The Advocate and news., 1898-09-21
Soldiers
Experiences.
Some Incidents Showing That Kansas
Boys Have Been Able to Hold
Their Own.
GLAD TO BE HOME.

II Is no hard matter for soldiers to get
on familiar terms with each other. In
a majority of cases the ordinary private
don't know the names of one-tenth Of
his soldier acquaintances. He knows
him as Fatty, Shorty, Arkansaw,
GrOuchy Bill or whatever nickname Oc-
ours to him. The manner in which these
names are derived reminds one of the
stories Of the origin of Indian names.
When a pappoOse is to be named those
in charge give 1t name which is sug-
gested by the first thing which attracts
their attention. In this way Man-Afraid
Of-his-HOrses, Sitting Bull, Willie Musk
rat, and Dan Rattling Gourd got their
names. Soldiers get their nicknames in
much the same way.
H##
The first day that the Twenty-second
was in camp at LeavenWOrth a friend
was visiting some boys in Company G.
The four who messed together in one
tent had not been in evidence when
straw was being issued and their tent
went up without any covering for the
sod which had been soaked with a three
days rain. The friend suggested to one
Of them that il did not get some straw
that he would catch terrible cold that
night. He replied in an Indifferent sort
of way but the friend would not be
satisfied with that and later urged him
to get some straw. He was assured that
any worry relative to that mess welfare
would be wasted. why" he said, 'it is
not dark yet. You come around tO-mor-
row morning and there will be plenty
of straw in this tent" 1t was there, too,
at the time stated.
##&
After the Twenty-second left Camp
Alger it seemed impossible for Alger's
provision trains to keep up. The boys
got pretty hungry and developed appe-
tites which would make the proprietor
Of Mark TWain's appetite cure enViOus.
The boys wanted something to eat They
wanted it bad and were going to have
it. Some rustled whatever they wanted
and paid for 1t, but their proportion to
the whole number was not greater than
Abe Steinberger's party is to the Pop
uulist party of Kansas. The most pop
ular fOragers in the division were the
Kansas boys. Privates would go to farm
houses, bargain for stuff and issue their
personal order on the government for
it. The Indianians got the stuff but
gave neither money nor orders. An old
Virginian said II don't like those In
don't pay for it; yOu'uns from Kansas
treat us right. You'uns always give us
an order for what yOu'uns git"
One private on the way home began
singing Garry Me Back to Ole Virgin
n.y." The boys sentiment toward that
State was shown by an attempted as
sault with a car link They had had
enough Of that State and were glad to be
on their road away from it and doubly
glad to be going back to good old Kan
sas.
The boys have good deal Of fun over
the medical department That is, those
of them who have not been real sick.
They say that only three kinds of med
icine are issued-black tablets, white
tablets and salts. One private solemnly
asserted that If man showed up with
sprained wrist he was given one black
and two white tablets, but if the COM
plant was homesickness he got two
blacks and a white In both cases he
was asked to show his tongue. The
same private claimed that another boy
who had earache was given salts as a
remedy.
The average soldier has a mighty kind
ly feeling for those who happen to re-
member that a few good things to eat
relieve the monotony of the regulation
army fare. The whole regiment is
praising St. Louis because the people
there had all kinds of good things to eat
ready for them at the depot when they
came through. Not only that, but they
were liberal with it. Every one had a
phanea IN aat all ha uantnd