The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-11-19
TOBACCO IN THE ARMY.
What One Pound Did for q Company
in the San Juan Fight.
WASHINGTON Star.

w dSEsHSlpU STAT.
1T has struck me right along that the
newspapers OF the yellow variety have been
making terrific hullabaloo over the way
things were run down n Cuba. Porto Rico.
and in the American camps. with very little
reliable information upon which 10 base
their charges" said an officer OF the Txen-
fy-fourth infantry Zone OF the negro regi-
mentS), who was struck by three MauSer
Enthusiastically wounded by one of them
and piece of shell in the fight at San
Juan. Il didn't see much to complain
about under the circumstances down in
Cuba, and l had a pretty fair chance TO
see what was going on The only genuine
criticism. in fact, that l have 10 make re-
fers 10 the scarcity OF tobacco among the
MUM during the greater portion of our
stay in Cuba. and the soldiers who were
paid for II at the price of it's weight in gold.
l don't think IL would be possible TO over
estimate the value of tobacco TO troops
undergoing hard campaign. 1t is bread
ana meat and drink 10 soldier enduring
the hardshps OF war. II is AT once a
stimulant and tonic. and its value in
allaying hunger Is we'll known to expert
enced commanders: Queer as 1t may seem.
chewing tobacco also alays thirst. | know
this. because I've tried ii. Another point
with reference 10 the chewing of tobacco
by soldiers in campaign is that all of the
old-tiners swallow the juice OF the weed.
They allow that it is apt to make fellows
not used to handling 1t In that way a BIT
sick at first, but they say that the stimu-
lating effect Of the plant is lost II the juice
Is eXpectorated
Il never had a better illustration Of the
value Of tobacco 10 men who had long been
Numbering for 1t than on the day of the
San Juan fight. The black soldiers of my
outfit OF the Twenty fourth had been en-
tirely tobaccoess almost from the time We
landed in Cuba. and it was the hardest kind
or a deprivation upon men who had been
used for years to consuming the weed in
all Its forms. The men missed tobacco
particularly after meals After they got
outside of their coffee they would get to-
sether and talk longingly Of tobacco. and
| could Just see their teeth leaking for 1t.
be had. l don't hesitate to say that the
men of my company weren't quite the same
without tobacco. and a number of them
frankly SAID that they rather be without
grub than 10 go tobaccoless.
ION the morning of the San Juan scrap
l came into the proud possession OF a one
pound plug of chewing tobacco. I'm not
going 10 incriminate myself by stating how
! happened TO set the plug, but l got il
all the same \ short time before il came
our turn TO go into the action, / produced
the plug and handed il to the big black
top sergeant OF my company. You ought
10 have seen his eyes stick out when he
caught sight of the plug.
" Just pass it down the line told him,
and let each of the boys take nibble
off it
The sergeant took a bite off the plug
duty sergeant. The whole company was
'on to- the presence of the plug OF tobacco
in the outfit by this time. and they set up
a cheer They lust forgot all about the
impending fight they were so tickled over
the sight of the tobacco. The plug went
down the line, every man taking off a bite,
and then it started up the line and toward
me again. X certainly did dwinGle in size.
that plug of tobacco By the time it got
into the hands OF the top sergeant II was
just the size Of one good chew, which the
men had. by careful calculation, saved for
me, the loot nant.' Did | take 1t? Well.
/ guess yes. and swallowed every bit OF
the juice, like all the rest of the men. And
/ tell you IL tasted good, The men
threw their shoulders back under the slim
illus of the tobacco. and became perky and
sassy and tightly all through-and | sup
pose you remember what the Twenty
fourth did in the San Juan fight? | had
the chew in my mouth, enjoying it hugely,
when the last Of the three Mausers that
plugged me got me in the hips. paralyzing
/ me from the waist down for a couple of
months afterwari. and as I didn't become
| unconscious. l enjoyed that chew even
after | was hit.