and fired volleys over his bla head poor jinks he was sick during his stay in san ah wua xh measles but when the orders came 44 t embark it was thought he had re recovered sufficiently to bo take the voyad he suffered a relapse though and 4 succumbed last night about 9 diw A quartet composed of sergt A X M maxeiner Max eimer elmer of company B of Tob volunteer inteer signal corps C wag ener and J B X Wanna catt of the tate utah lh battery volunteers sweetly and fand 21 v y bajie harer my god er I 1 anee and rock of ages es the ithe ain read a short prayer the band y e d america the guns thundered tn e volleys the flo flower r and color bed deek ed plank was tilted cited aud and all that af earthly of private jinks was wad on the bosom of the deep deel NOD C V |