The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-06-14


Davis and Poultney Bigelow seem &c
have engaged in newspaper controversy
at long range as to how well our army /;
being taken care Of at the Tampa encamp-
ment. The same debate RACES wherever
any soldiers are quartered; some visitors
think everything is all right. or al Least
as good as could be expected. while others
come away saddened, and even indignant
at the war authorities for allowing 'the
boys in blue" to be so poorly fed and
cared for In the newspaper accounts
the favorable view is likely to get its full
weight because of a desire on the part Of
the newspaper correspondents to keep on
the right side Of the department officers,
and also on account of the press censor
ship, which naturally excludes a recital
Of such features as tends to discourage
enlstments. But to the impartial observer
it makes considerable difference what
time of the day and what time of the week
/ the camp is visited. And after all allow
| ances are made on each side of the dis
cussion, the fact remains that this is war,
and those persons who understand this
/ best are most easily satisfied with what
/ they find at Camp Alger, Tampa, Chicka-
manga, and wherever else our soldiers
are quartered.
There is less complaint about the food
| at Camp Alger now than there was a few
weeks ago. The boys are learning that
camp life is not one of luxury, and that
they must expect to endure hardships.
A good-natured dressing was
given by a veteran Of the civil war to a
groop of boys of the Sixty-Fifth New
York the other day, who were comment
ing on their privations: "No sugar and
milk for your coffee?" echoed the veteran
in disgust, 81 never heard of such thing
as having sugar and milk in coffee Pre-
posterous to think of it, Do you want TO
be rolled up in cotton batting? The trouble
with you boys is that you are being fed
altogether too we'll and have never been
allowed to get real hungry yet The time
will come. if you see much actual SER
vice, when raw fat pork will be a treat,
and thin strip placed between two pieces
Of bareback will be eaten with much
relish. OF course it is much better to
have pork cooked. but when you cannot
get it that way you will take it in almost
any shape. The time will come when this
food will taste mighty good, I tell you"
This sort Of Jobs comfort is not without
n certain good effect, and still the boys oc-
casionally suggest that the food is not
Just what they have been used TO at
home. The Ninth Massa chusetts. which
arrived at Camp Alger last Wednesday,
had its first fresh meat on Monday, eat
ing in the meantime bacon, canned corn
beef potatoes, beans. breal bareback and
coffee. There is az agreeable regularity
in the appearance Of these staples, and the
problem of what to get for breakfast does /
not disturb the Camp Alger housekeepers.
There is no scanning the bill-of-tare;
every meal is very much ike the last. ]
Michigan men who came in last week /.
were kept for five days upon a steady diet
Of one sandwich and one mug of coffee I
for each meal, and the sandwiches made /
OF canned corned beef. Hardtack, accord /
ing to the boys, is much maligned food
staple. and if it could be had when fresh 1
and crisp, they say, it would not be bad, .
since it is really a cracker made Of -four .
and water
l.
that this is what army life means. and +
a settling down to the consequences, re-
ports from other fields have quieting ef-
feet. One Of the local newspapers printed
on Sunday private le. or from one of the
District boys who is at Chckamauga, in
which he said that ali Of his company
were hoping to be forwarded to Tampa
because they had explicit confidence that
!, could not he worse than where they
were. But the Bigelow-Davis debate has
So affected the reputation of Tampa here
as comfortable and commodious hos
telry that most of the Camp Alger boys
are willing to stay where they are unless
they can so into actual field service In
fact conditions al the camp are improv-
ing rapidly. due to the agitation of the
and the efforts Of some ac-
tive congressman. The commission that
Alger sent out to investigate
charges against the camp brought in
verdict Of mot guilty. but don't do Il
again" They found water. sanitation.
and everything in excellent condition, but
commended that no more troops be sent
here. And Vet. IN spite Of this recon-
nendation and the report that Camp Al
ger was u he abandoned. the Third Vir-
,jnia regiment came in on Sunday, while
-our correspondent happened to be at
ounn-Loring station.
The two striking features Of n fresh
-eEtment are the extreme you.hfuIness Of
he men and ;he immense amount Of lug
-ase which they carry. Besides the rub
Der and wooden blankets kuapsack. rife.
anteen, and ordinary equipments many
e the hoys were carrying boxes and
landsatchclS. evidently bringing into
amp few extras from their friends from ,
lone. Bu- It would have 20. be a very
article to be worth earring on
GOT long over the dusty roads II the
'ou:h. When the Virginia boys got CUT Of
he trains and formed into lines they i'm
started for camp. Il was about !
midday, the sun was beating down hard.
nd the prospect OF a three-mie walk. a.
he end Of which tent making and house
.eepiuE would have 20 De done. was not
nviable. Some II the boys had g0t hold
Z big slices q bread, and could be sean
iting away a; them while waiting for the 4;
marching orders % be given.
But the camp Is an altogether different :
boxing place on sunday from the rest Of {
he week The holiday aspect prevails. I
nd with il Al atmosphere Of Eood-Sellev- !
hip and heartineSs which gives ,he WISH
Or an altogether bette opinion of army :
Re than he Will ge- on Monday. This IS. :
erhaPs. fortunate. from a patriotic point
view, fo- two-;hirds OF the visitors q