Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-08-03
BRANDS FROM THE CAMP FIRE.
Disciples of the Greed of Washington Air
Their Veracity in the Quarters
usual Army Experiences.
Written for the New MExICAN.)

Company c has its quota of disciples
of Ananias. In fact, several have taken
degrees in the art, which exceed any.
thing of the kind ever registered by the
thermometer. They gathered in the
departments of the non-coms the othel
evening. Instantly all was attention
The occupants of the room rolled ovel
on their blankets, and after lighting
pipes, rested their chins in the palms OF
their hands and prepared to listen.
''Did | ever tell you about the guard
who was questioned by the officer to see
if he knew his general orders?" asked
the old sergeant.
mo Spring it," answered chorus
of voices.
''It was almighty csld day and the
guard was well nigh frozen. But he re
cited his orders all right until he came
to the place where he was supposed to
tell what he would do in case of fire.
"Wel, what would you do in case of
fire?' asked the officer
I'D get warm the first thing" the
guard answered
mo joking now! What would you
do in case of a small fire in this vicin-
ity?"
I'D put on more wood.
This was too much for the nOn-cOms,
so they sent man for the fire brigade
to put the old sergeant out.
''Say, did ever tell You fellows about
the time / was with the sth cavalry in
China?' asked the cook.
Didn't know it was ever in China"
someone answered
''Oh, yes it was. 1t was durn' that
big war between China and the United
States. You fellows must have read
about it,.
No one ventured TO contradict him.
"Well sir, tea grows over there just
the same as them scrub oaks grow on
the hills out there. We had nothin
else to drink but tea and we must have
picked enough to ill the English mar
ket for year
''That's fact, boys, interrupted Cor
poral Hurt, and that's where all the rs
came from that are being used in the
English language today"
just then the little red, white and
blue band on the cooks hat began to
play that popular hair ''Towsers Pants
viii soon Fit Willie" and he desisted
from further remarks.
Il y u =
"Gee! but these flies never go to bed
guess
1t was Corporal Warren who broke
the silence.
"That reminds me of little incident.
too
Corporal Warren, had in former years
busted bronchos in Trinidad and faro
banks from Old Mexico to the Canadian
line. He had seen some exciting times
and is always listened to with profound
attention.
"About the funniest thing | know of
is the way they have of getting people
up in some parts of Old Mexico"
''Do they use stepadd.T?' someone
innocently remarked.
sob, come off now. This is no josh.
| went down to Ajackpot, Mexico. with
a trail herd of cattle for the Bar Soap
outfit. Their home ranch is located at
that place. All the houses there are
built of adobe just like the houses in
Santa Ee, only the doors are provided
with transoms.
"a sort of fly grows down there almost
as big as Dewey here, (referring to the
mascoN and they have wings like bat.
In the mornings, instead of calling the
sleepers, the people of the house just
open the transoms and drive few of the
big flies in. They commence flying
about the rooms, making almostas much
noise as a windmill, and, of course,
everyone is awakened
The cook uneasily shifted his position,
then he arose and cut off chunk of the
dense silence with the cheese knife and
stepped out of the door, where the dusk
hid the sorrowful expression on his face.
''Someone give me chew of tobacco,
demanded the man who had seen con
siderable service with the nth.
Quartermaster Sergeant Easley had
that evening issued the rations of laun-
dry soap, and a facetious corporal hand
ed the old campaigner a small plug of
that article.
"That's giving a man tho lye in dead
earnest, disgustedly remarked the man
who wanted a chew, as he spat the
Objectionable morsel into the fire place.
Apologies were offered and the even
serenity was interrupted by few
words from the old soldier to the effect
that 'this yere soap racket reminds me
of something that is often done in the
army to git discharges"
"When l was stationed at Fort Win
gate in "a, five enlisted men got up the
idee of eatin' soap to make 'em sick, and
in. that way git their discharges.
They take the soap and roll it into
little pills and eat pill every morning.