Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1895-10-02
FEEDING ON NUTS.
Uncle Sans Officers Trying the
African kola.
BETTER THAN BEANS ON WORK DAYS
II the Tests are Successful the Kola Will
Supersede the Usual Rations on
Forced Marches.

If the experiments of the surgeons
and officers of Uncle Sans army prove
as successful as they anticipate, our
"boys in blue" will hereafter go cam
paigning with haversacks stocked with
kola nuts instead of dry bread, bacon
and beans. This statement must not
be interpreted to mean that the kola
nut is to entirely supercede those staple
articles on the soldiers daily bill of
fare, however much he may desire it,
but at present consideration is intended
only as change of menu on forced
marches or similar occasions when the
warrior is more actively engaged than
the requirements of barrack life call
for.
So far experiments show that they
will be able to do it, too, and much
better than when they were allowed
their usual ration. A the nuts are
neither sweet nor salty in taste they
do not promote thirst. On the con-
trary they are warranted to keep even
a we'll seasoned topper from dreaming
of his favorite beverage, so that on
forced march over a dry and arid
country it will be matter of small
concern to the old campaigner if his
canteen be full or empty. In fact he
is usually so considerable of his burden
when fully equipped for field work
that the latter condition of affairs
would be preferable. Two of the kola
nuts. though hardly bigger than a
peanut, serve all the purpose of
square meal. and as the average ration
usually tips the scale at five pounds,
there is another point gained in trust
ing it to the Commissary's wagon for
transportation. Canned meats and
canned beans are much in vogue in
army circles just at present on flying
trips of any kind, but though they have
the merit of being easily carried there
is much disadvantage IN the fact that
the empty cans give the pursuing force
a cue to the line of retreat. The Kola
nut obviates any such possibility.
At the Eastern stations the expert.
ments have been going ON for some
time, especially at Fort Smelling and
Fort Sheridan. In the test recently
made at the former place a soldier who
had just come off the sick list found no
difficulty in defeating a well-fed CO.
patriot in twenty fve-mile tramp.
He did it ON the strength of the kola
nut, too.
Corporal r. P. Wyatt and Private
M. g. Olson, both of Company F, sta
toned at Fort Smelling, started from
the Ryan Hotel at $40 to walk to the
West Hotel at Minneapolis and return
to the Ryan at once. Private Olsen
was not allowed to eat breakfast, but
no was given five little reddish nuts
about the size and shape of good-sized
hickory nut, which he was told to eat
slowly on the way. Further than this,
he was not allowed to eat any food
while making the trip. Corporal
Wyatt was allowed to eat a good,
hearty breakfast and told he could eat
and drink what he wished on the way
He was requested to regulate his diet
according to the soldiers bill of fare
when the larder in che commissary's
tent is we'll stocked.
At $3.50 the two men arrived at the
Ryan Hotel from their journey to
Minneapolis. In giving their accounts
of the trip, which comprised a walk
of about twenty. five miles in the hot
sun, they plainly showed that the kola
nut had proved the more satisfactory
diet. Corporal Wyatt had eaten and
drank freely as he felt inclined during
the day, and came in almost overcome
by heat and thoroughly tired and stiff
from the long walk. Private Olson,
who but recently arose from bed of
sickness, and has not fully regained
his strength, was much the fresher of
the two and had suffered little from
the heat. He said that he ate two of
the nuts on the way to Minneapolis
and two on the way back, and that he
sat and rested while his companion ate
and drank. He said that he never felt
better than when he returned from the
long tramp, and that he thought that
the walk had done him good. He had
not felt the need of more food.
DR.. Charles E. Woodruff and Lieu
tenant Harris Of the United States
Army, stationed at Fort Sheridan.
made experiments which have shown
that in forced marches the kola nut
gives far better satisfaction for nutri-
tious purposes than ordinary food.
Both DR.. Woodruff and Liuetenant
Harris found that they were less IA
tigued from the long walks they took
when they ate nothing but the kola
than when they ate full rations of Or
binary food
Colonel Bell, Commissary Officer of
the Department of California. has been
watching these experiment with much
interest. During the past week he has
headed commission composed of the
officers commanding at the Preside,
whose special work it has been to dis
cuss the quantity and quality of the
field ration. with view of cutting
down the weight and increasing the
nutriment. In this line the kola nut