Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-06-30
re bought, besides increas-
lg the musicians pay as
hey become proficient, while

are bought, besides increas-
ing the musicians pay as
they become proficient, while
other men do their duty. Another use
for the funds is to buy carpets blinds,
cushioned chairs, fancy desks, etc, for
headauarter officers. One use l know
To- have been made of it was the pur
chase of billiard table for the benefit
of the enlisted men at Atlanta. The
regiment serving there at the time be-
ing ordered to Montana, they took the
table with them, aud somewhere on
the way the liable must have got di-
vorce, Tor on arrival at the new
post it belonged to the officers,
and one of the boys got eight
days in the guard-house and had to
pay for having it repaired for tearing
the cloth. Regimental funds are col
lected and expended in the same way
for the sole benefit of the officers. |
am aware that general of the army
made the statement q few years ago
that the officers supported the bands,
but they do not pay one cent toward
their support. or even for playing at
their balls. Even the post traders get
their music for nothing If they stand
Ill WIFI tllc COulhituulhS oihttfs.
The only benefit the enlisted men
get from the post fund is the use of the
books in the post library at the few
posts that have such an institution.
The post commander who is about to
start u library makes known his inten-
ton to the officers wives, and asks
| their opinion on suitable works. Each
lady furnishes a list of those books
which in her opinion would improve
and interest the men. A hundred
copies are ordered, and we find
the following authors favored in
about the order named: May
Agnes Fleming, Lucy Randall Conn
fort, Violet Whyte, Mrs. NJ. e. Brad
don and Mary Cecil Hay. Comment
is unnecessary. AT one post in Mon
tana we gave a theatrical entertain
ment two nights in succession for the
benefit of the p.st library. Out of
twenty-five officers only three attended
the show. The gain was S1l2, with
which we subscribed for newspapers,
magazines, etc. a room was set apart
for u reading-room, and notice posted
up to the effect that the enlisted men
would have from . o'clock a. III. until
O'CLOCK p. m. for their reading, and the
officers the afternoon. AS we were
building the post, and on fatigue duty
from twelve To thirteen hours day
the only time we could get to read was
on Sunday and as We were not allowed
to have the papers from the reading
room, we waited on the commanding
officer with a request that he would
, allow us the evening. He informed
us that he could not spare candles, and
ON our offering 10 buy our own lights
| s..fI n La ,At oil ltfth IN 20 L.,
! burned for fear of fire. Neither would
, company quarters, although the
/ officers, who did not pay one cen
toward getting them, did SO and Otter
kept them for days.
Having found site for a new pos
Q on military reservation one of tn,
| first duties of the commanding office
. Is to appoint post council to fix TIL,
/, prices at which the post trader shall
& sell his goods. This Is to insure rea
e sonable charges. The prices so set ar,
Z made out In price.list form and or
: dered to be hung up in con
5 splcuOus place in the post trader
: store. This is done for few days ant
: then some advertising card is hung III
t SO as to completely hide 1t. The lis
Y soon comes to be dead letter. Will,
Q i stood In pOst-trader's store one
evening soldier threw down {
t quarter and asked for lamp chin
# ney, which was handed to him will
. ten cents change. 1t happened tina
& he bought it for an officer, and he re
: turned presently saying that Mai. X
r said he charged him too much. Their
y the following conversation occurred:
9 "Did you buy that chimney 70
II Maj. X"
a "Yes."
d "Why did you not say you wante,
II 1t for an otficer?n
" IL did not know you had one pric
II for officers and another for soldiers an,
IS citizens"
d well, hereafter when you come her
d to buy anything for an officer, say ga. !
'r informed the boys, and for about
y month our company got articles Tina
d formerly cost twenty-five cents 70
l. eighteen cents and everything else II
h proportion, by simply saying IL was 10
y an officer. 1T finally leaked out, an,
1t the post-traders issued books to all tn
lr officers, after which nothing could b
% bought for an officer unless his boo
n was shown 10 the clerk.
q The officers Of one post owned
L sheep ranch and had enlisted men b
l. take care Of 1t. The cavalry horses /,
rs the post got very thin that summe
u Tor the want OF oats, and one cavalr,
70 captain said that oats in sUmmer-tim
10 were not good for cavalry horses, bu
" were bully FOR sheep" He was
" stoekholder In the sheep ranch. Tn
Or Indians made charge on the shee
~ ranch one night, ran OFF the herder
IL ana captured several head OF govern
II ment horses which shnuld ha,,s 49,