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


capt. Day and Lieut.. L. NJ. Koehler are
both able players. but it is their custom
to sit near the stove and make sarcastic
and discouraging remarks about the hard
working individuals, who are doing the
best they know how IN a table that runs
up hill from all directions in spite of the
quartermaster's daily affidavit that that
table was leveled up perfectly. first thing
this morning."
Rough and Ready.
STABLES" is the event of the afternoon.
After that sounds, every horse in the post
is grcomed until the officers who take that
call are satisfied. Horses at Du Chesne arc
not as smooth or stylish in appearance as
are the horses at many other western
pests. The reason for this is to be found
IN the fact that the animals are sheltered
only by sheds and horse covers. In much
warmer climates than exist in northeast
ern Utah the horses are housed in COM
Portable stables and are therefore nothing
like as rough as the Du Chesne horses
must necessarily be. But If all of the
United States cavalry force was ordered
INTO the field tomorrow. few. if any, troops
woald pc as well equipped in the matter Of
nofsehesh as are the troops of Col. Rand
iett's command; horses that live through
Du Chesne winter in open-sided sheds
are tough; If they were not tough they
would not live through a Du Chesne win
ter.
When Night Comes.
Occasionally some one starts out to do
little fishing through the ice or to shoot the
coyotes and magpies that. abound near the
post. but winter fishing Is apt to be sloppily
uncomfortable, so it is not popular A few
OF the garrison fill in an odd hour or so in
skating whenever the ice surface is in rea-
sonably decent condition.
Evening amusements are not lacking and
trey are generally enjoyed by the men who
are OH DUTY. The post ,eXchange-which
used 10 be known as the contemporaries
satisfactorily, an. amateur orchestra is
often In evidence. while the meeting of a
Masonic lodge and the cleaning of bicycles
all assist In filling the interim between ere
treat" and Ito quarters"
The officers frequently assemble at Dr.
Snyders quarters, there to sing and sing
and sing until even the doctor wearies Of
playing the Accomplishments. 1t was there
tfat the Du Chesne Glee Club was born and
nurtured to phenomenal maturity 1t was
there that Col Burns and Col. Edelin of
the Ute commission Col Edelin, is another
OF those wandering Washing tonians) Lieut.
Edgar koehler and Lieut.. Watkins sat
with more or less of stolidity while the
G!ee Club got in it's deadly work: com
mencing about 8 o'clock and ending at or
near midnight. Lieut.. Watkins Zone more
virginia Washingtonian by the way) was
speedily lulled into a semi-comatose condi-
ton; he thoroughly appreciated the free
concerts, but he was less hardy than Burns
ana Edelin, and Adjutant Koehler, who
Eever biinked an eye, who applauded all
the solos and joined vociferously in all the
choruses-a surprising exhibition of polite
ness when 1T is probable that they would
nave preferred whist or Qike Quartermaster
hoenier) slumber to the rehearsals they SO
gracsously chaperoned. 'sII
"Reminiscences.
Some of the evenings would find only two
or three Of us gathered together before a
big open fireplace in which blazed and
1a6
warmth and fragrance. Those were the
times and places for reminiscence-humer-
oIs sentimental, tragic. g.
Somebody having made casual mention
OF the fact that a citizen resident at Fort
D1 Chesne-Seaboldt, think the name
was-Ead freed a skunk under a chicken
coop. had secured the assistance of some
one and had shot the Intruder ''by the
misty moonbeans struggling light with
the lantern dimly burning Precisely what
happened to the marksmaa is practically
unknown, save to the marksman himself
and he is discraetly silent. That brief mar
rative awakened a memory which had "a
Its central figures two youn, officers, who.
years ago, were stationed at post in
New Mexico. Because Of many practical
under social ban; were boycottad in fact
by nearly all the ladies at that station.
1t was one of those delightfully."- warm
august evenings common enough in New
Mexico. outside several of the houses on
the line pleasant little parties were in
progress. but to none of these were the two
heutenants invited; everybody else had
bid, but they were being punished for
prankiShmeSs. They sauntarcd dawn In
front of the quarters; ice was clinkine IN
glasses and frozen iaintics were being law
lshly dispensed. but no one said, Won't you
come IN for while and take someth;ng?'
Therefore they plotted vengeance did those
two neglected onas.
The Plot Matches.
Hieing themselves to the post cemetery
they carefully proceeded, from a safe dis
lance. to roundup several able-bodied speci-
mems OF Mephitis Americana, two of whom
they succeeded in herding on to the parade
and not far from the scenes of revelry.
BY this time their movements were con-
cealed by the gloom, so their chances for
detection were few. One of the conspira tors
Kept an eye upon the animated bottles of de-
cayed and concentrated compound of ASA
foedita and limburger, while the other trot-
ted to the squad room of his troop to suggest
that half dozen men and two or three dogs
''chase those skunks out of sight" Two
minutes later and the old atmosphere had
been entirely supplanted by 4 new one. the
skunks were dead and everybody but the
hunting party hal vanished. Windows and
doors were being hastily and forcibly slam
med to the possible hut altogether i1nprcb-
able end that the outer air be kept entirely
On the outside. On porches and yeran6as
and grass piots were the neglected remnants
of festive occasions that died in their early
youth while within the various sets of quar-
ters-with the interior thermometers regis.
tering an even hundred degreas--were dis
gusted ladies and proiane officers; victims
of two Inscriptions low comedians.
Hose Cart Masauerades.
The percentage of brave men in the Unit
ed States army is very large; rarely indeed
does any man deficient in physical courage
findsa place either in the register or In the
rsr KS But there are degrees of courage:
some fighters are less valorcus than others
One Of the less valorous commanded a most
most OF the troops from which were, at the
time of which I write, in the field at Pine
Ridge against hostile Sioux The fear Of
an attack was ever before the mental vfs-
lon of this post commander; to such an ex-
tent that he was finally moved to make ex-
travagant preparations for defending his
residence. Prominent in his plans were two
rather inferior Cuttings and the gun that
had for years done service at reyeille and
retreat. These three pieces were so placed
as to defend the rear and two sides of the
coloners quarters Another gun was de-
manded of the officer who had charge OF the
post ordnance, but the other gun wasn't
there. Som ething had to be done, of course
or the colonel wouldn't enjoy a wink Of
oil 1919 fa1rr H.