The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-09-22
men OF THE
EIGHTH ARE
DISCONTINUED
Conditions at Benicia
Unsatisfactory.
THEY COMPLAIN OF BAD FOOD
EXPRESS A DESIRE TO BE MUS
TERED OUT.
Sigh for the Bountifully Laden Ia
bles Which Prevailed at Camp
Barrett, Across the
Bay.

BENICIA, Sept. 21.-There Is a no.
ticeable feeling of discomfort abroad
among the men constituting the four
companies Of the Eighth Regiment, re-
Gently detailed for garrison duty at this
post. The underlying cause for COM
plant is the quality of the food which
has been served to the men.
This grievance has so worked upon
the feelings of the volunteers that they
have developed a marked distaste for
drilling and also for the more mental
duties that are embraced in the policing
Of the camp. The officers have taken
heroic measures to subdue the spirits
of the men under their charge. They
put them through an hours drill by
companies and then an hour and a half
Of battalion drill each morning in order
to sharpen their appetites They
acknowledge it's efficiency in this re-
spect, but the men affirm that 1t can
not make bad meat palatable. This
drilling is done on breakfast of coffee
and muSh.
The men of the various companies
are allowed almost unlimited leave In
the afternoon and evening, besides an
hour and half at breakfast time AS
result Of this, the majority Of the men
who are supplied with money eat three
meals day In this town, the principal
restaurant in the Union Hotel being
taxed to it's utmost capacity. The
men who are earning so cents a day
are spending more than that to keep
body and soul together.
The officers do not disclaim that the
spirit of unrest has taken possession of
the men, but they affirm that it is
chiefly among the members of Com
pany F. This Is the Oakland company
and the regimental officers hint that
while they were camped in Alameda
County they received many articles
from their homes that Uncle Sam does
not think necessary to place on the
bill Of fare served soldiers in the field
Inquiry among the men shows that all
are dissatisfied.
To-day the men Jared sumptuously at
dinner time. They had steak, potatoes,
real gravy, bread and coffee. They
were jubilant at the change in their
fare, but attributed the marked differ
ence to the fact that the inspector gen.
eral was expected and to the additional
fact that the newspapers had been in
formed OF the prevailing conditions.
The grievances of the men date back
to the formation of the camp, nearly
men had regular supply Of fresh beef
and the company chefs, having accus-
toned themselves to the Buzzecote
or army ovens, were giving good sat-
isfaction. At the arsenal here they
had to cook on regular ranges and food
that was not bad originally suffered
much at their hands. The post quar-
termaster was hampered from the
start. He has on hand over twelve
hundred pounds of bacon that has been
condemned as unfit for use by two
boards of survey.
This is charged to him and he must
carry it on his books until the officials
in San Francisco relieve him Of the
burden. This is pronounced by both
officers and men as being absolutely
unfit for eating.
This is not the only bad meat against
which the men have rebelled For
some reason they have on occasions
been served three rations of fresh beef
at one time. AT the end of the sec
ond day the ration for the third day
was condemned. This was exchanged
for corned beef and more trouble en-
sued. The htef was put down to boil
shortly before the midday meal and
without the water being changed was
served to the men. 1t smelled to high
heaven and the men amused them
selves throwing 1t at the cookhouse
H.
pany Quartermaster failed to take the
meat to the cooks until shortly before
noon, thus adding to the physical suf-
ferings of the men.
Colonel Henshaw spoke unreservedly
Of the bacon to-day:
The bacon we have Is the same that
is supplied to all camps by the Gov
originally and is, in addition, improp
erly cured. l believe the Government
pays cents a pound for 1t, when it
could go out in the open market and
purchase an excellent quality of ba-
con to-day for fraction over s cents.
If badly cooked the bacon is fat and
greasy. On the other hand, when It
absolutely nothing left to eat. There
is from six to twelve ounces Of waste
material In every pound bought by the
Government"
The men are complaining also about
their sleeping quarters. Until to-day
they have had to use ordinary shelter
tents-"dog Kennels" they call them.
of men on guard duty or In the field.
They offer inadequate cover for two
men, but three are crowded in some OF
them. The majority Of the men sleep
in their clothes owing to the extreme
cold. Two companies moved into bar
racks to-day and regulation tents that
were brought from Camp Barrett will
soon be put up for the remaining com.
panies.
The men seem anxious to return to
the industries at which they were en-
gagged when their country called for
volunteers. Like hosts Of others. they
express their willingness to serve at the
front, but object to settling down to
garrison duty.
HERMIT's MYSTERIOUS DEATH.