Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-03-14

there were some such opportunities at Du
Chesne during my stay I have no doubt,
but the sufferers-if there were any-dis-
sembled most successfully. When the
balmy Pacific breeze-the ice-melting CHI
nook-has removed the last trace Of frosti-
ness from the valleys and foot hills the
entire garrison is ready for six months of
hard work. Drills are practically suspend
ed all winter because Of the successful in
reference of cold weather and snow, but
with the uprising and scattering abroad of
the alkalt dust comes the beginning of a
long program. Mounted drills will be in
order before breakfast, target practice with
rifle and revolver will be insisted upon, dis
mounted drill may not be neglected. pay
master escort duty to and from the rail-
road mus. be performed, and all the while
the regular post routine has to be attended
to. But when there is a foot or so of snow
on top of the alkan the conditions more
nearly approach the monotonous.
Reveille starts each military day, of
course. Everybody Is supposed to get up
at gunf1re, but once month or SO, during
the off-period. some officer who does not
have to get I'D sleeps SO soundiy that he is
not only undisturbed by the gun, but cannot
even hear the rising of the sun. Guard
mounting is at o'clock by which hour Col
RandlCtt generally has completed at least
three hours work.. The colonel Is not mere
ly post commander: he is also acting Indian
agent for the Uintah and Uncompahgre
utes; and If any one imagines that the COM
bination job is an easy one he ought to
watch the colonel get through with one of
the six. and sometimes seven, busy days he
has every week. The new guard having
been mounted the officers may usually be
found IN the adjutants ottice-Iieut Edgar
Koehler of the eleventh infantry attends to
that desk-and from that focal point they
scatter 10 wherever duty or pleasure may
can them. Whenever a victim can be found
the summary court is in session, but victims
at Du Chesne are few, so the court is not
overworked. The Quartermaster is deeply
engaged, OF course. The responsible duties
OF that position are upon the shoulders of
Lieut.. Lewis NJ. Koehler-he Of the ninth
cavalry-but they do not sadden him, nor
Is ne so wrapped up in property returns as
to be unavailable for other purposes.
Once week, on Friday. the post Iy-
ceum meets; an agreeable diversion. There
the weaknesses of Napoleon's campaigns
are mercilessly exposed while it is a COM
mon occurrence foe some one to offer ire
fragible proof that Waterloo was won by
Wellington because Ney's Pawnee scouts
halted to roll and smoke a cigarette each,
But such exposures are unofficial When
the lyceum Is in session it attends to bust
.ess An officer reads paper a pro-
fessfona1 or sen,i-professonal topic and
then defends his testimony and his con-
clusions as best he can from the assaults
of the critical. I was present one morning
and heard Lieut.. Watkins-well known in
washing .on-read an original account of a
stone battle which he witnessed while tour
Ing In Palestine 1t was a good paper. and
1t stumped the critics, because none of
them had ever studied stone-throwing as
nne art or had ever been nearer to the
Holy Land than New York; all much to
their discontinue.
Wheels Instead of HOrses.
Bicycles are more plentiful than gas
lamps on The streets Of all American cities
but NO one would expect to find large as
sortment of high-grade wheels at such an
out-of-the-way place as Fort Du Chesne
The assortment il there, however and
within two or three months there will hard
ly be an officer or enlisted man at the post
who Is not the possessor OF wheel Sol
diers are rarely rich, andit might naturally
be supposed that The tendency would be
toward some of the cheaper varieties of
cycle, but, as matter of fact, there is not
a low-grade wheel In the garrison. Here in
the east a slight snowfall discourages
wheeling. but out at Du Chesne everybody
rides wherever reasonably hard-packed
stretch of snow can be found in the road
way. and occasionally the always-clear
sidewalks are taken possession of by the
wheeimen.
Cycle Company.
The enlisted men have organized a cycle
company, with Quartermaster Sergeant Gill
lespie in command; that Is, in command for
all practical purposes, the real commander
being Col Randiett, who, in his new posi-
ton. has been endowed with high rank
major general. I believe. The election of
the post pos. commander to the highest office In
the gift of the cycle company is. of course
purely compliment for Col. Randlett is
Tot a wheelman. AS q cavalry officer of
thirty-fve years experience, he Is fully
equal to the task Of riding fairly frac-
tious horse, and he is willing to drive al
most any sort Of an animal that can be
persuaded to wear harness, but the pay
master gel eral couldn't bride him with a
years funds to climb on the hurricane deck
of an unsupported bicycle. The colonel
might, perhaps, be persuaded to sit on a
wheel If the wheel were fiat on one side.
was firmly held down by two or three mus
cular men and had pillows enough on it to
make the seat comfortable But the colonel
Is by no means unappreciative. If he will
not ride he will at least smile upon the or
ganization in which he Is a major general
as it parades past his residence every fine
evening after retreat, and he Is positively
interested in the maneuvers which follow
the bugle calls sounded by a trumpeter WI O
Is also an expert wheelman.
Post Office and Club Room.
Waiting for the stage is habit INDUCED
In by large percentage Of the garrison
six days a week: waiting on the seventh
day would be a waste Of time, for on the
seventh day. the stage never comes. The
favorite 1oafing place at such a time Is in
and around the post traders store in which
Is located the post office. When the mail
comes everybody seems to be quite as anx-
ious TO get a letter or a newspaper as he
might be IL the incoming of the stage was a
semi-annual event instead of being an al
most daily occurrence.
Not far from the post office is the off,
GERS club room; an unpretentious apart
ment, the principal features of which are
a billiard table. big stove and an un-
patronized buffet. Wherever there is an
army pest there Is an officers club. and
wherever there Is an officers club somebody
generally displays tendency to swallow
more liquor than Is good for him. But
Du Chesne Is almost unique in that respect,
and II the existence of the club denenGed
upon the quantity Of iptoxican.s sold the
organization would be hopelessly bank
rupt In a week. I know that the reputation