The evening times., 1898-06-17
The Camp sutI-r'. Occupation Gone

| The Camp Suffers Occupation Gone.
Crrom the New York TribuncD
| The day of the camp sutler is gone. In
| the present war irresponsible camp fol-
, lowers will not become rich at the ex-
| pense of the soldiers. In the civil war
the foundation of many fortunes, II not
| the fortunes themselves, were secured
| through the privileges obtained by po-
| litical and other influence in camp and
| field. But about ten years ago the Gov
| ernment abolished sutlerships and os-
! tablished the canteen system, greatly to
| the benefit of both officers and men,
| who now obtain the luNuries OF existence
| at actual cost. and are not forced to pay
| five prices for all save the bare necCs-
| saries OF existence.
An illustration of the value of the priv
| ilge OF catering to troops is shown by
| the fact that recently an OFFER of 81, ,0G9
| was made for the privilege of exclusive
| sale in certain camp of liquor and gen.
| eral supplies. despite the fact that the
| camp was not likely to continue for more
than thirty days. What 1t would be
worth in such a camp as the one in
Chickamauga Park, Georgia. where 50. 900
men are massed. with the probability of
| the number being doubled. may be i'm
agined.
The camp sutler has been a familiar
| figure in all wars of the past The word.
| applied TO the vender of provisions and
liquors in camp, is derived from the
| Dutch. 1t occurs in Shakespeare. Dry
| den, Milton and Addison. The derivation
| of the word shows that ii represented
| calling which was never classed as ele-
waited.
| At the time of the decision to abolish
the suffers at forts and frontier posts the
Government appropriated about s10O coo for
the purpose of reimbursing the men who
had put up buildings upon the reserva-
tions for carrying on the work of selling
to soldiers.
An Array officer familiar with the SUBJ
ject said day or two ago in discussing
IL. The present war will see nothing of
the old-time camp sutler. who got rich
from soldiers pay. The ordinary prices
charged were about five times what the
men would have had to pay at home in
the former day. Now everything can be
bought at cost. 1t was no uncommon
thing in the war for a soldier to sit down
and eat pork and beans. some crackers
and cheese and raisins. which would cost
10 cents here, and pay 81 for them. This
was just a sample of the, profit suffers
made. OF course. they took. war risks.
and a few probably lost money, and when
the army moved there must have been
goods lost; but the business was chiefly
profit. -
when the Government took in hand
the business of supplying it, 1t established
the canteen at each post where things are
sold at actual cost. There is no expense,
for 1t is in a building owned by the Gov
ernment. and enlisted men manage 1t. Of
icers as well as men patronize the cam
teen for all small supplies. for they can
save money by SO doing, There Is a GER
tain allowance to officers for fuel and in
order to eQualiZe the paw at different
places we have the quantity reckoned on
the basis of the average price, The allow
ance to a second lieutenant Is fuel for fires
in two rooms; for first lieutenant for
three rooms. and SO on. One cord Of wood
or its equivalent a month Is allotted to
each fire. This is figured at $3 4 cord, no
matter If 1t cost so at the place it is sup
piled. A cord of wood Is -reckoned the
equivalent of LOO pounds of anthracite
coal or 2.OcO to 25cOs pounds Of the soft
coal burned in the West. This prevents
the great inequality between the cost of
fuel in different parts OF the country af
fecting the army. If more than the allow
ance is desired the officer must pay for 1t
at the market price. For other things the
Government goes into the general market
and buys at the lowest price. and supplies
army men at this figure all over the coun-
try. For instance. IL Boston Is the low
est market for beans all the beans for the
army come from that city, and II sugar is
cheaper In New Orleans than anywhere
else the supply comes from there.
The old-time sutler used to sell at the
posts in war time $500 or 34O0 worth day.
four-fifths of which was clean profit.
Many men got rich in this business in the
civil war. They used to sell whisky sur
reptitiously to the men, Now beer is sold
at the canteens. but nothing stronger.
! The beer which retails here at cents q