Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-22
CHRISTMAS IN CAMP.
Mrs. General Custer Tells Of a Yule-
Tide on the Frontier.
A JOLLY DINNER IN TIE BARRACKS
Merriment and Joy Despite UnfaVOrabl'
Circumstances.
MAKING GIFTS UNDER DIFFICULTIES
rwnIrrEE FOR THE D1spArcH.i

Sometimes think our Christmas on the
frontier was far greater event to US than tt
anyone in the States, we all had to do SC
much to make it a success. Our ingenuity
was taxed to the utmost, as we had nc
tempting shop windows to point out to us BY
their beguiling beauty what would be 'Just
the thing" for this or that one. "My brain
reels, said one of my pretty friends, and she
ran her fingers through her hangs in a most
reckless manner, furrowed her brow, thus
proving that the ''reeling'' was going OIL, and
knew that the rapid approach Of
December % was the cause. II have
made John q smoking jacket, slip
pers and all the stereotyped presents
for men, and last summer, while the cam
paign was keeping our people in the field, !
made him . robe-de-nuit that he said was SO
berufaed and befrilled he knew he would
mistake his identity, and that if clothed
him in such purple and fine linen-for ]
even put in lilac ribbon-he would surely
take himself for somebody else, which meant
me. Now, what shall 1 make this year?''
This despair was brought to an end by a
the visor, which had survived the tooth of
time, was rubbed and oiled into freshness,
and the "exact copy" we all pronounced
equal to the best work Of military halter.
The really difficult part of the work was
the insignia of the crossed sabres for the cav
airy, and the number of our regiment
underneath, worked in bullion. The latter
was obtained by rubbing pair of tarnished
shoulder-straps, turning the golden thread.
which was still bright on the under side,
and using it for the new work.
Whatever we did we were obliged to con-
coct under very trying circumstances, if we
attempted secrecy, for our men were always
in and out of the house dozens of times q
day. We had no opportunities for long,
uninterrupted sessions OF occupation, as do
women in the States, where the husband
goes to his avocations In the morning and
does not appear until at night. The off,
GERS day began at reveille, when they went
to roll-call, then came stables, guard-mount-
ing, inspecting the mess, drill, perhaps
court-martial duty and dress parade, stables
again, retreat and tattoo roll-call. 1t will
be easily seen that they were flying in and
out of their quarters between these various
duties all day long.
SECRECY AND CELEBRITY.
watched for months horses head being
stitched into canvas for sofa pillow. No
real horse had more active life. When
the sound of q clanking sabre and the jingle
of spurs announced the arrival of the head
of the house, the work was rolled in heap,
thrust under a lounge, or in drawer, with
a celerity that increased with practice; for
the quick movements of an active cavalry
man necessitated great haste on the part of
anyone who Wed with him in speed.
A Seventh Cavalry bride attempted with
great trepidation the manufacture of her
first masculine garment smoking Jacket
1t was impossible to make success without
innumerable Hyings on, so she impressed
the striker (soldier servant) into her serv-
ice. He was model of neatness and re-
spect, and as he was about the size of his
captain, and had little else to do but stand
and be fitted, the garment was gradually
smoothed into beautiful shape. While the
scissors shipped and the needle flew in the
busy fingers, the striker stood guard in the
hall or on the porch. If he saw his captain
coming home across the parade ground, he
came to announce the arrival, but should he
appear unawares from another direction. a
lively little tune wh1stled in the corridor
was the warning that sent the Jacket fiving
into the depths of the closet, while the little
bride, with conscious blush, met her hus-
band at the door, trying TO look as if holi-
day presents had never entered her mind.
The Christmas dinner was feast that re-
quired long and earnest search in gathering
the materials for its construction. IT we
chanced to be near a little town-and few
forts on the frontier are without a village
just outside the very edge of Governments
reservation-no one rode through the place
without throwing calculating glance Into
every yard or about the door yard of the
less pretentiOus huts. A chicken, duck or
turkey was quickly noted, and the owner
was called out TO find a booted and spurred
at the door, who accosted him
with the usual frontier salutation 81 say.
stranger, can engage my Christmas dinner
Of you?"
CHRISTMAS FARE,
Once we were thrown into a state of envy
by one of our officers, who surprised us on
the Iong-looked-for holiday by roast pig.
The apple that distended the Jaws of the |
toothsome little animal might we'll stand !
for the apple of discord, until we found how
much he paid for the piece de resistance of |
his dinner table. Naturally he would have
to pay we'll, for every one out there in that |
country that was just begun, was anxious |
to increase his stock. That same dinner, |
we had as an ingredient of the SOUP tiny |
birds that were delicious. They reminded |
us foYcibly of the nursery rhyme, -Four
and twenty blaekbirds baked in a pie"
That winter was extremely cold, and there
was no sign of insect or animal life on the |
bleak plains except these hardy little snow
birds. The ground about the stables where
The horses were fed and groomed was black
with this swarming bird life. They were
very tame and settled themselves all over
he horses. Sometimes an animals back
vas completely outlined from the ears to the
'aIl with these tiny chattering creatures.
But no one had thought until this Christ
mas feast of utilizing them.
Though one OF the remote garrison in
which we were stationed had enough people
within its limits to make good-sfzed town,
here were but three children of officers. The
ow of houses occupied by the laundresses
lad the usual ornaments to the front door
md steps that is common to the Irishman,
,ut the three youngsters in the garrison
we're all the child life we saw, aud they
we're idols in their way. One mother gave
lp from the start trying to celebrate with
christmas tree, but the others persisted.
Notwithstanding that even on a summers
he sunburnt grass of the plains,
WITHOUT A TREE,
r hardly a twig of green; still, the fond
1other somehow seemed to believe that
hould anyone 60 far enough they would
ither find an evergreen, or else, by some
ecromancy Of the nineteenth century, a
Iithered tree would be made to put forth
oliage especially for her boy. The child's
paternal" sent a detail of men from his
ompany in every direction, but no signs of
roam cou1d he found in that desert land
hen the commanding officer, now deeply
Interested in the cause. sent another detail
{ men for radius of 40 miles around the
ost, but with no success. The soldiers,
red of the tedium of their confined winter
lie in garrison without drills, parades, or
.outs, undertook even more than was re-
nired of them. but the search was hone