The sun., 1897-02-14
CITING OCT THE POTATOES.
An Old Soldiers "reminiscences OF aa Event
In 4 Life.

Sometimes" said the old soldier, I'VE got
considerable many potatoes, and then again We
wouldn't have any at all for weeks; very likely
nothing but hard bread and coffee and pork
and may be corned beef, and perhaps beans:
but whether we got them often seldom. pota-
toes were always more or less OF n luxury.
1T was likely to be known in the company
when we had potatoes. When we had some
thing the men didn't caro- anything about. or
something that we had been having !sht along
It might DO that not more than half the men
would get into line a. the cooks tent or AT tho
fire. when the call sounded: there Was sure to be
enough-there might be some men who wouldn't
want their ration At nil; and you would see mon
struggling across tho company street toward the
fire -ingly. later, carrying their tin plate and
moving leisurely. No hurry; they were quite
willing to take their place at the end OF the line
and. in fact, they didn't try to get there until
the limo had been pretty nearly all served. so
that they wouldn't have to wait long. and they
wouldn't have cared much II It had been all
gone when they got there. But on days when
we lad potatoes IL was d Yerent; then the whole
company turned out promptly, and formed In
line. single file. the right resting on the cooks
tent, and the whole line moving forward as the
men got their rations.
When potatoes were issued by the commits
sary. when We came TO draw our rations. We
would OF course get certain quantity. proper
toned TO the number OF men we had on duty In
the company five had forty men the potatoes
we got, when came 10 count them out.
might number sixty. II there were sixty
potatoes for forty men obviously some OF
them would have to be cut In two or
else they would have TO be given ont two to
some men and oae to others. and that IL what
was done; a man got two small potatoes or one
big one. For myself preferred two small nr es:
but OF course took whatever was given to me.
and laid nothing: bnt | liked IL h-'ter 10 get
two potatoes. 50 As to not risk everything In one
package. have known n big. handsome potato
that man had carried gravely to his tent filled
win d-hEhtful anticipatIons as he went along.
to turn out bad inside.
There was no greater test NJ cook. man.
aG"inent than the way In which lie gave ont
potatoe-, and the man who could DO tins to tie
satisfaction ~ every body WAS good deal OF
actiy the same quantity, but an effort to get rs
near To- this ns plr>ibse. spirit Of fairness. was
more. The potato he got mich, not he SO b,c by
aGuarter as the one he Jaw pUt on the plate ot
the man ahead Of him. hnt he said nothing:
somebody had got 70 have the other potato, and
II might Just as likely have come TO him.
hIt something more than fairness was re-
quir'd - give OUT the pniatoe- s"ccrssfuliy;
man had got to keep the ran NJ what h. lad
given or; and the. nnmb"r Of men supplied, ard
have ZONE ideE ~ the nuu.h"r of potatoes left
and ~ the number OF men to cunte. lie con,d
give hiin>cf some marsin By i'sning the big pp-
,H"s sn c9 , ~; , or 10 .1 S"nE or a. the
single one ~ TIE biggest of the smaller potatne>,
tn.'eAd ~ TWO. But he must know whether
there were nry men WHO hH1 not come yet md
whether they were likely To- turn up or ..rt. and
he must h-rp The ernh nt aIi ttC.e thing without
Stopping 10 think ~ he forSed up The POTATOES
from tire camp krttlH and MT them On the
y a'rs held ngt tn hir. hy the men \, they passed
Ana generally he came uur Just right More
than once have known him TO pat the last DO.
tain nm the last msu'> pIars.
But Ee did not always h-.nG things out with
that hICrty. ! have known ~ many a three
men m The end of n .lnc % be- lc;t without RGY
potatoes. All gone. We, now. there was a
s'tuat' On. M pntE'ur> i.su"l Tor a month be.
fore, and no'" iIk-.y To be l-~g-d rn- . month
Rgsln. Herr they Wer", all he other men Ia tho
company eating po'R,"e- At that m!aate and
none t"r m, Nou can't very wei GC-cr.be
just how they d.d fec; hat 'Gey never .atA !
word. tEey looked 49, the cook l9d the COO,
looked A. them, II was - Wi-calcg!at nu aui
that was R!I there vas TO ~. The ruoS Isa
given our h> own potatoes md rad nOn- fpr him.
self; and the three meE walked GnNn tie CONT
pAnY street, loos Ing neither to tire right nor to
the lef;. and To their tents: AMI ate hard hrsRi
on daywnrn all around the camp WAS filed
with luxury"