Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-05-27


that the southern summer is like the breath
of NebuchadneZzar's furnace, or kind of
kitchen climate in sheol. They figure the
thermometers in the south as double the
length and twice the degree power Of those
in the north, and few of the volunteers can
be made to accept the fact that the average
temperature in Florida. Alabama and Cuba
Is lower than in the northern and eastern
states in July and August, and that more
sunstrokes are reported from the cities be-
tween Boston and st. Paul than from those
between Charleston and Galveston. The
only real hot times in the southern eli
mate are the hours between 10 in the morn
ing and 3 o'clock in the afternoon. If one
can keep moderately quiet, remain under
cover or in the shade, eschew ice-cold wa
ter, alcoholic beverages and mental ankle
ties-all of which should be easily possible
to the bulk of the soldery in camp-little
danger or discomfort need be feared from
southern sun.
Clothes to Wear.
There are thousands of the soldiers whose
own notions, or whose importunate kins-
folks are causing them to pack their KNAPP
sacks with light, fiimsy Undertaking, thin
| stockings and-tell it not in Gath-with
night shirts of bobinette airiness and fill
gree embroidery. All of these are to assure
the comfort of the brave soldier boys in the
tropics. But all of these provisions are to-
tally amiss To one who knows something
of practical southern campaigning in the
! the sands of Pensacola and the coquina
flats of Florida east-such articles appear
emphat ically out of place.
The facts are that a medium-weght
wooden shirt is the only reliable, perennial
garment of comfort and health preserva-
ton, and strictly allwool sock the acme
of safety and satisfaction on the soldier 5
foot. Cool nights. chilly mornings before
day and many muddy marchings have vim
dlcated these facts to every experienced
southern soldier, hunter and fisherman.
Any sort of fancy wear is tabooed any
where down the coast and in Cuba.
CuIiously enough millions of our other
wise wel-informed people still harbor the
notion that the south is region of
swamps. malaria, yellow fever and chils
of the continuous performance" type.
Nothing could be farther from the truth.
and the boys who are being urged to pack
or with them bottles of quinine big enough
TO stock Georgia country apothecary
shop, and to smuggle along a proper men
stuum for the drug. sundry TASKS of me
dlclnai rye are being provoked to vain
and useless thing.
Malaria Is largely myth 1t means
bad air" but the fact is the south, espe-
cially Florida and Cuba enjoy an atmos-
phere continuously purified by alternating
sea and gulf breezes and medicated effect
ually by the balSam of vast pine forests
The effects usually attributed to malaria
are really due, in most cases, to malaqua
or bad water" that for the soldier In
camp or field a gallon of thoroughly boiled
water Is better than a bushel of quinine.
Keep dry and sleep warm and chills and
fever will become as visionary as Blancos
boasts.
The advice of an old veteran Is that In
every instance of going to sleep, in camp or
bivouac, take off the shoes before falling
asleep. There are breathing pores In the
soles of the feet, and If these get chance
| while you are asleep they will do their
perfect work in aerating your feet and
| limbs. taking away the soreness and BAN
ishing that tired feeling" An old con-
Iederate commander, now member of
Congress. remarked to some of the new
volunteers the other day as follows:
Il commanded companies, regiments ana
brigades during the last war. 1 served In
virginia, in Tennessee and in Mississippi
But whether in the SHOWS of the Blue Ridge
or on the sultry, sandy bottoms of the
mississippi. 1 always made my nell take
OH their shoes while resting and before
gong to sleep at night. Many a winter
bitter night went among them to see that
my order was obeyed. The consequence
was they had better health, a sturdier
strength and could march harder faster
and farther at stretch than any other
| command in the army"
The photographers all over tho country
nave been working on emergency orders.
The boys could not go away in service togs
| without leaving with their best girls and
the good old mother photo of their mar
tial selves. Every form of pictures from
sAheyPCS at quarter d punch TO imperial
busts at So a bust have been lavishly dis
tributad. OF course in the knapsack of
every one of Uncle Sans foot and horse
goes the blessed counterfeit presentments
Of parents, wives, dulcineas and other
| friends. All of which will be pleasing
enough to dissipate the monotonous hours
and ennui of earlier home-sick days in far
away camps.
Shaving outfits of elaborate construction.
portable boot-blacking kits, button and
thread boxes. needle and pin cases, lillipu-
Tan drug combinations and court plaster
envelopes; stationery portfolios. fountain
dred other small wares that the Imagination
and forethought Of fond onss can conjure
for a soldiers necessities are forced upon
the boys, all unconscious that when real
war is met these things will largely litter
the highways, and in the end the sons of
Mars will be shaving with jack knives and
clustering rosin soap on their cuts and
bruises.
Getting News.
Telegraph me quick" 10 the admonition
given to nearly all the boys by parents and
chums. to be needed in case of battle or
wounds. The dear ones do not realize that
when the dread event arrives this boy may
be many weary miles away from any ticker
and that military discipline may have laid
an embargo on all private dispatches. They
do not know, also. that mails will often be
weeks in reaching troops in the hills and
chapparels of Cuba, and that even IL a wire
should come through that Johnnie is down
with the fever" or lis seriously wounded"
a passage for parent or brother, or sister
| to the field hospital will be almost as i'm
| possibls as Sunday excursion to Mars
himself.
War telegraphy is also a costly business,
and often will not be undertaken unless
messages are prepaid and forwarded at
| sender's risk. Therefore 1t ought to be
| recognized at once that when the army is In
Cuba only general news Will be available,
| as a rule and special communications infre-
quent. In that case 1t is best to rest on the
old saw that mo news Is good news"
| VIII BE KNOWN.