Arizona republican., 1898-06-26
LARGEST BUYER IN NEW YORK
The Man Who Provides the Food and
 Clothing for the Army.

OAS VI SAAC uuoicSI HIGH III lN0W 1Ofk, and certainly the largest buyer has his office in one of the largest floors of the army and navy building in Whitehall street. Here. seated at his desk. with the cool breezes from the bay blowing in through the large suite of rooms which compose the quartermaster's department of the east, Lieutenant Colonel Amos S. Kimball signs bills, opens bids, gives contracts, meets depu- tations. gives audience to all sorts and conditions of men, as calmly and cool ly as if he were in his own private H. brary. The position which he holds is one of the most responsible, per- haps, at this critical time, in the army. To Colonel Kimball's discretion and good judgment have been intrusted the provisioning and equipping of an enor- nous army, an army which two months ego did not exist.
 Every detail of clothing, food and shelter has to be passed upon by Colo. nel Kimball. He is equipping not an army. for whom the regulation cloth uniform is sufficient, but one in which every Iaan must be provided for the torrid climate i1to which he may be ordered. Tents must be ordered and made. hundreds and thousands of them, and they must be made at once, for the second call has come. The tents must be ready, for the men must be sheltered from rain and sun, one just as danger ous as the other. And these men must be fed, and the food must be Sc iected with due regard for the climate to which it is to be sent and the health of the men who are to be fed, for what good would the army be if the men were moi in good condition? The re- sponsiDility of all this rests on one mans shoulders.
 recently sat in Colonel Kimball's office for an hour and gained an idea of his busy official life Deputation ,af- ter deputation came in, filed into his room and stated their case or their business. Three or four reporters snatched a nasty interview on some of : ficial matters. A general came and called the colonel out and questioned him as to the suitability of some officer seeking a position on the generals staff. Then his private secretary brought bundle of papers to be signed. Men presented documents for his approval, others came with sam pies Of duck and cotton, others again with buIlaps and canvas for tenting. Some brought wool for blankets, and several left for his inspection and ap- proval groceries and canned goods. samples of teas and coffees, milk and eggs. condensed butter and so on-
 This was Gn1y one hour out of per haps nine hours of just such a rush, Through it all the colonel sat imper- turbable, cool headed, with not a ves- tige of nervousness, decisive and deter mined. He looked over the samples. pronounced their fate in few sec his decision at once, read a document, looked up at the man standing beside him, and in few words directed him where to go and to whom to present his paper. He listened to the pros and cons of some newly patented prepara- tion of food, or waterproofed cloth, jotted down a few words of memoranda and dismissed his man, having in the few moments devoted to him grasped and thoroughly understood the matter set before him. One glance at the uniforms submitted to. him and he knew where the defects were and pointed them out in few words.
 He served all through the Apache campaign under General Miles, who is his warm personal friend. He was sta tioned at Los Angeles when the orders came for him to take command of the Guartermaster's department here in New York. He has been stationed here since year ago last April. When he assumed his new command he little thought it would prove 10 ..e the re- sponsible one it is today. It is Colonel Kimtall's duty to inspect and buy all sorts of supplies that an army may need, from government mules and uni forms to hospital ships. A few days ago Colonel kimhall drew his check for S450,0t0 to pay fer the hospital ship Relief. This is the largest check he has drawn since the war. He has purchased nearly two million dollars worth of supplies for the government up to date.
 Amos w. Kirnbali, Colonel Kimbalf's son, has just been appointed captain of ill San Francisco, and is to accompany General Merritt to Manila. New York Herald.