LETTERS FROM MY FATHER Archie M. Huston Father of Harriet Phelan (Huston) Frisco Cal. Aug. 29, 1898 Mr. J. A. Huston and family. Conway, Iowa My dear parents & the rest: This morning as I have no plates in my camera I can take no pictures and as yet it is not drill time so I will write to you folks. If you remember when I wrote for the $5.00 I said I was working and if I got the $5.00 thought I could have $75.00 coming to me. Well I now have quite a little over $105.00 and am sure I can swell it to at least $125.00 by Sept. 7, perhaps $150.00, The boys say I can’t deliver the pictures friends want, and that is about right. Tomorrow I am going to start in to canvas the whole Regiment and it is no job at all to sell $15 or $20 worth of pictures and I make 75% clear. Since I have commenced to work the business I feel fine. I can’t remember when I have felt better, and enjoy myself. I am as happy as can be but if it was not for my camera I don’t know what I would do. But enough of pictures for when I get home I will keep Elva busy for a week doing nothing but printing pictures. Father what do you think about things now? Here I have gotten to be quite a profit. I have watched the papers very close and told the boss before we would leave for the Philippines the Protocol would be signed and that as soon as that was signed no more would be sent to the Philippines. And such was the case. Then they said we were going to Honolulu. I told them we had all the soldiers over there that was needed and when there was some good reason developed soon we would never go. And I guess it is a settled fact now that the only place we will go is home. I have held to the idea that we will not leave for home before the last of Oct. or first of November. And every day I think it points to more and more that way. All the boys are feeling quite well except Wyatt, who has a dose of the piles. But in the company there is quite a good deal of sickness, but nothing serious. Saturday night I went down to the Alloquin Theater to see Lewis Morrison play the Merchant of Venice. He is fine and a great favorite in Frisco. He has just finished his 4 weeks contract and every night played to a crowded house. Next Sunday several of we boys are going on an excursion down the coast about 150 miles to Monterey. While out will stop at I think the finest Hotel in the world. Also get to visit the most noted health resort on the coast. The fare is $2.00 round trip. I am out here now, I feel like what money I spend seeing the country is not thrown away, so I am going to see some of it. I have visited every place of interest in the city. Saturday night after the theater one of the boys wanted to know if we wanted to go and see a good big game of poker. We said yes, and he took us to one of the swell saloons and back into the card rooms. On one table there was nearly $1000. In one pot $150 changed. They had gold paper money besides the chips. Just now we are having fine weather. The nights are not nearly as cold and but little fog any more. Every morning it is quite cloudy, but by ten the sun is out. I suppose ere this reaches you there will be no more Kicia Mowrey. They were good enough to send me an invitation and as yet have not acknowledged the receipt of the same. Well I guess I will have to draw this to a close, but before doing so I want you folks to try and write once a week if you can. Well I must close as it is now drill time. Write Often Your Son & Brother A .M. Huston
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Miss Elva Huston Conway, Iowa Sat. Nov.5,1898 My Dear Sister and the rest. Well here we are way out in mid ocean, not a living thing in sight except a few sea gulls. Well have I been sick. Oh Me!. How I wish you could have seen me yesterday. I stood it all right until yesterday. I woke up in the morning feeling fine, rolling out, put on my pants and before I could get my shoes on, oh how sick I was. Had to go back to bed, laid there about an hour then got up and pulled my shoes on and flew for the deck. I got up there fooled around awhile and then headed for the side of the boat. I vomited a little then, felt all O.K. and so it was all day until I went to bed. Where I stayed most of the time. This morning I got up feeling lots better, ate a lot of stuff for breakfast and am feeling fine so far. Guess now I am all O.K. unless we get caught in a storm. So far we favor a smoother sea so they say. But I want to tell you it is plenty rough for me. If you folks want to get sea sick all you have to do is just whirl around until you can’t stand up, only sea sickness is about three times as bad as that for when you get sick the motion still continues. I was not half as sick as I expected to be. Some of the poor boys felt horrid.. Poor John and Ern Chilcoti are still too sick to hold their heads up in good shape. John is now sitting here on deck next to me. And I wish you could see him. If he isn’t the picture of distress I don’t want a cent. Yesterday all along the side of the boat the boys were hanging on to the sides and just more than throwing up. The boat we are on is just about as long as from Childs Point store down to the bank, now there is only just a few over 1000 men on the trip before it had over 1300 on. We are quite well fixed considering everything. The Privates are bunched together. All have spring bunks to sleep on, while the Corporals & Sgts. Have state rooms. None of them have over six in them. The room I am in has three in it. Sherman Neff & Cal. Moore of Bedford are in with me. Wyatt is standing the trip fine. So far he has not been sea sick, of course he was nearly down sick when he got on. Sunday P. M. Nov. 6, 1898 Today has been I suppose a sample day at sea. Nothing going on at all except that this afternoon we had a band concert. The first we have had as the band has been sick. Today all day I have felt fine and eat. I eat enough for two men. The boys are nearly all getting over their sick spell and are feeling fine now. Told about