The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-08-28

ton will show that the 20, 900 men of the
army me every day:
Meat $4,000 pound
hlonr. 10000 pound
Beans, peas, rice, homlny.......... 5000 pound
Green coffee 1000 pound
sugar 5000 pound
vinegar 200 gallon
500 pound
Salt 500 pound
iepper.;.. 80 pound
Vegetables 2O,OOO pound
The statistical fiend, or the lover of fig
ures can carry this still further and arriv,
at the army consumption of provendsr il
the course of a year by multiplying tn
foregoing figures by 365 and by 366 fp
leap years. In the former case the result,
would be az follows, and it is rather tire.
mendous:
Meat. 9.125. OOO nonnd,
Beans, peas, rice, hominy..... 1.025,O CO pounds
Coiiee 100000 pounds
9uSar 1,OS0, goo pounds
vinegar $1,000 gallons
2a2,OO0 pounds
Salt.. 292.COo pounds
Topper. 1880 pounde
vegetables. $500, 600 pounds
This is probably a larger quantity of eat
abies than the mind of the small house.
keeper can conceive of.
The manner in which the rations are SUD-
pied to the army is probably the simplest
and least cumbersome of any of the com
plloated methods BY which public business
is done. The subsistence or commissary
department has charge of the feeding of the
army. In most Of the large cities of the
country, and In many of the smaller ones.
there are supply dspots in charge of COM
mlssaries of subsistence, who are captains
or majors. Captain G. A. Woodruff is the
officer at San Francisco. Every division
and department has a chief commissary,
ana every garrison. encamplaent, canton
nlent or any place where troops are sta
toned has an acting commissary of sub
sistence.
Every two months the acting commits
sary OF subsistence makes rsquisition for
stores required, and these stores are
ordered shipped to him from the most
convenient depot. The only exception to
this is the supply of fresh meat, which ia
contracted for ION the block at the most
where 1t is to Re used. On the 1st, 10Th
and 10Th of each month each troop or COM
Pany commander returns to post headnuar-
tera the number of men for whom rationa
are to be drawn for the coming ten DAYS.
lnese returns are consolidated upon one
return, which ID sent to the acting commits
sary or the post, and upon this return he
issues. The fresh meat ration is drawn
every day from the butcher. Thus she sew
eral million pounds of rations find their
way yearly to the stomachs of the enlisted
men for whom they are intended.
- iatioh Is liDeral one IN every way.
YET IL by no means represents the food
placed upon the mess table, as the bill of
1are previously given shows, although of
course III an exceptional manner. In fact
IN army orioles nowadays it would be CON
sldered an unusually tough company to
soldier with that lived upon its %rstlons
Neither is there any rea1on, under e~xiatinu
circumstances why every company shouId
not be provided with u good sized mess
fund from which to purchase ~urtieles for it's
table which are not furnished it by the snh-
sistence department. 1t secures tIia fnnd
hrss and foremost, by savings from tho ra]
tons themselves. A company need draw
only sucn portion OF it's ration az IT choosea
The remainder can be sold back IN the oo,n
mlSsary at the tnd of the month or can be
ors"n out anG sold to the best ADVANTAGE
siwnSfe. Fro' IN beef and vegetables are eY-
cepslons TO ans. They must all be taken.
whefs the troops have good gardens. AZ
they now have at almost all posts, thew
need but few potatoes and onions from the
eommIssary and draw canned tomatoea in
stead, which they can easily sell at a good
proti:. This ia one prolific source of reye-
nue..
During the war some genius discovered
that loO rations OF hou would make I4O
rations of bread of equal weight. and this
discovery has helped the soldier in two
ways: No organization mRkea it's own
bread nowadays. In every garrison there
IL u post bakery. The flour rations of a
command are turned into this bakery. md
~ per cent. of them make the bread-tbe
very best OF bread it Is. too. The other 20