The Holly chieftain., 1898-08-26
COOKS IN THE ARMY.
ero.,.p,- Th.. Confront Men who
Find Themselves In New and
Strange Positions.


Strange Positions.
Now that the soldiers in the big
camps are getting their supplies, it
becomes a matter of necessity that
the rations should be cooked in a
manner that, if not appetizing, shall
make them at least digestible. In
respect to this matter of cooking
there is a wide difference in the COM
panies and much cause for complaint.
Men who few weeks ago were brick
layers or carpenters or yenders OF
firewood have suddenly found them
selves installed as chefs, and are con-
fronted with problems that never en1
tered their lives before. To some this
new situation has proved a cause
for wide rejoicing, for they have de-
veloped ingenuity and skill, while 9TH
ers cannot fry even pan of bacon
without melting and burning it into
dry and unrecognizable fragments. 1t
is an old and true saying that an army
travels on its stomach. There are
possibilities of courage among men
who are half-clothed, half-armed and
ill-officered, but there is little chance
for concerted or effective action
amoEg men who are weak with i'll
feeding. or who have mistrust that
some unpatriotic person is proiiting
by their hunger. The confusion and
delay that led to complaint in the
camps have nearly passed The store
houses are nearly full and there il
abundance of food on hand for
month. Before it is eaten it has tc
pass through the hands of company
cooks, and on what they make of il
depends in large measure the health
and satisfaction of the troops. Among
the many industries of the United
States government is that of publish.
er, but. while the patent office re.
ports and the congressional record
find few readers, there is one book
which is just now studied with dill
gence. 1t is n cookbook, and is issued
to tLe army. In it are described the
various ways in which cheap and
wholesome dishes may be compound
ed of such material as the army rar
tion, and there is no reason why any
number of men should be forced to
subsist on hardtack and bacon for
week after week. Many things can be
done with hardtack, and potato can
be offered in hundred different
guises.
1t is proposed to enlist cooks as
such, rather than to have them de-
tailed from the ranks, and to give
them the grade and pay of corporals.
This would be an advantage, since it
would induce the enlistment of men
who have served as cooks in small res
taurants and hotels, and by giving
to them the authority of non-com-
missioned officers, some of the work
of the kitchens would be facilitated.
At present if pail of water is re-
quired in the kitchen-supposing tho
springs or wells to be at distance, as
they commonly are-the cook mus.
ask commissioned officer to order
n corporal to pass a man through the
line with orders to get the water. II
regiment is on drill the cook may
have to wait for three hours before he
can get the authority to do this,
though dozen men may be lying
about their tents or doing police work
about the streets. Had he the cor
poral's chevrons he could give this
order himself, and the water would
be forthcoming in few minutes. He
would also be saved from the annoy
ance of the men crowding about him
when he was at work, and pilfering
raw material from his boxes. Chiefly,
he would devote himself to the cook.
ing, and would, if he were man of or
dinary intelligence and aptness, be
able in little time to serve palatable
dishes to his company. At present q
cook may be taken from his fire and
put on guard, or sent away to do po
lice duty, or made to serve as orderly
or kept in the field at drill or rife
practice until he is too tired to do his
work properly, or his place is taken
by some raw hand who never SO much
as boiled an egg in his life. The
specializing tendency in the army and
navy is good one. Men are not de,
tailed from the ranks to serve az
physicians aids, hospital stewards
quartermasters, paymasters, ordnance
gineers, transportation agents, mu-
sicians and so on, without reference
to experience or fitness, nor should
they be assigned to duty at the kitch.
ems unless they show an equal fitness
On it's feeding depends the strength
of an army.-Brooklyn Eagle.
TIE pOuTE YNTIC