The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-05-07
NO FUN IN 1T AT ALL
IT is WORK AND DRILL ALL THE
DAY.
AND THEN SLEEP ON A PILE OF STRAW
How The Men are Fed and What they Get
to Eat..Uncle Sam Furnishes il and
He has no Fancy Dishes on
His Bill Of Fare.

ON the men mt Camp Bryan Grimes.
The morning opened up bright and
fresh enough, cooled by the thunder
storm of the previous night, but as the
day advanced the clouds gathered and at
3 o'clock rain and wind storm burst
over the camp.
Though it was furious blow, amount
ing almost to Il tornado, not II tent went
down and the men found Il dry, if not
comfortable shelter beneath the can
y,tss. They were not as well prepared
for the downpour, though, as they might
have been, owing to the fact that it
was knowing day." the tents were not
in order or well fortified against an at
tack by the elements.
The boys" are beginning now to get
down to the real thing. The 1,500 men
now mustered here awaiting Uncle Sam $
call to arms are finding army life any
thing else than one grand sweet song
1t is work. work, work of the hardest
kind. 1t is no fun to drill and drill and
drill again from $50 o'clock i'll the morn
Ing till e o'clock at night--a process of
soldier-inaking us wearying to officers rs
to men.
But nobody complains, for there's Il
big per cent of grit in these Tar Heel
boys. They are the stuff that heroes are
made of and not complainers. They
came here knowing that regular army
life. to the new recruits, was no bed of
roses And all of them have shown
splendid spirit They just grit their teeth
and push on, do these new recruits,
working and drilling and encouraging
\. IL. Loo
and then when they get their guns and
uniforms the work will seem easier and
life will be brighter.
There are among these recruits. drill
ing and sweating in the ranks all day,
and sitting down at their meals to regu-
lation army fare, young men from the
best families and most refined homes III
the State. Young men whose muscles
are soft and whose hands are tender as
n woman's. To them the work is hard,
very hard, and the sun is hot, but the
fires of patriotism flaming in their
veins are hotter, and not Il murmur es-
capes their lips.
Then there are many of them poor
fellows who have not even Il decent suit
of clothing to their backs, to say moth
ing of shoes and suitable underclothing.
Some of them look as if they must have
been hard pressed by poverty, when the
call for troops opened up to them a
chance to serve their country, aud ut
the same time get Il uniform that it
would be an honor to wear, government
raitions and a tent to sleep under.
But whatever the financial condition Of
these embryo soldiers they are men, true
men, and if ever they get into active
sd.vice they will give a good account of
themselves. An account that the proud
old State of North Carolina will not be
ashamed to o. X.
1T is not to be understood that be-
cause no one complains there are no
hareships, other than downright work,
incidental to army life There are
plenty of them. and it IS we'll worth the
while of North CarolinIaIs to read
about how the / .500 soldiers now in
camp here fare, in order to appreciate
just what sacrifices these brave fellows
are making.
AS already stated the men sleep four
ina tent, on Il pile of straw with blank
ct spread over it, Each man has Il
blanket to cover with. This may not
seem bad, but try it and see. Theoreti-
ually it is all right, but let any man who
chooses to lie down on several billion
tons of cool earth and see how long it
will be before the weight of his body
will work down closer and closer to the
ground and the dampness of the earth
CONCEAL the narrow in his bones.
Then there is sure to be i'll the tent
one or two fellows who snOre or eat
onions for supper and one or two who
don't Now either one Of these offenses
in cold type seems very trhing indeed
q, Il, ..ft .Isrht
when they persist in frightening sleep
away from heavy eyelids and rest from
aching limbs they are crimes for which
no sort of punishment then seems com
mensurate.
And again one can't always choose his
tent mates, and night after night the
lion and the lamb must lie down to-
gether.
At G:30 the reveille is sounded. Then
comes IL new set of rough experiences.
Men who at home turn on "a hot tap and
a cold one, and then take leiSurey
plunge into Il tepid bath, now find them
solves i'll line waiting II turn at u dingy
basin and dirty towel. The bathing
pool is mile away.
Then comes breakfast. 1t is always
more or less of Il guessing contest, for
even in the best of regulated families, the
morning meal is not always success.
If the cook is out of humor or the
weather bad the camp breakfast is sure
to be worse. But no matter what the
weather the bill of fare is always prac-
tically the same. 1t I'LL depends on the
way it is prepared.
| took particular pains yesterday to
inquire among the men as, to- how they
were faning i'll the grub line. As to the
quality and variety of the food few had
any complaint to make. They get regu-
lar army rations and here is the bill of
fare.
BreakfastLoaf bread, beef steak,
Irish potatoes, rice or grits. coffee.
Dinner-Soup, bread, roast beef, Irish
potatoes, rice or grits, cabbage, pie
Supper-Bread. fried potatoes, fried
onions, beef steak, coffee.
The army rations includes eggs, but