The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-05-30

choice Of a menu and the size of their
appetftes vary: a system of barter ex.
lists by which. for instance. the mar
with a Partially for beans makes ar
exchange with his comrade who IL fond
OF conee. From this system results
the satisfactory economic balance OF
the famous Jack sprat IN wife.
When an army IL about to move, the
chief of the commissary learns from
the commanding general the probable
line OF march SO that he may arrange
to have the supplies in proper quality
and quantity ready for the empty
k~napsacks. He must know Just how
much food Is required to last during q
campaign and what the ~capacity of his
provision train Ii. He must look ahead
for a new base along the line of the
coming operations and must have sup
plies for his wagons hurried on there
before there is any chance of scarcity
of food among the troops. Sometimes
as the army advances. a railroad Ia
hastily thrown down from a new base
to bring rations to the point. but usual
ly there Is no time ven for military
railroads built in a day or two without
altering the surface of the ground,
quite as regardless of grades as a
country trolley line. 1t often happens
Una the TOdu IfOfn the DaSe passes
over e which have to be bridged.
The commissary must arrange for
these bridges. in advance. They are
often constructed in sections adapted
to particular streams several days be-
fore the army has taken up the new
position which makes a change Of base
necessary.
On the day that the advance begins.
rations for four days are distributed
fn tho man TkAaa tkAxr ~n..., T. sA-s-
knapsacks. The wagon train is stocked
with provisions for from 10 to Is days,
which must asst until a new base Ia
established. In the army, God is not
reckoned by the pound but by the "ra-
ton" A ration Is one days food. II
consists generally of three-quarters Of
a pound of beef or salt pork. a pound
of bread. one-third Of a pound of baked
beans, besides coffee and sugar. This
Is the travel ration" 1t would be
quite impossible to carry additional
food on a march and soldiers in active
field service do not seem to want deli
cate food; at any rate. the coarsest
food satisfies them. Soldiers must at
any rate have some fresh food. Droves
of cattle form part of the outfit OF ev-
cry commissary department In all civ
ilized armies. During the civil war
fresh beef was supplied to the army
of the Potomac every other day. The
immense herds were in charge of cattle
drovers from the highlands Of Scot
land. They were divided into droves
attached to each division and as they
could not be allowed to fll up the
roads which the army marched, they
were driven in a bee-line across coun-
try. through swamps and forests to the
point which their division was expect
ed to occupy. At the proper time the
fresh meat, still on four legs, is
brought to the company's cook; a SOL
der with his gun steps from the
trenches or perhaps from around the
camp fire and in a short time the OK
has been shot through the head,
skinned, dressed and roasted. The
meat is not excellent from an epicu-
rean standpoint, but IL Is wholesome.
The luxuries or "anti-scorbutics,' as
they are officially designated. are reg
ularly supplied to soldiers only when
they are in a permanent camp. But
during active operations and even
when a rapid advance movement is go
on, the commissary department
will fill with fresh. green things as
many wagons as can be taken from
other work and hurry them to the |
point. Often these wagons are seen
rumbling and jolting along the lines Of
battle. stopping every few yards to
a heap of onions and beets and
turnips and potatoes.
An idea of the quantity Of food re-
quired by ar army can be gained by
that $1,000 rations a day
mean $50 tons of bread. meat and
beans. The wagon train of the army
of the Potomac during its las cam
paign was long enough to extend in a
line from Richmond to Wash
a distance of 100 miles. Three
of this train was composed of
ration wagons, the other wagons held
all the ammunition and clothing and
fodder for the horses and cattle. A
distinguished general suggested tina
cattle carry their own fodder in
sacks around their necks. but he was
not a practical cow-puncher.
For the comparatively short time
that the army of the Potomac was in
during the IL months ending
December, 1864. its supply of anti-scor-
outics or scurvy pr~eventatives includ-
I'd Is articles. like flour, potatoes. beets
dried peaches. There were IA, 0
100 ra tons of f1our consumed and 40
900 rations of potatoes. 1t In esti-
mated that the potatoes placed end to
md would make a belt for the earth
from whose body the world was
made. according to the Edda. The ra-
ions of the United States troops are
10 generous that they are not all con-
umed. AT the end of each campaign
he rations left over are turned back
" the commissaries to the commissary
at Washington, and in ex-
,hange for them fresh vegetables are
which are drawn by the
roops as luxuries hat they have
saved up" to get.
The sutler system has been abol-
shed. These people formerly followed
roops on the field and remained with
hem in camp selling at e%xorbitant
'rices the many little extras" that
we're constantly in demand. Oficers
nd men may now obtain at lowest
ost from the commissary department
n the field such delicacies as sardines,
heese n even condensed milk. Per-
shable goods like butter apd fresh
ruit are seldom handles by a commits
airy department.
Giant Tortotsss Cornered.
rom the Cincinnati Commercial Trib-