Sullivan republican. [volume] (Laporte, Pa.) 1883-1896, 1894-06-08
ARMY AND NAVY UNIFORMS
OFFICERS OUTFITS ARE ExPEN-
SIvE AND CHANGE rs COSTLY.
The --latest Fad is Whistles for the
Army-Changes That Have Been
Made-ltems of Cost.


Made-ltems of Cost.
"HE latest fad of Major-Gen-
eral Schofield is the army
officers whistle. The order
has gone forth that every in
fantry officer must equip himself with
this useful article, and that it must be
set in the hilt of his sword. This is
done "for the good of the service"
and the necessary alterations will be
made at the Springfe Id Mass ar
mory, but not at General Scho6eld's
expense or at the expense of tho Gov
ernment. When the general com
manding the army gets notion that
the service will be improved by Il
change in an officers uniform or equip
ment, the officers of the army must
pay for it. If General Scho6eld or
dered change in the regulation coat
of the army officer tomorrow or in
the regulation shoulder strap, the Off
GERS would have to throw aside the
old coat or the old shoulder strap and
equip themselves anew. The same rule
holds in the navy.
An officers outfit is expensive. The
army outfit costs at the very lowest
$3.50. Very few officers would be sat
lsfied with an $50 outfit. 1t is made
of cheap cloth, poorly finished. 1t is
regulation" and the commanding
officer would have to pass it. But IN
officer would feel very mean In one OF
these outfits at an official reception.
From $3.50 the cost of the outfit htranges
up to $3.50. Most of the difference is
in the cost of the material of the
uniform
A naval officers outfit costs even
more. At the Navy Department they
say that in round numbers n ''goo1"
outfit will cost $50. There are
1410 officers in the navy on
the active list. Ii the Navy De-
partment took notion to alter the
character of the uniform and equip
ment Of its officers so radically that
the present outfit would be useless, it
would cost S63l, 800 to make the
change. All of this would como ont
of the pockets of the officers them
selves. 1t is very we'll to make Off
GERS pay for their own outfits, but
they cannot see the Justice of paying
for changes which depend on the
whims of superior officer anl which
benefit no one but Uncle Sam.
1t would mot be novelty for the
War Department to order complete
change III the arny uniform. Ia tn1
early history of the Government it
,..o- I -, Iii, -. f,o,uartl,, \VoSbino,-
ton ordered the first change in the con
tinental uniform III 1777. Up to that
time the army button was white.
Under Washington's order the regu-
lation uniform was to consist of "a
dark blue or black coat reaching to
the knee and full trimmed, the lapels
fastened back, with ten open worked
buttonholes in yellow silk on the
breast of each lapel and ten largo
regimental buttons at equal distances
on each side, three large yellow regi-
mental buttons on each cutf and like
number on each pocket flap" At the
same time an order was issued for the
navy to equip themselves with blue
coats, with red facings; red waistcoats
and blue breeches; the coats trimmed
'yellow' buttons. The marine otii
GERS of the day wore green coats with
white facings, white breeches edged
wnh green, white vests, silver epau-
lets, black>gaiters and white buttons.
Two years later Washington ordered
another change in tho uniform of the
army. The regulation coat thereatta.
was blue, the facings of white, bnF or
red and the buttons for the cavalry
white. This lasted until 1882, when
orders were issued to equip the in.
fantry with white buttons, the coats
to be of blue with red facing and
white lining. BY 1896 another change
had been made. The infantry officer
wore dark blue coat reaching 10 the
knee, full trimmed with scarlet lapels
cuffs and standing cape, white trim
mings, white under dress, black STOCK
and cooked hat with white binding,
In 1910 the officers of the general stall
were put into top boots with gilt spurs
anl other minor changes in their uni
form were made.
Nowadays changes ln uniform aud
equipment are less frequent. The
last radical change in tho naval uni
form was made eleven years ago. Bat
the officers live in daily drsai ol an.
other. Here Is the outfit with Which
a naval officer would have tp provide
himself lfa complete change d, pattern
was ordered
Special lull dress, Ss1 tall dFes4,
351i iraes coat. So b. So service
unifarm ,eNira bluRseh ssJi tho pair
blue tronsers, s3li ayeFeoah SD u
$50 cap, sl SO ehapean, 40 q So
epanlotlos 54a 10 $50 sWaFl, sla q
so fnll dfsss belt. si1 unireas belt,
s5 saurl kn8L s2 81 o. 81, hglmst,
~ jui shonllpr strap, -, gles.s
eight pain, Pc ta ~, Gain clothes,
SO e. e44.
lhs esnsrisl mli lfesa n "a taalafi
of the Hsfal Huiiorm. it ls aarH ol
a. sfeatesI state uarttiuat iH haHnf
Nj the pffsllfnt of tha lniiel States
rs lma iHseI su Ha&al nHifaf 81 kls "a
tana MAJ tu aiasls aafaei lhs
flHasF ra8aelH lha arHy hta ~
aHal ml 4leH uefe "a taa 8Hf
aHlesE uaiN6
iAife aaIialA ti3t esq mfas7