The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1898-03-05
Life at a Frontier Post.
IN the New Mexican highlands 7ooo
By Marie Grace Kendall.

IN the New Mexican highlands, 1000
feet above the sea, lies Fort Wingate,
the border post of which we write.
Seventeen miles east of us the crest of
the Rocky mountains divides the Allan
tic and the Pacific slopes of the CON
tinent. Up the eastern incline we have
7raversed the sand wastes, the lava-beds
and the pinon groves of New Mexico;
. down the western, we look out upon the
wide and desOlate sweep of Arizona.
The fort is not a strong place of defense.
with m0at and rampant and bastion; it
consists essentially of low adobe build
ings which ~inclose a quadrangular
parade-ground. On three sides of the
square are houses for officers and their
families, and on the fourth are bar
racks for eight troops of cavalry. Out
side the central quadrangle are the
~storehouses. the hospital, the magazine,
the laundresses' quarters or 'Soap-suds
Row." and the stables. The angular
architecture of the fort seems drawn
up at attention" against the dazzling
blue sky of New Mexico. Nature, how
ever. relieves the squareness and gray
ness of the earth-colored houses by a
drapery of wild clematis and woodbine
in summer, and of softening snow in
winter. The parade-ground is brown
and dusty except for a few sparse
blades of grass and a fringe of strug-
Cling cottonwood-trees which border
the irrigating ditch. Near one corner
of the square is the guard-house, and
always pacing in front of it a sentinel.
IT, me his most welcome duty is his
]sonorOus call of the hours at night.
Twelve o'clock and all is WELL" is a
cheering word in our mountain soil
tude. At the center of the parade we
look up to the Stars and Stripes, which
hang high above us from the flagstaff
there. The flag is our reason for being,
and as often as we see its bold swirls
on Il breezy day or its mute folds on a
still one. we rejoice that to u is in
trusted this symbol of u country.
Divider of dayhreak Won. cutting the air.
touched by the sun, measuring the sky.
So loved-O you banner leading the day
with stars brought from the night!
III E'E''ltl : NdN w 1t SUM >
As the light breaks through the pines
on the eastern horizon, the deep vibra-
tons of the morning gun are followed
by the lively march of reveille. That
h~alf-hcard. ghostly music always stirs
me with awe at thought of another day
begun. and with pleasure in the linger-
ing dream that keeps back the a~ctuali-
ties of day. In the barracks, however,
the soldier is astir at once, though not
without Il struggle on the part of the
if we may believe the
prosaic words he has set to the strains
reveiIle:
I can't sit 'em up. I can't git 'em up,
1 can't git 'em mp in the morning,
1 can't git EN- up to-day!
Yet. when the relentless march ends,
.he men nave turned out" and fallen
and are ready to answer to roll call.
the day food, medicine
and work are administered at the call of
the trumpets. Three times sounds the
see-saw music of mess-call.
interpreted in the soldiers rhymes:
porky, pork, pork; pork without
any lean.
SOupy, soupy, soup, soup; soup with nary
bean.
coffee, coff. coff; weakest ever seen.
Soon after breakfast the quick, in
cisive sick-call summons the i'll and the
ailing to the hospital. There COM
are sifted BY the surgeon, the
sick are put to bed, the half-sick eN- '
rused from duty, and the would-be sick I
set to work. Work in the frontier post
all the trades. from saving of t
.ogs to mending of shoes; for the SOL l
Her is no specialist, but an all-round I
character. who must dig and plant, c
cook and scrub, as we'll as ride. shoot t
and saber. f
The most picturesque moments of the r
day at Fort Wingate are
yuard-mounting and retreat. Guard v
mounting takes place at nine O'Clock in p
The morning. Then, with helm and t
blade, and plumes in the gay wind v
lancing," the cavalry wheels on to the a
battle-ground. The men assigned to /
guard duty for the rex "a hours are n
Vigorously inspected, the column h
marches in review, while the band plays a
nerrily. The curves of moving horses, r
he swaying of FURNISHED brasses, and n
he stirring music, are all in accord b
With the fiuttering leaves of the aspens o
nd the nimble air of morning $50 Q
looks on from verandas and b