The Brinkley argus. (Brinkley, Ark.) 1883-current, 1898-06-23
THE 10000 SOLDIER BOYS.
Their Doings at Chickamauga.
An Interesting Letter, Tell
ing of the Racy Life
They Live.
CH1cKAMAuGA. Ga.
June 20, 1898

sl.s June ~, 1885,.
4 The complaints that lave beer
made about the army i'ations arr
baseless. The soldiers hers arr
tmuch better fed than the average
workman. They get greater Va
riety of food than two-tllirds u
the working people. The messes
which are SO fortunate as to have
a good man 10 look after the food
always have plenty. The men
here draw their rations and ex-
change what they do not like for
something they do like and in
this manner they get exactly what
they desire.
If Chickamauga camp was any
where else, or if it had good water
and air, it would be an ideal place
for camp. The men are all COM
paratively healthy, but the bad
water here makes many Of them
sick. The water is generally
boiled before used, but even this
does not give the men pure water.
They are well equipped with
clothing, and the tents are all ex-
! cellent.
The railroad facilities at Chick
amauga have been most thorough
ly abused, but they have not yet
had enough abuse. In fact, there
are no railroad facilities. There
is a little railroad that runs to
Lytle, but the soldiers march
from Rossville to Ringgo9 to
keep from ring on it. The rail
road to the park is known as
rapid transit line. 1t runs trains
every hour and it takes just about
that length Of time to make the
eleven miles between Chattanooga
and the park.
The prospects are that several
regiments will leave the park
within a week or two to join the
Porto Rican expedition. Every
regiment in camp would like this
assignment, but only the best will
be taken.
Fortunately for the peace and
quiet Of the camp, the regiments
are widely scattered. There are
over fifty regiments here, and if
all were tented together it would
be practically impossible to pre-,
serve order The regiments are
scattered over an area Of twelve
square miles, and each regiment
is separate and distinct from every
other. The regiments Of the same
brigade are close together, but not
close enough to cause trouble
between the men. But even now
the soldiers Of different commands
get mixed up ii general rows, III
Of which are without serious re-
suits. y
How the blind tigers and drink
ing shops can exist is wonder,
when it's considered that there
are open canteens all over Camp
Thomas, where good beer is re-
tailed at 10 cents per bottle
cheaper than~at the blind tigers.
These canteens do rushing bust
ness, and some of them make a
harvest OF money. The signal
corps here has large canteen
which gives enough return to keep
the signal men we'll supplied with
excellent food.
The NAUGHTY MIDWAY,
NThe midway of Chickamanga
Park could be no worse. 1t has
reached an extreme of wickedness.
Some of it's more ambitious deni-
zens have made futile efforts to
eclipse former devilment, but all
have failed, simply because the
limit is touched. For even this
army avenne, with it's wonderful
capacity for all that is bad, can
get no meaner now that it has be-
come so naughty that there is
nothing so bad but that it can
boast Of it,
The midway has an emetic effect
on decent and respectable man.
He feels very sick and disgusted
after walking through the long
avenue of gambling dens, photo
graph galleries, blind tigers, res
tanrants, lemonade booths and
pie stands. Even if the stall
pies and rotting fruits failed t.
nauseate, the crowds upon tht
midway wOuld make him sick.