The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-10-05
RooSEvELT'S BEEF STEW.
How the Colonel Chcered His Men, mt His
Own Expense, at ~ Critical Time.

Ehpehst, at " ttt HIM..
An incident illustrating Colonel
Roosevelt's devotion to the men of his
regiment was told by Trooper Burk-
holde of the rough riders. who. before
returning TO his home in Phoenix, Ariz..
spent a few days at the home of his
friend. John Palmer, on Throop avenue.
near Middleton street, Williamsburg.
Burkholder vas all through the active
campaign with the rough riders Inc
returned with them to Camp Wikoff.
He was away or a furlough on account
OF a slight attack OF swamp fever when
the rough riders were mustered out,
and hus missed, as he puts 1t, IAN OPP
portunity to say goodbye to the most
gallant commander and the truest man
that a soldier was ever privileged to
light under"
only us few men who were with
him. said STAKEHOLDER. know how
considerable he was of us at all times.
There was n case in particular that IL
illustrates this better than any I can
recall. 1t happened after the fight at
La Quasimas. The pen were tired
with the hard march and the fighting.
and hunger was gnawing at every sto-
mach. Besides, We had our first men
killed there, and. taking 1t all i'm all.
we were in an ugly humor. The usual
~ N J'htss nv
of song were missing. and everybody
appeared to be in the dumps. 1 sup
pose we were all thinking of poor Ham
Fish and the rest of the poor fellows
who had been dropped in the short
scrap.
We'll. things hadn't improved a bit,
in fact, were getting worse along to-
ward meal time, when the colonel began
To move about among the men, speak
ing encouragingly to each group. 1
guess he saw something was up, and
no doubt he made up his mind then and
there to improve at least the humor
of the men. There's an old saying that
a man can best be reached through his
stomach, and ] guess ne believes in
that maxim. Shortly afterward we
saw the colonel, his % and two of
the troopers of company l strike out
along the narrow road toward the town,
and we wondered what was up. Ii was
probably an hour or so after this. and
during a little resting spell i'm our
work OF clearing ground and making
things a little-like, that the savory
and almost forgotten odor of beef stew
began to sweep through the clearing.
Men who were working stopped short
and began to sniff, and those VINO had
stopped work for a breathing spell for
got to breathe for a second. Soon they
joined in the shifting. and III wager
every one of US was shifting as hard as
he knew how. Oh, but didn't hat
smell fine! We weren't sure that il
was for us. but we had a smell Of 1t
anyway. Quickly dropping spirits re-
Nived, and as the fumes of the boiling
stew became stronger the humor of
the men improved. We all jumped to
our work with a will. and picks. shovels
and axes were piled in race horse fash
ion, while the men would stop now and
then tn raise thafr haaAg anA lra., d. |
long breath and exclaim:
wow! but that smells good
We were finally summoned to feed. |
ana then you can imagine our surprise. |
There was a big boiler and beside il a
crowd OF mess tent men dishing out
real beef stew We could hardly be-
lieve our eyes, and | had to taste mine
first to make sure IL wasn't a dream.
You should ave seen the expressions
on the faces OF the men as they gulped
down that stew, and we all laughed
when one New York man yelled:
Ana IL $ got real onions in ia. too
AFTER we had loaded up We began
TO wonder where IL all came from AMI
then the two troop I men told how the
colonel had purchased the potatoes ani
onions while his own cook secured the
meat from Siboney.
You probably won believe il. but
the bushel Of potatoes cost Colonel
Roosevelt almost SEQ and he had TO pay
thirty-odd good American dollars TO
get the onions. but then he knew what
MS men wanted and Il was always his
men nrst with him There was a rush
10 MS tent when we learned this. and
II you ever heard the cheering I'm sure
you Wouldn't wonder why the rough
riders all love their colonel.
1 see said ~Burkholder. that in
ms address TO the men at Camp wikon
me colonel told how he had TO hurry
at n san Juan hill fight TO save him
sst from being run over by the men.
mats Just like him to say that: but
hs opa fofgets that more Ia
Tore and never will again as they hai
20 u To Keep u9 with him. II Colonel
hooseNelt lived In Arizona we would
give MIN any office h. wanted without
any election nonseDs.