The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-09-22

sands Will be sorry when the epidemic Is
over. Among these are large per cent. OF
the people in camps They grumble some,
it is true, of the hardness of their life, but
that is because they are not put to any
effort, for many of them are getting fat and
lazy, living better than they ever lived in
their lives before. The Howard Doctors
will be sorry because the regular ten dol
lars day will cease to be regularity.
The soldiers will be sorry because then,
instead of eating free rations, earning SIG
month, and undergoing no exercise but
that of dress parade, they will be compelled
to 60 to work again with the cotton-hook,
the spade or the trowel. The nurses will
be grieved because their income will come
to a dead standstill. The large number of
private watchmen will be sorry, because
their services will no longer be required.
There are exceptions, of course, to all gem
eral rules, but large mass of the people
here will have right to be sorry whether
they are or not, To go back little and
take slight survey of the troops of SOL
diery in whose hands the safety of the city
is reposed, will be we'll worth while. One
of the captains, at least, is hack-driyer,
and well known to the police.
Many of his subordinates are the most In
veterate scamps, and have about as much
education as a hog. A rapid sketch OF
small detachment that has just made its ap-
pearance on the opposite side of the street
can not fail to be instructive if not enter
tanning. One of them, a tall, lean man, as
black as jet. leans gracefully upon shining
needle-gun with fixed bayonet. He wears
on his feet pair of shoes that would fit
Gulliver but doubt if Gulliver, or in truth
any one but that guard could wear them.
That shoe scorns the luxury of heel, and
permits the foot to press affectionately on
mother earth, to even kiss her direct
through the sole in four different places.
Through a hatchway in the bow of the
enormous craft naked toe peeps boldly
out, as if to survey the situation.
The other end of this martial figure is
graced by-a-hat | suppose it might be
called, or may be chapeau. 1t looks very
much like an inverted cornucopia with the
cone pinched off, through which aperture
the gentle rays of the morning sun are just
now peeping searching for intellect, may
be- He won't find it, however, as one sim
gle glance at his brutal face will show. Be-
sides these articles of apparel his figure is
draped with a pair of pants which, like
Paddy's, were 'pulled too soon," and dan
gle in perfect unconcern two inches above
his ankles. His jacket of blue and yellow
being short, shows the pantaloons OFT to adj
vantage in all their amplitude and dirt.
The ceiling is particularly noticeable. 1t
is apparent that it must have sprung leak
at some previous time, as several three
cornered patches are plainly and painfully
visible; besides, oh, horror it bags, actual
ly looks as if it had been used as O reposi-
tory for pillows.
The rest of this worthy's comrades are
his prototypes.
different appearance. Each one of them is
neatly dressed, we'll behaved, and their
countenances beam with good share of in
is so highly entertaining as drill in which
these two parties may take an active part
When ordered to right about face the order
other, who promptly face to the left. All
this is of course very discouraging to the
commander but highly amusing to the spec
tator.
The minute men are bygone institu-
ton, but many pleasant "reminiscences are
told of them. The cook was the mightiest
man of them all, and ruled the whole conf
pany with an iron rod. He told the most
ungodly yarns of the vast quantities of food
they consumed, and took occasion often to
upbraid them with it. On one occasion the
Sergeant made some modest observation
about hash for the next meal, but he has
never ceased to regret such an unguarded
remark. "Hashn' yelled tie cook, ''hash!
| say hash. How the ID am going to
have hash when you fairly polished off the
bones of that last leg of mutton?" Speak
ing of drills, their exercises were worth wit
Messing. Many of them had never handled
a gun before in their lives, and when exam
ming them for the first time looked very
much like child with new plaything
Their ignorance of the meaning of the
simplest command was perfectly enchant-
ing. 1t is recorded of one of them that
when told to dress up, he broke ranks and
started on an exploring tour for fresh
paper collar.
The drill master entered into the spirit of
the thing with an energy worthy of better
cause. Opton's tactics did not suit him,
and he got up system of his own, very
unique, but difficult. For instance, it was
not an easy matter to Forward march
when at "Knee and fire." yet the COM
mand was more than once given, and, won
derful to say, followed. Something like
the following often occurred, and was very
refreshing to an outsider:
"Attentionp'
Every man looking as if he had swallowed
a poker and felta trihe sickin consequence,
gazed the commander sternly in the eye,
and awaited with dilating eyes the next
command.
"Order arms!'-great demoralization7 in
the rear. The guns flew about as if pos
sessed. Every man looked at his neighbor,
and, by the most appealing gestures, be-
seeched him to advise him. After the lapse
of twenty minutes every gun was resting
calmly on the ground, while the.company
wondered what next. Right shoulder
armsW
This would have been easily done had not
some of the company forgotten which
shoulder was right. The captain made some
mild suggestion in this connection, but was
silenced by an abrupt "Cheese it, Cap, and
spit out the next command"
Reverse arms!" Chaotic confusion-a
wild struggle to regain some of the arms
which had fallen to the ground-when the
long-suffering captain, whose patience was
now thoroughly worn out, exclaimed in a
tone of infinite scorn:
That's hi Of a way to reverse arms,
amt it?'
OF course such state of affairs could not
ardura Tho nantaip and tho o0ok aptarad