Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1898-09-14
THE PASSING OF A WAR CAMP.

THE PASSING OF A WAR CAMP.
The passing OF the big war camp at
Tampa is graphically described in let
ter recently received from an officis
who has been stationed there. While
the war is practically over aud the few
remaining soldiers are under orders to
move to other camps, the writer says
the work at the place IS By no meaus
over. The quartermestet's depart
mrpt, under Colonel Billlnger, is about
the only military feature OF iml lortanc
left, but the men connected with it are
almost as busy now as they were at
the beginning of the War. TIE depart
ment hrs charge of all land trauspor-
taTion and supplies and must attend TO
mat matter upon the return ofan army
8 we'll as when it takes toe field.
"Whe the army first came here, y
-ays the writer, "a great network OF
water pipes from the city mains was
laid 10 al the camps, extending miles
from the city in all directions. These
pices are now all being taken up aDd
rill he stored in the government store
mouse for future disposition. Just
what will he done with the horses aud
mules, some 1000 in all, now in the
cnrrals here, canuot now Do told. For
'h"ir greater comfort, however, Il large
,ract, comprising several hundred acres
of previously uuoccupied land, betwee u
acre and Port Tampa, where there is
plenty of shsd. and fresh water,
nas been secured. There the
animals will be turned out and
herded until they are either
shipped away to the armies of occupa-
ton in Cuba or Porto Rico, or other
wise dis posed of. That all these ami.
mols could not be sold here in this sec
;ion of Florida, except at great sacrifice
10 price, goes without saying, so that
the question of what is best to do with
them will be matter for future con.
sideration.
The same may be said Of the mass
OF other stuff, good, bad or Indifferent
now here or to be turned in before the
final closing up of everything pertain
ing to the war.
The large fields about Tampa or
which the corrals were located vii
| prove veritahle bonauzas to their own
ers after the animals now on them
have been taken off. The greater trac
on which they are to be placed is being
let TO the government, free OF cost, fol-
zoe fertilizer it will get. During the
occupation of Tampa by the army the
manure from the corrals and wagor
camps had to be hauled long distance
| away from the city to dumping
ground. In this way thousands o
loads of the very best fertilizer STUFF
were lost to small truckers nearer the
city. This is quite an item in a coun
try where the cost of artificial fertili
zers goes far toward keeping the farm
ers poor.
perhaps the greatest losers by the
cessation of hostilities and the conse
ouent removal of troops from Tampt
! will be the TWO railroad lines whict
have their terminus here.
For months they have bad all they
could dc hauling troops, animals ant
supplies to the army. Miles Of car
laden with forage and non-perishabl'
commodities waited their turn to 'b'
run 10 and unloaded. Every available
passenger coach was brought into requi
silion, while hundreds of box cars wer'
fitted up with seats for the transporta
ton of soldiers.
"When the good people of Tamp'
come to look back on the scenes of the
past three months it will seem NOR
| ike dream than reality to them. |
all came SO suddenly on them, and it j
all departing almost as suddenly. Thel
streets, hotels and boarding houses ar
now deserted, and the stores, large ast
small, hang out signs announcing grea
reductions. Where a few days onl.
ago no store, or, indeed, any part of
building in the business section coult
be rented there are now numberles
aigus of To Let" Buildings which en-
terprising merchants had started tt
erect have come, all of sudden, to
standstill. The saw mills no longe
send out their ceaseless screams b,
day and night, and even the unkenp
bum and camp-followers has folded u
his traps, if ne had any, and departed
for Tampa is no longer the place TO
him."