gambling if there isn’t lots of it going on here last night two different fellows won about $100 each. Say how many yards of cloth will it take to make you folks a dress? It may be that I may take a notion to bring or sent you folks a dress while in Manila, and I want to know. Be sure and tell me enough so that should I get it there will be enough goods. Guess I won’t teach this winter. Ha! Ha! Instead wear my white duck clothes and lay around. The trunk that I send home by Frank Huy may perhaps not get there for some time. He will write you when he gets home so you will know when to come or go after it. Tell Roy he can have the trunk. I wanted to get something for each of you but didn’t have time. Of course Mother the basket is for you. That will be something new in that part of the country. I can see you driving to town with that being full of eggs, butter or the likes. Well I just must close as I am so busy. Ha! Ha!. Your Son Corp. A. M. Huston %Co.’’I’51st. Iowa Inft. U.S.A
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Manila P.I. Dec.25,1898 Miss Elva Huston:
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My Dear sister and the rest. This eve. I will write you a few lines and few it will be for I want to write to M. also and both must be written this eve. In the morning we expect to start for Ioialo a distance of 400 miles from here. But I spoke of that before so will not repeat. You wonder how I have spent this Xmas. Well as I have never spent one before and hope never to spend another. I did not go to bed until late and when first woke up it was nearly 8. Breakfast was over so it was no use to get up and I turned over and went to sleep again, so did not get up until 10 A.M. I then got up washed and combed, something I haven’t done in the morning for quite awhile. Then just lounged around until dinner. Didn’t have a thing to eat before. Our Xmas dinner consisted of boiled meat. Rice, coffee & some fool kind of potatoes that had been evaporated, peaches & prunes. I enjoyed the dinner quite well but during the meal I often thought of the Xmas dinner of last Xmas. But the thoughts of what I then had, makes me sick. Last Xmas I spent most of the day in a sleigh with Marie and this Xmas I have been barefoot all day. This eve. I developed a lot of negatives, those that I had taken a long the road and at Honolulu. So I passed the day. Thanks, I don’t care for another Xmas like this. I received your letter just a day or so ago, together with one from Nell Huston & two from Marie. I get around and read them over every once in a while. Since I haven’t received mail but twice in the last sixty days. We will be the only full Val. Regiment that will be in Iloilo, they say one battalion of the Finn & Kansas boys go with us also, a battery of the 18th. Regulars. We are all very anxious to get down there and see what kind of shape things are in. As there has been no U.S. boys in before we will get there Nearly all the boys have sore arms. Mine has been so sore for the last few days that I couldn’t hardly use it, all caused by Vaccinations. Oh yes, Mrs. Kimball sent Joe Shurff and I a box for Xmas it had a large fruit cake and jelly in it besides a lot of reading material. I never in all my life received a present before that made me feel as good, not for what it contained, but to think some of my friends in Iowa thought that much of me. And there were but just a few boxes sent to the Company. I heard the other day that Wyatt Liggett was getting along fine. When we left him in Honolulu I never expected to see him again. Well I am going to close. Write often & direct as before. As ever, your son. A. M. Huston I wish you all a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
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Lavita, P. I. Apr. 12, 1899 Mr. J. A. Huston Conway, Iowa Dear Folks: I have just driven the boys out of my room and have quit business for this morning.
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Last night I got in a new lot of pictures. The boys came in and opened them last night and this morning I have sold $250.00. So you see it keeps me rather busy. I have stolen one picture out that I will send you folks. It is the last one I have of them. The boys offered me double price for it but I wouldn’t sell it. It is a picture taken just after we went to San Roque. We boys had been to town after grub. On the road out caught us a horse, fixed up a harness of rope and rags. Two would drive while the other 4 caught chickens. This picture was taken in front of the first Iowa Reserve Hospital. Everything is just the same here. Only since we came back to town the boys have not been taking very good care of themselves and as a result we have 4 or 5 sick. Yesterday I was in Manila all day. While over there was up to see my Spanish girl. Say I have got a dandy. She has a little brother 13 months old and I played with the kid. I took the kid and the girl and I went in the parlor. She entertained me by playing the piano. She is as pretty as a picture and an excellent musician. I wish you folks would send me the Journal. I have not seen any since C. O. Hall sold out. I received a letter from you folks the 7th. My you folks must have had a winter for your life. Dinner is over and as there is no one in, I will now add a few words more. By the way before I forget it have you folks ever received any money for me? Wm. Warden was to send you some. Frank Haddock $2.40 from Frisco. A. C. Habas $1.50, Council Bluffs Middaugh $1.80, Clarinda Sockhett $1.00Council Bluffs. You folks must be crazy to get mail from the Philippines. To have the P.M. go open the office after church. Well I will now have to close as some boys have come in to buy some pictures. Love to you all Your son and brother Corp. A. M. Huston I bought me ½ doz. pr. Socks gave .50 cents for the six pairs. Socks that in the states the boys say couldn’t be bought for less than $1.50 for the six pairs.
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