The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1898-06-28
THR spANI B
Various Reasons why His Lot Is Not )
Happy One.

pEoDlll6y are destined TO meet IN me
tal combat the sturdy soldiers OF
Uncle Sam" would be the despair OF
an English or q German stair officer.
Watch him as he slouches along; his
tunic faded, torn, and probably minus
q button OF two; his red trousers frayed
and threadbare; mis- feet cased in the
clumsy hempen sandals of the country,
and his hands mUfasd IN huge green
WooIen gloves, between the tops of
which and the sleeve Of his tunic is
usually to be seen two or three inches
or bare, brown, sinewy arm. He car
RES his rife anyhow; at the trail, at
the slope, muzzle foremost, slung at
his back. Not an ~inspiriting picture
Ear from it. Nevertheless that the
spaniard can fight, and fight well, too.
on occasions, has been proved on many
q blood stained field. Az Ignalada, one
OF the ferceHt batteles had to choose
between humiliation and surrender,
and selected the former Despite his
shutting gait, too, he marches well and
uncomplainingly. In fact. the Span
ISL Tommy" never seems to tire, and
ne is seldom out of temper.
HOW He IS FED.
Two meals a day, served at 9 a. M,
and 5 p. M, constitutes the regular
commissariat allowances, but, in ad
dition he is served in some corps with
coffee and soup in the early morning.
Bread, and bread only, at the rate OF a
pound and a half per manpe day, con
stitutes the government ration. Any
additional feed he has to buy from the
regimental canteen. This is kept by a
civilian, but the scale of prices is regu-
leted by aregimental committee. Very
little meat enters into the Spanish sol
dier's dietary. Perhaps this is the
reason his wounds heal so rapidly and
easily. A chunk of dry black bread,
q little oil, and a Glove Of garlic sufices
him for the day.
MUST HAVE HIS CIGARETTE.
If to this he is able to add half q pint
of wine that looks like red ink and
tastes like vinegar and water he is in
clover. One thing, however. he will
never consent to do without, and that
is his cigarette. The number of these.
an average Spanish Tommy will con
sumo in the course Of the dad is appaI
ling. He rolls them himself, using q
yellow, dry, dusty locking tobacco,
which possesses no more flavor to an
English smokers palate than would so
mach chopped straw.
HOW CoNsoRIPTIoN Is EvADED.
In theory every Spaniard must serve
his twelve years in the army, but there
ia a wide difference i'm this case, at all,
events, between theory and practice.
To begin with, any citizen can dis
charge his ability to serve by the pay
ment, in a lump sum, Of 1900 pesetas.
Thissounds a good lot of money. But
it takes twenty fvepesetas to equal an
English sovereign, SO that he really
has to disburse only about 948. Enor
NOUS numbers, even of the peasant
class, have awaited themselves
of the privilege. There has even sprung
up in many of the provinces a
special class of village usurers who lend
the ''smart money"-at a ruinous rate
of interest, Of course-to young men
who have been drawn" Benefit
clubs, having the same object In view,
are also rife in the agricultural dis
triets. This has the effect of increas-
ing the Spanish revenues, but from a
military point of view it is deplorable.
Besides those who honorably purchase
their exemption, large numbers Of
young men obtain what are known as
''dispensations," Rbsolving them from
serving their time under any circum-
stances whatever. To get one of these
"dispensations'' it is not necessary to
be either Drawer, wiser or better
than ones neighbors. Bat one must
have what the Americans call a
''pull" with the authorities.
ROBBED BY ALL
Tt is scarcely to be wondered at that
the Spanish peasant tries his utmost to
evade CONSUMPTION, for his treatment
from the moment he dons his countrys'
uniform until the moment he is dis
charged, is of the vilest. He is bullied
by his officers, i'll treated by his mon
CONS, " and robbed by all. Nominally
his pay is seventy.fve cenimous C711)
per dey. Often, however, for years
together, he does not handle that much
money in a month. The Spanish sys-
TEN OF ''army stoppages' is worked
upon g sliding scale. The more money
poor Tommy" has coming to him.
at the end of tbs month, the greater is