Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1895-08-24
RAr,ons OF OUR SOLDIERS.
No Other Army Il 30 Literally supple
/, with Food.

Successful war nowadays calls Tor
rapid marching and hard shooting.
Provision for the latter we have just
made by adopting the best rifle In the
world. With that problem out Of the
way the war department has turned Its
attention TO providing means by which
our armies may cut loose from the bag
gage trains whenever occasion shall
demand more speed than the latter
can make.
The saying that an army travels upon
It's belly Is strictly true. The longer
the march the more essential Is an
abundant supply Of food. Ordinarily
the railroads and wagons can transport
all the food that Is needed, but often
the time comes when the army must
turn its back upon both. An important
point Is to be seized, column of the
enemy must be prevented from uniting
with another; these and n dozen other
contin rcucies will call for the most
rapid marching of which troops are
capable. All food must be carried upon
the person, and 1t is important that
rations for such occasions should be
light In weight, nutritious and com.
pact To find such ration Is the OBJ
ject of half dozen boards of regular
officers now in session In different parts
OF the country.
All European nations have an emer-
gcncy ration for their soldiers. Ger
man troops on leaving their peace gar
risons take with them what Is called
the Iron ration" which must not DC
touched except in case of urgent neces-
sity. Cavalry carry supply for one
day, and all other troops for three
days. A three-iays' ration consists OF
~ ounces of biscuit. 7 ounces of pre-
served meat, ETC., ~ ounces of rice. u
of an ounce OF coffee and x of an ounce
of salt. Total, about = pounds ounces,
with pack ,ng. The bag for this food
is made OF brown waterproof canvas,
the same as the knapsacli, and is
carried behind the latter un Ter its Zap.
The French use similar ration, but
so prepared that IL can be eaten with
out cooking. All that is neele Is to
mix 1t with water. One-third OF this
emergency ration is eaten every year,
when new supply is ordered. In this
way no part of the stock Is more than
two or three years old.
The emergency ration of the British
troops consists Of compre 'scd vegeta-
bles and pressed beef. Both articles
are put ND In tins. Over 1000, 900 such
rations are stored ut Woolrich. A firm
of provision contractors In England
have for some years been experiment
ing on an emergency ration. They
consider their work very successful
The ration is put up in n tin and con-
tains sufficient meat and drink to keep
q soldier In q citing condition for
twcnty-four hours The top of the tin
may be removed by the finger, without
tile need of n can-opcner. All that Is
needed is little cold water, and the
ration is ready to be eaten. The con-
tractors say of this ration: "As to the
quality of the contents it is excellent
The meat is nicely cooked and favored,
mixed with biscuit, and forms very
appetizing and satisfactory dish. The
soup is first rate, and the cocoa and
milk will be found pleasant and re-
freshing."
The ordinary ration for our soldiers
is the best in the world. The daily al
lowance for one man Is as follows:
] Twelve ounces Of pork or bacon. or
canned beef or 90 ounces OF fresh beef
or - ounces of salt beef; Is ounces OF
soft bread or flour, or 10 ounces OF hard
bread. or 90 ounces of corn meal; IL
ounces of fresh vegetables, and to every
100 rations Is pounds OF beans or peas,
or 10 pounds of rice or hominy; 10
pounds OF green or OF roasted coffee,
or . pounds of tea; Is pounds of sugar,
4 quarts of vinegar, pounds of salt, 4
ounces of pepper, and to troops in the
field pounds of baking powder.
The abundance of food is readily
seen from this list. Its variety might
be questioned were 1t not for two fac
tors which have not been mentioned.
Company commanders may sell any
part of the rations, or receive their
value in cash by leaving them I'M
drawn. The money so procured may
then be used for purchasing other eat
ables. Again. the profits of the can
teen, with trifling exceptions, are di'
vided among the companies for the
same purpose. The amount thus di-
vided averages $3.50. 900 per year.
The best praise Of the army ration Is
the fact that nearly every recruit be-
gins to increase in weight as soon as
he Is enlisted. Regular habits AMI
healthful exercise contribute their
share toward this result, but there can
be no doubt that goo foo is the prin-
cipal factor. The writer once had an
applicant for enlistment who was very
desirabl but seven pounds under
weight. He was kept in barracks a
week, ostensibly ION probation" but
really to fatten him up. Al the end OF
the time he passed the doctor in tri-
umph, with pound to spare.
In garrison we have two systems OF
messing our men. One Is by company,
each having about sixty men. The
other Is to mess the whole garrison to-
gethcr. A mess of the latter kind,
called a general" mess, will frequent
lv have 500 men. The general IN rs Is
an innovation Of recent date, and finds
favor only with the higher officials.
Officers commanding companies and
the soldiers themselves are a unit In
favor OF company messing. Under this
system the cooking is done by an or
binary coal or wood fire. the men eat
under their own roof and company
officers and non-commissioned officers
have the experience of providing foi
their men. Trained cooks for cam
paign are available, moreover, for In
the field companies always mess by
themselves
Our field cooking and eating ap
paratus Is we'll nigh perfect 1t has