Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-05-24

work in the drilling line.
The officers received their commits
sions, Monday noon, from Governor
Powers.
The LIST Regiment will be given a
long practice march. this morning,
starting at O'Clock and marching out
on the Winthrop road connecting with
me Brook road and thus back through
me city. The distance is estimated at
about five miles, and will take until
oihner time. The whole regiment will
partake.
tub and a wash board are a very
necessary part of the equipment AZ
camp Powers. They are the common
property of the regiment. and are in
daily use, from reviellc to dress parade
There are many men in the regiment
whose changes of apparel are limited
to two, and there are more who have no
changes whatever, so it is natural that
the washing implements are wanted in
different places at the same time, ana
they are often engaged for several
Washings ahead
1t is usual that the men do their
WashlngS separately. and as one man
says. I'VE are very much smarter than
women, for we can take our clothes
from our backs. wash and dry them,
and he wearing them again in a half
an hour"
occasionly a man does the washing
FOR his tent mates, and he has the
pleasure of recalling all that he has
seen going on in the kitchen at home
on wash day, and experimenting when
his memory fails him utterly.
slim young man who was foot sore
from the past weeks drills, volunteered
to do his tent mates washing, Monday,
If they would get him excused from
drill, and this was soon accomplished,
after the man had offered as an extra
!nducement, to wash some of his cap
tain's clothing.
BY dint of buster and bluff. and a
show of something sterner. he got the
tub from a meek little man who had
just begun his washing. Then he took
it TO the cooks quarters, where he had
it filled with hot water from a boiler
that was simmering over the fire
With the cheerful. laughing aid of a
comrade he carried it, splashing out its
contents by the way. to the regular
washing quarters in the rear of the
streets back of the cook houses. where
he set it on packing box, and put
little sticks under three corners of the
box to keep the whole stcady--a long
ana delicate piece Of work, the ground
was 50 soft, and the tub so uncertainty
fixed
When he had filed bucket with cold
water rinsing' water. he explained
in Difference 10 half a dozen men who
strollod up to watch him, like they
used 10 have at home" Then he called
for the wash.
"Whera's those clothes?" he asked
impatiently.
They are coming, Seven Lung" an
severed a bystander, a member Of the
same company. and soon from around
the corner of the cook house, from the
rcgimental quarters appeared several
E. ia, Of Il
| clothes, which they deposited on the
ground near the tue. Others followed
until the washman had a forenoons
work ahead Of him.
He made short work of getting it in
| the water, of placing his wash board.
and of soarins the first piece his hand
| losened from the tangle.
"Where did you learn how to besin::"
a man with an intellectual face and
white hands, who was saunterins by
asked him. Il had a bad time ycstcr-
day with cur wash
"Watched ON in the kitchen at
home" When the Dit of clothing hal
| been rubbed up and down the board
until its owner protested that it would
be worn through, it was Wrun@ ou1
soused in the "rinsing' bucket, given q
twist or two and hung on line that
was stretched for the occasion. The
next article Of clothing was treated
the same way, and the next, and 50 )n
went the Washman's work.
| Say, Mrs Choate," one Of the men
from another company, said, offering
to throw a blue neckerchief in the tub,
wash this for me. like a good fellow
For Heavens sake don't put it in
there" said Choate in alarm. The
color'd come out ana spoil the clothes
Don't you know any better than that
Here. give it here; I'll do it at the end
Good for you, Chin Chang" some
one said with a laugh. Wen hire you
to do our washing"
When the call for the drill sounded,
the clothcs-line was full and the wash
man was evidently very tired. Having
4 no 81, IrnpI % h :