The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1898-08-20
SOLDIERS AND SAILORS FARE.
Regulation Rations, Salt Meat, Hardtack
and Beans, Best in the Long Run.

Regulation Rations, Salt Meat, Hardtack
and Beans, Best in the Long Run.
"The Maine lumbermen, who, in the
palmy days of their calling, before
foreign labor came into the backwoods,
were probably the finest class of men
mentally and physically that ever
worked with their hands, knew the
virtues of pork and BEANS" said
man who has been both soldier and
sailor. ''Three times a day they ate
them, baked in pot buried beneath
the embers of the campfire, from No.
yember, when they wentinto the woods,
until the logs had been driven down
the rivers to the booms, about the first
of June--and those who worked
through the summer as raftsmen and
mill men ate them all the year round.
These men were the healthiest, hard
lest, most energetic class of working
men that the world has seen, and they
gave good account of themselves on
land and sea during the civil war. AS
enlisted men, Or working in the for
ests of the Pine Tree state they did
not complain of their fare, or fuss
about fresh meat and vegetables, I'M
less, indeed, in the woods the excite
ment of killing deer went with the
getting of venison steaks.
"'What do you prefer to eat when
you have come out Of the woods and
can order what you wish 2 I asked
Of veteran lumberman, now q game
warden in Maine.
"'Ham and eggs and sour pickles.
was his answer. 4 can take them
every meal for good while before l
get enough Of them
'In all Of Spanishspeaking North
America, from New Mexico and Texas
to the Isthmus of Panama, the staple
food of the natives is frijoles, black
bean which softens readily in cooking
Frijoles are stewed with pork, lard or
beef, or mutton tallow, making the
dish the counterpart of the American
baked pork and beans. The expert
ence of these southern peoples, most
of whom live under a tropical sun, has
in centuries determined to their salts
faction that beans cooked with meat
or fat is a satisfying and wholesome
diet.
Then as to the bareback and salt
meat, which by letters of discontinued
privates are represented as hard fare.
When an enlisted man has once &C.
cepted the situation and become in
reality a soldier or sailor, there is no
other ration, except beans, that he can
live on so long contentedly, and eat
ever with relish. A tin cup of tea,
piece of salt beef and two or three
bareback is supper that many man
has longed for after he has quit the
service and is living in comparative
luxury with the choice of whatever
the civilian markets afford. Captains
of merchant ships lying at Chinese
or East Indian ports feed their crews
on fresh meats and bread, poultry and
vegetables, which are very cheap
there. After several months Of this
the crews get off their feed, and long
for salt provisions. They come back
to their appetites when, with the sail
ing of the ship on blue water, the al
! lowances of salt beef and pork, beans,
| and ship biscuit again are dealt out to
them. An invaded sailor whom [
visited in the Calcutta Marine hospital
begged that when came again I would
bring him piece of boiled salt beef
and some ship biscuit. Of so-called
delicacies he wanted none. AS in the
case of the Maine lumbermen, the sail
or's ideal of table luxury on shore is
ham and eggs and pickles-and plenty
of 'spuds, Or potatoes.
ga ration which should be intro
duced in the army is Chill Colorado
pronounced colorow), the red pepper
pod which forms the seasoning of
every Spanish-American dish, save
dulces, or sweets, between New Mex
leo and Cape Horn, and is prepared as
a sauce for meats and stewed frijoles.
The Chill peppers thus used are appe'
tizing, stimulating, and highly con-
duciye to health in q hot and malarious
| climate. TO our troops campaigning
in Cuba and the Philippines the issu'
ance of such ration would be invalu'
able, and the effects upon their health
and spirits would be likely to shorten,
and might even determine the results
of a campaign