The Saint Paul globe., 1898-09-28
FEW ELLIS WILL HELP
ADDITIONS TO THE BARRACKS AT
FORT SMELLING BEING
PLANNED
ROOM FOR ENTIRE REGIMENT
Separate Company Messes Can BE
Maintained, but One RefectOry
VIII Do for Three COmpanies-
Drum Major McGuffin Around
Getting Acquainted With His
Former Friends.

There is no longer any question as
to the division of the Third regiment.
The entire regiment will be quartered
at Smelling as long as regimental head
quarters are maintained at the post.
Steps are already we'll under way to
provide room for the twelve companies
that the regiment contains when on a
war footing. Room for the men will
be made in the barracks by utilizing
the large space that is now given up
to the company messes, and building
in the rear of each of the barracks an
ell that may be used by the companies
quartered in the barracks for a mess
room.
The plan when carried into effect will
easily give room for all Of the men.
In the four great barracks that are
now in use there are separate mess
rooms. The kitchens are large and
we'll equipped. There is no doubt but
that, with the addition of some uten-
sils, these kitchens will serve for the
cooking of three companies instead of
one, even though separate company
messes be maintained-Which is likely.
The authorities had given some thought
to making a consolidated mess, turning
one of the barrack buildings into a
common mess house and doing all the
cooking in common. The plan has been
tried elsewhere, and it is not a sue
cess. 1t is now practiced at Columbus
Barracks and at Jefferson Barracks,
and it is the common belief among the
soldiers that they lose by the arrange
ment. Under the proposed plan at
Smelling the three companies in each
of the barracks will have their sep
arate messes, though they will use a
common refeCtOry.
The building Of the additions to the
buildings will not be expensive. The
plans have not yet been drawn, but
it is proposed to have in each Of the
refectOries considerably more floor
space than there is in the present mess
rOoms-Which are large beyond all pro-
portion compared to the rest Of the
buildings. The present mess rooms will
be turned into dOrmitories, and by the
utilization of space in other directions
room will be made for 1900 men in
stead of 500, as at present
AS soon as the plans have been COM
pleted in the post QuartermaSter's de-
partment they will be forwarded to
headquarters, and, it is understood, ap-
proved al once. The buildings will be
erected before cold weather sets in
The question of providing quarters
for the additional officers will cause
some trouble, but as most Of the of
ffcers now on furlough will not report
for duty before the first of the year
and many Of them will not set up
housekeeping until spring, the matter
is not pressing.
Drum Major McGufffn was about the
post yesterday getting acquainted
again-fOr many Of his old comrades
did not know him. The drum major
was one Of the biggest men in the reg
ular organization when the Third left
Snelling-he weighed 270 pounds a day
or two before the regiment went away.
He left some eighty-fve pounds of the
Minnesota beef he was carrying when
he went away in Cuba. He was taken
i'll just before the regiment was taken
home and was in hospital at Montauk
for ten days or more with typhoid
fever. He weighs a triffe over 200
pounds now, but is the shadow of his
former self. 1t will be some time be-
fore he is seen at the head OF the band
again.
The Third Regiment band is rather
q sorry looking organization. There
were twentysix men in the band when
the regiment left, and Monday morn
ing at guard mount Bandmaster Graves
turned out five men. Leader Graves
says that he only lost one Of his men
by DEATH fifteen are sick in various
hospitals in the East or on sick leave.
and five are sick in quarters at the
post. 1t will be a month or more be-
fore the organization attains it's old
strength.