The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-12-26

a certain amount of bacon, beans,
sugar, coffee, etc. If the company does
not wish to draw its full amount of
one article, they are given credit for
the amount and may substitute in lieu
thereof any other article in the COM
missary Of the same value. In this
way the soldiers are enabled to have
delicacies which, were it not for the
method of exchanging, would not often
be seen on the table.
QUARTERMASTERS STOREHOUSE
Near the commissary is the quarter
masters storehouse. This building is
used for the storage of all the goods
not Included in the commissary. 1t is
more on the style of a hardware store,
with a clothing department in connec-
ton with it. This department is in
charge of the quartermaster, who is
appointed by the commanding officer,
for a term of four years. Under him is
the post and regimental quartermas-
ter sergeants and a number of men de-
tailed from the companies as clerks
and assistants. Whenever a stove is
needed in the post the quartermaster
sees that it is issued and takes a men,
orandum receipt for it, as no charge
is made for such things. All the lum-
Der, nails, wagons, tools, stoves, hard
ware of all descriptions, harness, and,
in fact, almost anything that is re-
quired for repairing anything in the
post is kept in this department There
is thousands of dollars worth of prop
erty, all of which the duartermaster
must keep track of and is held re-
sponsible for.
Besides these things the quartermas-
ter has charge of all the coal that is
used in the post. Millions of pounds
of this article are used in the post ev-
cry wear, and this officer has to see
that it is weighed out and delivered
about the garrison Each company is
allowed so much coal per month, which
must be issued on an order from the
quartermaster. The officers are re
quired to pay for all the coal theyiuse,
and when it is delivered to them the
quartermaster must see that it is prop-
erly weighed and a bill made out for it.
Then he must receive all the coal from
the contractors and receipt for the
! same.
The quartermaster is about the bust
est main in the post and has probably
more responsibility than any other Of
ficer in the army. Another department
under the direction of this officer is
the granary. Here is stored all the
grain that is used for the mules and
horses in the. post The granar>T ct
Fort Douglas is a new one and is built
of stone, with an asphalt floor 1t is
the only good storehouSe in the post
According to the military law govern
ing such things, each horse and mule
is allowed a certain amount of hay
and grain each day. Accordingly a
certain amount of each is contracted
for and if care is not exercised in issu-
ing, the quartermaster viii find him
self behind, and then trouble ensues.
THE STABLES.
In the post stables are kept about so
mules and several horses, which belong
to the post Besides these animals
there are the private horses of the Of
ficers, most OF which are kept in the
post stables. The stables are under the
personal direction OF the quartermas-
ter, who appoints a, soldier usually q
sergeant to be in charge. Under him
are all the drivers most of them SOL
diers, but sometimes q civilian driver
is employed by the government The
sergeant II charge sees that all the
mules AID horses, except the private
ores, are kept well groomed and shod
IIe suDerintendS the cleaning of the
stables, which must be done ey-
cry morning. The hay and grain is fed
to each of the animals under his SUI
pervisicn, and he sees that each gets
only. his ration.
Outside of the stables a large yard
and a number of open sheds. in which
are kept all the wagons, carts and
other rolling stock in the post. In or
der to secure the use OF a team, it is
necessary to get an order from the
quartermaster, and then the sergeant
in charge sees that the conveyance and
driver, if one is wanted is furnished
The private rigs and horses are usually