Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1896-02-13
MUNITIONS OF WAR
WHAT UNCLE SAM ALLOWS WIS
CONSlN EACH YEAR.

Governor upham ~ commandment
chief OF tho WISCONSIN national guard,
has Just issued requIsition on the
federal government Tor 900 pounds OF
powder among other military supplies,
tho value OF the whole being sd, 900,
The state militia uses about $50 900
cartridges year and OF this about
100000 rounds are fred during the an
hnal encampmont NJ Camp Douglas,
ECONOMY Is one OF the leading charac-
tcrtstics of the Quartermastoi generals
department OF Wisconsin. This pow
der, secured from the federal govern
ment. liz used In reloadtng thousands of
empty brass cartridges picked up each
year ut camp and elsewhere. Wiecon-
sin Ia allowed certain number OF new
cartridges by the United States gov,
eminent each year. Uncle Sam places
certain value ON these cartridges.
Now II the fun allotment liz not taken
by the state II has the privilege OF IN
crcasing its allowances for other milf
tnry supplies by the value OF the UNI
ascd cartridges, The old shells are
worth $500 per thousand. The cost Of
rcloadng them is small to the state.
The supplies for reloading are secured
from the United States government and
the reloading Is done In the basement
Of tho capitol by the quartemnster gem
erals force, ny this method there IL
u saving to the state of $lbbb per thous-
and, The state gets new cartridges
from Uncle sum at a listed price of
$3.50 per thousand
II viii take three months TO reload
all tho empty shells now In the base
mcnt of the capitol. The empty shell
Ia first thoroughly washed Then It is
primed that IL the old cap IL knocked
from the end Of tho shell, A lundcd
cap Hills the gap caused by the knock
out blow received by the used cap and
ia iastend in position by small in
gcntous machine The powder Is
dropped into the shell by another ma
chine which allows each cylinder It's
proportional amount on basis of ten
pounds to Il thousand Next comes u
bright new leaden bullet, which IL
pressed into the opening of the shell
and the brass contracted about II
properly to hold It In position The
loaded cartridges II then placed In
machine and reduced TO the regulation
size for use In Il Springfield rifle. This
is found necessary In every instance,
because all the shells have been more
or less expanded by tho hcnt and force
of their explosion, These cartridges
are inspected, packed IN boxes and
stored away In the basement OF the
capitol until npporlioncd TO the dr.
fcient companies throughout the state,
Three large rooms IN the basement
of the capitol are used in storing the
military supplies OF the state One con-
tains the ammunition, uniforms, extra
blankets and cavalry equipments; an
other hundreds Of white tents, third
the arms. In this last room is large
rack filled with Springfield rifles, some
ew and some old. The state mends
room Is Il bench and II lock smiths out
TT Of tools Reclining against the wall
In this room Is one Of those new
KragR Jorgeson army magazine rifles.
It's magazine holds five cartridges with
II otalllc covered bullets, which can be
fired AZ rapidly as the trigger can be
sprung II carries over two miles and
- raA
Tho government buys them at $50
apiece. Their utility is somewhat cur
tailed by their inclination to heat II
used constantly for some minutes. The
momentum OF the bullets fired from
them, however Is wonderful.
The total value Of all supplies al
lowed by the United States government
to the state OF Wisconsin IL $40 1876 am
nually.