The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-03-10
GARRISON LIFE ON THE PLAINS.
Mrs. Elizabeth Clusters Lecture Before
the women's Literary Union.

ICotciudS dAtoIHOOu du o.oO q LOU 80 e'Aet
appreciative audience gathered in Kotz-
SEMINAR hall to listen to the lecture, in
the Woman's Literary Union course,
given by Elizabeth Bacon Custer on
Garrison Life on the Plains"
Mrs. Custer is known to all of our
readers as the author of 'Boots and
Saddle" and "Tenting on the Plains"
Long before the hour announced for
the lecture, every seat was taken on the
floor and the vacant seats in the galleries
could be counted on one hand.
Mrs. Frye introduced Mrs. Custer.
Looking at Mrs. Custer it is. hard to
believe that she married the brave Cen
eral Custer twenty eight years ago. She
has the figure of girl of twenty, or
thereabouts, her hair is brown and silky
with not a thread of gray, scarcely line
ality is that of charming and beautiful
woman hardly in the thirties. Her pres
ence is magnetic. She was, becomingly
gowned in black relieved by linen collar
etut Cullos ~ 1dl 20 ouWA VI AAesSA"no
Jacks was placed on the table near which
she stood.
1t would be impossible to do justice to
the lecture. She gave bright pictures of
garrison life, of which we can make only
the briefest abstract, beginning with the
military day which begins with the boom
Of the rising gun. Then. while the
sounds are echoing through the trees or
rolling up the gullies and canyons that
surround the fort, comes the reveille that
tells the laggard that he must arise. the
reveille is beautiful call, or would be,
were it at any other hour. It is a pretty
picture she gives us of the hosting of
the stars and stripes under the charge OF
the sergeant and four mentor the flags
of the garrison are its royalty. 1t seems
a small affair-but the sergeant and his
men do not think so. The day ends
much as it begins-the evening gun takes
the place of the morning salnte-and in
the twelve hours between we
are treated to the gallant sight of the
infantry, the cavalry and the artillery on
parade. Then we are introduced into
the long stables, to the horses them
selves who are called from the high
sounding name of Don Caesar de Bazan,
(for the soldier is a romantic fellow, to
the common titles of Joe, Bob and Bill.
We linger there long enough to see how
the horses are cared for-how the soldier
loves his horse, sharing with him his
rations, pathetic feature since he does
does not own him. Again we are over
the Posts. and the large Posts resemble
each other and are like villages; but
small Post in the Indian county has a
| stockade OF logs and sentinels to guard
| against the ever-lurking enemy.
The greed of the settler was graphl-
cally set forth, and an officer on duty
was described as the stiffest being in ex-
| istence, the toy wooden soldiers being
| good representations of their unbending.
But off duty the officer is very much
like ordinary citizens. The discomforts
Of the adobe huts were depicted in an
amusing way. Ouida precedes ciyiliza-
| ton, and to sit in one of these huts
bare of necessary comforts and read one
of Ouida's highly sensational novels,
something after this style: "The hero
| inc in a robe of cloth of gold is seated in
an ivory chair" the contrast is ludicrous
in the extreme.
| All these bright features of garrison
!
from October till late in May, when the
Indian is comparatively harmless and the
| garrison is given up to pleasure. They
allow themselves to forget that the sum-
mer is coming, and put black care be-
hind them, when sleigh rides can be in
| dulged in and hunting parties are in
vogue, and graphic picture is presented
| of hunt" when forty hounds are re-
leased from their kennels, and make
known their JOY in forty different voices,
kissing the horses noses, for they are in
innate friends with the horses, and max
ing demonstrations joy over their mas
| ters, finally settling down to the scent OF
the game. Then on their return the
women meet them, no matter how cold
the weather, outside the houses, and
| greet the dogs and horses as we'll, talk
| ing to them, and being answered in a
way that dumb animals have of answer
| ing their friends.
Social life was described at some length.
| They give parties with high-sounding
names, such as soirees, musicales,
etc., and thoy take any occasion to
| give them, birthday, departure,
an arrival, anything, to furnish
the opportunity for merry-making.
But they are like the old fashioned par
ties of our childhood. And the bill of
fare, we'll they also call some of their
dishes by high sounding names, such as
bisaue glace, and their chicken salad is
more often concocted from veal and
celery, while ice cream is manufactured
from custard made out Of condensed
milk. But perhaps their high physical
condition is in part due to their ex-
emption from high living, and free from
the worry and strain of life in great
city.
Nor must we forget Eliza, the cook
and general factotum of the Custer mem
age. She had the care of their morals,
their manners and the general supervi-
sion of everything that belonged to them,
including their friends, but she was
faithful, intelligent and her views and
| impressions were well worth quoting.
At the close of the lecture Mrs Custer
received general ovation, and she left q
! pleasant memory.
| Tho Worlds Wheat Crop.
(San Francisco CALI