The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-04-19
PACK TRAINS in THE ARMY.
TRAINING THE MULES FOR VARI-
Gus TRANSPORT SERVICES.

Feature of Great UtiIity-UnISnOwn
Until the Close of the Civil War
Nine Men, Fifty Mules and One
Horse in Train-Making Up and
Lashing a Pack-The Bell Horse
the NabOb of the Train With
Nothing Else in the World to Do.
From the New York Sun
In the event of war with Spain and the
employment ofeany portion of the army
of the United States in Cuba the pack
train service, which was an unheard-of
adjunct of the army until the close of the
civil war. will be a feature of great utility.
The central depot and training grounds for
the pack service of the army are at Camp
Carlin, near Cheyenne, Wyo,. formerly the
supply depot for the department of the
Platte. The training ground and packing
station at Camp Carlin are most interest
ing. There the men and mules designed
for the service are trained; and from there
pack trains are organized, equipped and
sent to the various army commands of the
West as their services are required The
latest call for the pack train of the de-
partment was for the proposed relief expe-
dition which the war department contem-
plated sending to the Klondile, and the
best train in the service of the army is
now at Skaguay prepared, IL necessary, to
do its part in the work of carrying sup
plies across the passes to the interior In
order TO replace the train sent on the re-
lief expedition the quartermasters depart
ment of the army is purchasing a big lot
of mules and will at once commence train
ing them at the Camp Carlin station
where pack train will be organized as
rapidly as possible.
Nine men, fifty mules and one horse con-
stitute pack train for active service. The
men are the packmaster, who has charge
of the train; two supercargoes, or "carga-
doras," and six packers OF the mules nine
are for riding and the rest for packs The
horse wears a bell and shares with the
packmaster the leadership of the train
One of the packers must be a cook, one a
blacksmith and all must be experts in
handling mules. Although part of the
army, the men are civilians and not re-
CURED to enlist. They get $50 a month and
rations when in camp. While in Alaska
the packers of the train on duty there are
getting 800 a month and the packmaster
$500
No uniform Is required. The men wear a
modification of a cowboy costume leather
chaps, broad-bTlmmed hats and high-hee-
ed boots. Only able-bodied men are hired !
None weighing under 10 pounds is taken.
and the successful applicant for a place
in the train must be able TO lift 200 pounds
to the level of his chin. On campaign,
while supposed to be non-combaiants the !
MGR NIT
volvers and hunting knives, and in some
Of the Indian campaigns they have done
some effective fighting.
AT the training camp the men are busily |
employed in feeding and grooming the
mules, training green animals and every
alternate day taking the train out for a |
practice march of from twenty to thirty |
miles. For drilling purposes and practice |
the animals carry loads of 300 pounds In |
active service, where the marches are long
275 pounds is the maximum load. This Is |
made up of teuting, bedding, cooking uten- |
sils and ammunition. One mule carries 100 |
field rations. Ordinarily one-half of the
train carries rations, the rest carrying
tenting, ammunition and miscellaneous
supplies
A pack mules equipment Is somewhat
complicated. On the animals back is first |
placed the "corrunna," or crown consist |
ing of a quilted pad lined with canvas, as |
a sweat cloth, and numbered so that 1t |
may always be used on the same animal |
On top of the corrunna is paced a good |
heavy blanket 6 feet wide by feet inch |
es long. This is folded to six thicknesses
and serves for bedding for the men. On the |
folded blanket IS placed the pack saddle |
shaped like a saw-buck and technically
called the "apperajo." The corrunna, 1
blanket and apperajo constitute the "rig- |
ging." On the rigging are fastened the |
loads done up in two "manteaus," or six |
foot squares of heavy duck cloth. They |
are dashed on with a three-eighths inch |
rope, twenty to thirty feet long, cali |
ed the layer" A sling rope OF the same
size and length ties the loads across the ;
rigging.
The loads and rigging are secured TO |
the animal by a lash rope nine-sixteenths /
of an inch in diameter and fifty-two feet /
long. The lash rope has broad leather |
cinch at one end, which is passed under
the belly of the animal. A diamond /
hitch" across the top of the load Is the |
method of tying. leather blind called |
the "tappojo" Is put over the animals eyes
while the rigging and load are being put
on, and the first lesson taught pros
pective pack mule is to have him stand
stll as long as the tappojo is over bis
eyes .dxa
The bell horse is the nabob of the train.
He carries no load or rider and is kept IA
prime condition. A soft-toned, tinlzl ng
bell, hung 10 a strap around his neck,
announces every move he makes and The
pack mules follow him when he walks or
crowd around him when he stands. on
the march the bell horse Is never,ridden,
but Is led by one OF the packers. When
the mules are grazing the bell horse Is
hobbled, excepting when spprehensive Of
attack, when a man holds him by his hall
ter Brides are never used on the am
mails. A "ue-up' rs made with the bell
horse at the right Of the line, mule No.
tied 10 the bell horses halter and each 81
the other mules tied to the rigging OF his
predecessor In the line. A tie-up can be
made by an expert train in two minutes.
With a nucleus OF twenty well-trained
mules, enough green mules to make up