The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-28
FOLLOW THE ARMY
Men and Women Who Make a
Living Off the Soldiers.
NOT COUNTENANCED NOW
Suffers Are No Longer wanted-How
Their Place Is Filled Under Modern
Conditions-Down in Soap
suds Row.

Army suffers are discountenanced by the
new regulations, and thus "A very pictu-
RESCUE class of camp followers will be
absent from the encampments of our sol
dlers during the present war. The official
commissary department will try to replace
those useful adjuncts of former cam
paigns by suitably equipped and author
lied shops. which, accompanying the
troops on their travels. will supply all
such things as the old-time sutler was
accustomed to deal in. These will include
various luxuries, u as canned fruits
and vegetables. sugar-cured hams. sar-
dimes, condensed milk. butter, cheese.
ginger, candy. etc. Soldiers are mostly
fond OF candy and complaints have been
made recently because many Of the brave
boys at Chickamauga and other camps
were relegated to the hospital In conse-
quence of excessive consumption of sugar
piums contributed by admiring young wo-
men.
In former days half a dozen women
were regularly attached as laundresses to
each company OF United States troops. AS
a rule they were the wives of enlisted men
or non-commissioned officers. and nearly
always they were very worthy persons.
Some OF them followed the regiments for
as much as 40 years. and they were offi-
cially recognized as belonging 10 the mill
tary organizations. one ration-in other
words, the food allowance OF a solder
was allowed to each of them. and every
enlisted man paid at "A given rate for
their services as w~asherwomen. In war
time they did splendid work az nurses.
and the quarters occupied by them at
each army post usually went under the
name of Soapsuds Row. Eight years ago,
however. the war department made an ef-
fort to dispense with them, and their ra-
tions were taken away. Consequently no
laundress will follow the troops during
the present campaign. and the soldier
boys will have 10 wash their own clothes.
1t IL an interesting fact that in a num-
Der of Instances the sons Of these army
laundresses were educated and sent to the
military academy at West Point. holding
at this day commissions as officers. For
obvious reasons IL Is not desirable to men
ton names in this connection, but a nota-
bic case in point is that of a w~ell-known
Infantry officer. who was coached for
West Point by the wife of General Gra-
ham. He failed TO pass because of an i'm
perfection In his grammar. but General
Sheridan took great interest I'm him and
the upshot of the matter was that he was
appointed from civil life as a second leu
tenant a year before the class he tried
to enter was graduated. His father was a
non-commissioned officer and his mother
was a regimental ~laundress.
Women as naturally flock to the neigh
borhood of a military camp as crows to a
cornfield. Whever our troops settle down
for even so short a time as a day or two,
there Will be plenty Of volunteer laun-
dresses. In Cuba the native women Will
be only too glad TO do washing for the
soldiers for the sake of making a few
pennies. While on the march. however.
the men will have 10 wash for themselves,
while the officers will employ their SER