Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1893-08-19
FRONTIER FORT LIFE.
THE DAILY ROUTINE OF UNCLE
SANS SOLDIERS.
It Is Not without Pieasarahle Excite
ment aud on the Whole Is More Desir-
able Than That of the Eastern Posts
Tricks TO Evade Duty.

i from garrison life in and about the
/ big cities OF the Eastern and Central
states. The soldiers life in the far
/ West is not only happy one, but it
/ is also very pleasant ard somewhat
exciting, A plains fort is no fort At
all, ii is simply collection OF houses
and buildings set down on the prairie
or on the crest Of some high bluH,
with no bastions walls stocka1e nor
defense of amy kind and might bet
/ ter be termed small settlement
+ than fort. Select diamOad.shap
/ piece Of ground, says the GloOe-Dem.
ocrat, say 400 yards square; on two
sides build substantial quarters for
the officers and On the other two
sides rows o. barracks for the en-
listed men. Erect stab.es,a hospital,
guard house post traders store (the
latter has now been generally super
seded by what is known as the can
teen or post exchange), u clubrcom
for officers, another FOR the enlisted
men. a most excellent and complete
hospital for the sick, with capable
doctors and attentive nurses in con.
slant attendance a bakery. reading
COON, gymnasium and bathing-roOms
and the picture is complete.
At regimental headquarters a fine
oand is stationed. and in consequence
once or twice u week hops and
lances are available for both officers
and enlisted men. At the post ex-
change light wines. beer and cider
are sold at almost cost prices. but no
whisky is. under any pretcuse. al
owed for sale within the limits OF
The garrison. In the billiard-roOms
lnOminal charge 81 five cents game
5 made, the receipts merely suf.icing
to pay the attendants and keep the
place in repair Should any profit
whatsoever above expenses DO made
.ho gain is divided pro rata among
.he organizations serving at tine post
The soldier gets Sl3 per month pay,
IN increase Of 81 for the third year,
= for the fourth and 50 for the FIFTH:
also additional remuneration II pro.
noted corporal, sergeant or artiGccr
Besides this. il worked as a carpeu-
ier, plasterer or mechanic Of any
Kind ne receives what is called extra
iuty pay; then must be included
BOARD, lodging. clothing. schooling.
medical attendance aud various other
)erquisites.
Guard duty is about the hardest
service in the army, and to this the
soldier is eligible about one dag ia
very six or seven. Two roll calls
lay, revelllo and retreat (tattoo has
1een done away with, bat in its place
has been substituted check roll call
1t II p. m II cayalrymaa. stables
.wice a day, drills usually two or
three times week and dress parade
very evening. weather PORN .tting.
Target practice Is held during two
months at the best seasons Of tho
year, when enlisted men and officers
alike qualify a. the different ranges
Tor the grades Of marksman and
sharpshooter As q general rule
those companies Of any regiment
serving west OF the Mississippi river
are supplied with two shotyuns each
and q certain allowance u powder,
shells. wads and shot, which are in.
tended for hunting purposes Any
man in any company, whenever he
feels so inclined. IL not detailed on
some duty. can auuse himself by
knocking over jack rabbits. bagging
sage hens, quail and prairie chickens
galore, or missing Is many shots as
he wants to.
Tours Of detached service are
simply picnics. and no man would
stay in garrison if he had half q
chance 10 get out and or over the
prairie for detached service Of any
kind. We catch al sorts Of material
for soldiers-the beer-drinkiEg leu
ton, the bulldog Englishmau. tho
fun-loying lrishmcn. and in fact.
men Of all natiOnalitios and All
c!imes. They come 20 Us as bright
rs meteors and as verlaut as uurirC
cucumbers, but no matter how
ignorant or green recruit may 10
at the time Of joining he usually
leaves the army we'll satisfied with
his five years If discipline and ex-
perieuce, and also o fine markslnan
in tho bargain In our service the
training Of a soldier to be- fine shot
IS the principal object, while. as
rule, most European armies neglect
tais imp 1rtant adjunct Of military
mans career, depending more on
numbers and vollcy firing than on
individual skill, As for the com.
missiOncd officer. he is as hard
worked as the private soldier
know the general impression is that
the commissioned branch have a
good easy time Of it, with nothing to
do but play cards and draw their
pay. As a matter Of fact. more than
nine-tenths Of the officers in the
army to-day fairly earn every cent Of
their pay, and more. too
Origin of SarcophnEus.