The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-05-01
Too Much Fuss and Feathers.

For a week or more the children of
the city have been awe-struck and the
maidens fascinated and the boys at
tracted by the fitting along our streets
of sundry gentlemen bedecked IL gold
lace and bedizened with glistening
epaulets, with cianking swords and
tinkling spurs. Old vets saw and smil-
ed. It reminded them Of '61 Friday
these gentlemen, as gorgeous as ever,
gathered about the commander-in-chief
Of the army and navy Of the state to
help him receive the three regiments
Of volunteers. They were his staff,
colonies, lieutenant colonies, majors and
what not; twenty odd of them. They
rode with the COMMUNICATIVE chief, on
pranctnS steeds, as he reviewed the
regiments. They were an enhancing
spectacle-to the girls-and themselves.
On the twenty-third day of April the
president of the United States called
for 125,O00 volunteers to supplement- the
regular army in carrying into effect
the resolution Of congress to make war
upon Spain. The same or the next
day the COMMUNICATIVE chief of Mime
sofas militia was notified that his
state might furnish three infantry regi-
ments. On that day the adjutant gen
eral of the state notified the command
ers of the militia companies of
the state to hold themselves in read
mess to move on Geographic orders,
1t was decided to have the three regt-
ments rendezvous at the state fair
grounds. Meantime the general staff
continued to delight the eyes of the
spectators about town. On Wednesday
the order to assemble went out. The
companies were to center here Friday
and go into camp. They came The city
turned out to meet them. Bands greet
ed them. The commander -chief and
his gorgeous staff stood on the capitol
steps and saluted them as they march,
ed by. Several companies had ridden
all night and went breakfastIess into
the parade
They went out to camp. One regi-
ment had tents and nothing else. The
two others were housed In the cattle
sheds, from which the manure, gather
ed during last years fair, was not
cleaned. The boys had to scrape it out
before they could find boards to lie on.
NO straw or hay in a country full Of
both had been provided. No ratioos.
no appliances for cooking; but one we'll
from which to draw water for more
imam 5000 men; no nothing-but gold
laced staff officers. And they in the
city.
A remarkable beginning. An aston
ishing display of bungling incapacitv.
ctr
ter 1t was known that three regiments
would come into camp here? Where
was the adjutant general or quarter
master general, if there is such an Of
nicer? Whose business was it to see
That preparations were made for the
coming of these boys? What was the
commander-in-chief thinking aboutY
Van SAINTS boom? Scattering commits
slons about the state, creating officers
and leaving the privates to the bare
floors of filthy cattle sheds for shelter.
Does he not know that the first care
of commander is that of his menu
Does he think these boys are all lum-
ber-jacks?
The first act after it was known tina;
| theSe regiments were to rendezvous
here should have been to arrange their
camp; to requisition tents, camp equip
age, rations; if tents could not be had
then to see that barrack room was
provided. If cattle sheds must be con-
Verted into barracks, then that they
were cleanly: that hay or straw for
bedding was supplied; that the water
supply was ample. 1t did not need
previous army experience to know this.
Any man fit to command company
would have fereseen it and provided
II. And neither a commander in chief
nor his staff Is fit for their places who