The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-05-07

of fare varies. The commssary officer
| is. given II requisition for certain quant-
| ties of food. IL he knows how to ex
change well with the contractor, he can
| serve Il variety every day. II he does
not understand how to economic and
| how much to give out each day, he is
liable to have the rations run short by
cooking too much when he first gets his
supply.
While, as / have said the food is good
and abundant, it is of course not served
like it is ut Il modern hotel. There are
no hired walters and no elaborate ser
vice Each fellow takes his common
plate and coffee and sits down with it on
the ground and serves himself. He has
to look out for himself, and if he has
been accustomed to finger bowls and
such he finds that he must unlcarn all
his elegant service. and come down to
more primitive methods of eating. But
it would surprise many doting mother
who has pcttcd her boy and given him
the choicest cuts of steak. the first straw
berry of the season. and other deliCacieS
to see him sitting on the ground eating
bacon and fried onions on tin plate
with relish he has not known at home
L Il
doting mother, who has been brought
up most tenderly. At home he could
not bear the sight of grease. it would
make him sick. He had little appetite.
and his mother had special dishes pre-
pared to tempt it. If that mother could
sec him Stopping" his bread in the
gravy left from his fried bacon, she
would not recognize her own boy. | saw
another delicately nurtured young man.
whose nervous temperament made him
sleopless. With Il soft bed and room
containing every comfort, he often found
it impossible to sleep until the early
morning. Since he has been in camp, he
has been drilling four hours a day, eat
ing plain food, and sleeping Oh Il bed of
straw on the ground, with only a blanket
over him. The third morning his mother
was anxious to know how he managed to
endure the rough life. She was sure he
could not sleep Il wink ON hard bed
in tent with three other men. He
wrote home, in answer to her soli-
tous letter. Il sleep like top and
havnt had such good sleep since | was
in Il crib by your bed" In these cases,
and Indigestion.
camp life is like home. 1t has many
drawbacks and Inconvenience and most
of the young men here having been ac-
customed to many comforts, find it
hard life Compared to home, it is hard
in every way, but since the enlistmentS
the boys get plenty of good food where
ever the commissary sergeants and the
cooks are capable and have foresight
The Goldsboro company (it was so good
that every man i'll it was accepted, ana
this was true of no other company has
been kicking because the men have had
no plates and have to eat as they can.
The delay in supplying plates and other
necessaries from Washington has been
most annoying. But of soldiers, in cam,
as in battle:
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not TO reason why,
Theirs but to do and die"
.
The health of the troops is excellent.
The free use of the bathing pool in thu
pavilion makes them Cody set of mel,
if it be true that cleanliness is next t.
Goodness. There was general moving
about yesterday. and there were scraps
of paper scattered here and there in their
wake, but otherwise the camp was as
neat and clean as one could desire.
But the paper worried DR.. Wilder. He
was born at Wilder's Grove, Wake coun-
ty, and that accounts for his desire t.
have everything in apple-pie order. See
ing the paper. he said: Il am going to
have this camp clean or | am going
to have somebody hung.
>
The officers live like fighting cocks.
They pay for their own board and they
are living high. The colonel and high
officers mess together. The captains and
other officers have made arrangements
with Giersch and he feeds them the best
the market affords ut seventy-iiye Il
day. One officer, just quitting dinner,
said: Il ann living much better than at
home, and but for seeing the wife and
babies | could be satisfied here all sum
mer."
All are pleased with the location OF
the camp. There are but two objections.
The drill grounds are too far from
the camp, the boys saying that the march
tires them ont before they begin to
shoulder arms" etc. The second is that
the water has to be carried from ST.
Mary's, a distance of something like half
a mile. The water is good and the sup
ply is sufficient. though it is Il pity that
the city water does not run to the camp
so as to make it as plentiful as it is
in Raleigh.
So much for Il two hours observation
and experience at the camp. The chief
impression conveyed by this visit was
that the State ought to be frpud of
this body of gallant volunteer soldiers.
They are the flower of the youth of the
State. Many Of them are trained III
their home companies and many more
are fresh from their offices, their stores.
their shops. and their farms, ignorant
of military tactics but having the "stui
of which soldiers are made. There has
been an unaccountable delay i'll sending
the uniforms and guns from Washington,
ana many of the men are wearing citI
zens clothes. You cannot drill men
well or get camp into real military or
der" said capable officer to me, 'un-
less he is i'll uniform. That makes him
feel like soldier. No sooner does he put