The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1896-12-10

positively burden Tor rev weeks
of each year Mules, horses, and cat
tie suffer terribly from these pests,
while man would also find existence
next to unbearable should he not be
able TO provide himself with adequate
protection III the way of head nets
and long armed gauntlets. Ia sum
mer the inmates of the tort have had
the temperature as high as 123 de
grees Fahrenheit In the shade In
January and February the mercury
at this point has sometimes sunk to
the awful temperature OF 45degrees
b3loW zero. Putting the two together
we get range Of 16S degrees as the
difference between the two extremes,
which Is hard for any other spot on
the known globe to equal. In the
winter the snow may reach on level
In the Northwest anywhere from SIX
inches to four and five feet. The
average however, is not much more
than fourteen inches all around: but
even this depth on a level, unbroken
stretch of prairie makes campaigning
on foot not the pleasantest occupation
one could find. When the winds
blow and the billiards. fly and the
snow begins to pile up, then it is time
to seek shelter and not to be found
wandering over the open prairie with
out compass or landmark.
Even the Indians. under such climatic
conditions, stick close to their uncom-
Portable tepees and lodges, preferring
rather to be at peace with all the
world then than to enjoy unlimited
freedom IN the open air under the
doubtful protection of a breech clout
and well ventilated blanket.
in garrison during midwinter sol
diers and men manage to make life
bearable IN more ways than one. Re
yeille is sounded some hours before
daylight during the cold months, and
with the tirst-sound Of the bIgle the
soldier must be ont of bed and slip
ping into his trousers with all des-
patch. At the assembly, about ten
minutes later, the companies fall in
on their respective parade grounds,
roll Is called and the result reported
10y the first sergeant to the officer of
the day, who is standing in the center
of the parade ready to receive it.
With cavalry, stable call is blown
Immediately after reveille, when the
trooper proceeds to give his steed a
little attention and oats before taking
breakfast himself Fatigue call is
sounded at about 1870 o'clock, when
those not on other duty are detailed
to perform any work required about
the garrison, and guard mounting is
at 8 O'Clock. This is the beginning
of the official day, which lasts Just
twenty four hours. The old guard is
relieved, a new guard marches on, a
new officer of the day relieves the old
one,and both officers at the conclusion
of the ceremony report to the com
manding officer IL his office for orders.
The guard is divided into three re
Hefs-tirst, second and third. Each
man has two hours on post and four
hours off. For instance. suppose
there are three posts to walk, Just as
there are here No. l is at the guard
masters storehouses, No. 2 at the
commissary and quartermaster's store
houses, and No. at the haystacks.
The cavalry take care of their own
stock and guard their own stables.
The first relief consisting of as many
sentlnels as there are posts to guard)
goes on duty at 8 o'clock and comes
off at IL Second relief is on post
about Ii to l, and the third relief
from | to 3. BY this time the first
relief has had four hours rest, being
succeeded at ) o'clock by the second
relief, who has been taking it easy
for the last four hours. In this man
ner the duty IS fairly equalized, giving
each II an of the guard eight hours on
post and sixteen hours rest. The
tour Of guard duty here comes to each
enlisted man about once in every six
days, or from four to five times a
month. Those not on guard duty
have other things to look after.
Drill call is sounded at 9:30 o'clock,
promptly and precisely. according to
order, no matter if it be raining pitch
forks or blowing howitzers at the
time. The pleasant pastime of drill
is kept up, within doors for sixty
minutes. Of course, no movements
can be performed in the limited space
of the squad room; simply the manual
of arms, bayonet drill, and the like
receive the stric.Cst attention from
all hands. A commissioned officer is
the instructor at drills. Retreat call
is at sunset, tattoo about $50 o'clock,
and taps to eXtinguish the lights
about fifteen minutes later.
Let no one be deluded with the
idea that Uncle Sans soldiers dine
from cheap substantial fare only, in
these piping times of peace. It may
be different in active warfare. We
all recall the old saying of the days
of the rebellion. to the effect that the
menu in army life was pork, hard
tack, and coffee for breakfast" hard
tack, pork, and coffee for dinner" and
for g change supper consisted of ''cof
fee, pork, and hard tack" But how
untrue this is today. Anyhow, little
foundation there is for the old Jingle
which the men of the old army set to
mess CALL"
"Porky, porky, porky, without strip of lean
Soup. soupy. soupy, without d single bean:
Coffee, coffee coffee, the meanest ever seen.
At every army fort on the frontier
the diet is practically the same. The
cooking is done by enlisted men, who
have shone expertness in the art. Oc
casionally cook is hired to teach the
soldiers new wrinkles in culinary de
vices. Nowadays the regulation ration
at the garrison for enlisted men Is
about as follows: Twelve ounces oi
pork or bacon or canned beef (fresf
or cured), or one pound and foul
ounces of fresh beef, or y ounces OF
salt beef; is ounces of soft bread ol
flour, or 16 ounces of hard bread ol
one pound and four ounces of corr
meal, and to every 100 rations l;
pounds of beans or peas, or 10 pound:
of rice or nominy, 10 pounds of greer
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