The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1898-08-27

From the Boston Globe: Clothing
the army and navy is one of the most
important problems presented to the
war and navy departments for solu-
tion. The quartermaster general per-
forms the task for the army and the
paymaster general for the navy. In
time of peace the duty involves consid-
cradle labor. In time of war, and es-
pecially at the beginning of hostilities,
when the public are crying for million
men to be enlisted, clothed and put in
the front in minute, the task assumes
the proportions of a mountain in fog.
Take the quartermaster general, for in
stance 1t is his duty to see that the
big army which the president has called
to give battle to the Spanish is clothed
at the very earliest possible moment.
His usual sources of supply are quick
" exhausted. Others must be found.
New clothing must be made The first
thing the quartermaster general does is
10 ascertain, as nearly as possible, the
exact number of suits required, the
kind of suits, the number Of shoes and
underclothing, also hats. The exact
kind is then specified in detail, and
manufacturers and jobbers in that line
of business are invited to submit bids
for the whole or any part of the cloth
ing needed. Accompanying every bid
is a check to guarantee that the terms
of the contract will be carried out to
the letter. These bids are submitted,
together with samples of the goods re-
quired. The bids are carefully exam
ined and compared, and the lowest bid
der (the quality Of the goods being sat
isfactory) gets the contract. When
they are delivered they are inspected
by the government officials, and, if all
right, accepted Then they are for
warded to the storehouse of the army
at Philadelphia, to await orders When
a regiment is recruited and sworn into
the United States service the captain
of each company makes out a requisi-
ton for the number Of uniforms need
ed, and forwards the requisitiOn to the
quaTtermaster of the regiment. The
colonel approves of the requisition, and
then it is forwarded to the brigade
quartermaster, who, if he has not the
clothes required on hand, makes a req
uisition on the corps quartermaster.
The latter, when uniforms are needed,
makes a requisition on the quartermas-
ter general, who draws the supplies
needed from the depot at Philadelphia.
Upon the delivery of the clothing to
the regimental quartermaster the cap
tains Of the several companies are noti-
fed. The captains march their men to
headquarters, and there they receive
the clothing apportioned to them, and
for which the captain gives a receipt
to the regimental quartermaster, who
keeps it for his voucher. The same
formula for the issuing of clothing is
followed in the navy. The army and
navy uniforms are made in nearly ev-
cry large city of the Union, and the
cost of those for the priVates is about
Us and of those for men before the
mast is about So per man. The Off
GERS uniforms range in price from $50
to SIS. Quite as important as the
clothes are the shoes. For Cuban serv-
ice the men will wear dark brown can
vas clothes, but the shoes will be the
same as worn at home. They are COM
mon brogans, stout of upper and
mighty of sole and heel. In fact, the
army shoe is not thing of beauty, but
on the march it is joy forever as
every veteran knows. They are made
OF cowhide, and, if possible, of the hide
OF very tough COW at that. They are
exceedingly broad of sole and heel and
are made with the double view of Sc
curing durability and comfort At the
beginning of the civil war shoes were
considered feminine, and were but little
worn. Boots were the fashion, and
they were made to fit like kid glove.
Inc volunteers for some months after
the war began chung to boots, not fan
cying the uncouth shoe; but after a
While necessity forced the men to ac-
cept the shoes (pontoons, they were
called by the soldiers), and after being
worn for few days they were voted
luxury next to milk in coffee. The
service shoe is made by contract, and
averages in cost rs cents per pair. I'm
less Jerry Simpson has reformed he
could not stay in the army even were
he to enlist, for every soldier has to
wear socks. The regulation sock is
made of wool, and so coarse as to give
promise that it will last through this
war. Then there is the wooden under
shirt. 1t is a very important part of
the soldiers clothing. He is given one
OF these undershirts; he must wash it
himself, wiring it out and let it dry on