The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1897-06-26

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that brilliant panorama of military dis
play that unrolls with marvellous and
bewildering rapidity before the eyes
of the visitor at THE Point"
Now, the Military Academy is not the
army, and army life at the average
military post is widely different from
| life at West Point. So far as the
cadets are concerned their life is that
of a student-one of preparation. AS
for the officers on duty there, they
have, as a rule, heartily welcomed the
order that transferred them from an
isolated frontier post to West Point,
the most attractive station in the army,
and though the duties peculiar to that
post are not by any means always
agreeable the officers manage to make
their tour of duty there one long holi-
day.
| But for the army posts, nearly every
one Of them is quite a distance from
any center of civilization, and is, of
course, very much isolated. This con-
dition of affairs was worse before the
War of the Rebellion than it is today,
when the railroads practically shorten
the distance between most of our gar
risons and the nearest, yet still dis
tant towns. But even as it is now, the
people of the garrison are, to a great
extent, cut off from society at large, if
by nothing else than the difficulty ex-
perienced by civilian visitors in the
effort to reach the post.
But army life, like other lives, is lust
what one makes it. You can extract
from it enough commonplace discom-
fort and annoyance to crafty, satisfy
and in every way accommodate the
most exacting grumbler who is always
lying low in wait for a grievance, and
who, like Mrs. Gummidge, in David
Copperheld," is never happy unless she
is miserable. On the other hand If
as the Holy Scriptures say: You have
the kingdom of heaven within you" in
the guise of good digestion, hope
full and always cheerful heart, you can
find an abundance of real fun in a gar.
rison life.
Thrown together in a comparatively
isolated situation, the garrison people,
unless very near large city, come to
depend almost entirely upon them
selves for social enjoyment Sociables
whist parties, sewing circles for the
benefit of neighboring poor, and gath
er1ngs together for progressive euchre
are organized, and under the influence
OF few of the most energetic among
them, generally prove to be successful
With all this friendly and frequent in
tercourse the usual courtesies of polite
society are far more strictly observed
In my opinion, and as a matter of duty
than they are in civil life. AS strict
an observance of formal calls and re-
turn calls is kept up as if the parties
were but slightly acquainted and sep
arated by half the breadth of a city.
This intimate social intercourse
tempered by the formality of good
breeding, results in a comradeship and
mutual respect from which spring the
friendships of a lifetime The indi-
viduals of this little community have
common interests. They share alike
in the discomforts of the not infre.
quent changes of station, with the CON-
sequent and unavoidable transfer of
families and household goods.
With all this there is, of course
readiness on the part of each tn helm
the other to whom has come a time
OF trouble or anxiety, or who may be
inconvenience by some unforeseen
complication of unavoidable events
This mutual heIpfulness often has a
funny side to it. 1 remember at ono
post where was stationed there was
an officer who prided himself on beInO
the happy possessor of the best army
oVercoat and cape in the garrison
This was during one of those times
when congress had failed to appropri-
ate money for the pay of the armv. and
the officers were not buying as MANY
suits Of clothes as usual
This particular oVercoat and cana
were borrowed SO often that the owner
was never quite sure whether either
article could be found in his quarters
when he desired it for his own use
The cape was in particular demand INV
the youngsters who were bent girIward
and whose pay was not then more than
half as much as 1t is now.
Another officer got into the habit of
loaning his steamer trunk, which, by
the way, really belonged to his wife.
It was a very handy thing for one to
take along who was going on court
martial duty to another station, being