Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1899-12-17

around the post. II It happens to be coun-
try where the red berries CLEAN, tor
bushes crimson with holly. soldier sock
prepares the dinner. soldiers serve it ana
garnish the table, No wonder they enjoy
the spread.
In reality. Uncle Sam stands sponsor for
the feast. He is the fairy godfather who
indirectly supplies the ubstantials, and
this is The way he does ii: There is in
each company a mysterious savings bank
called the company fund. | say myster-
ious. but it IS only a mystery to the out
slider. To the soldier it is as clear as day
light. The company fund is composed OF
the savings OF the year. The government
furnishes TO each soldier a daily ration,
and this ration is planned on huge proper
tons. The man on whose appetite the RAJ
ton was based must have been giant, for
far no hungry enlisted man has ever been
able to consume in one day all the supplies
that he was entitled to.
The cry of Give us this day our daily
bread does not apply TO the army The
bread is surer than mamma and more plen-
tifuk The ration comprises meat, salt and
fresh, fresh vegetables, flour, coffee to-
bacco, rice, honiny and beans-always
beans, and such quantities of them. No
soldier can eat all these things, so the
government very kindly steps in and buys
back the remnants of its gift, This is the
lowly source of the company fund, which
has such a ring of hospitality IN its name.
The fund must be used for the benefit Of
the company. and usually 1t goes for table
delicacies or for the barracks. Most of it
goes on the table in the shape of jellies,
fruit and milk From this source come all
the extra dainties for the Christmas din
ner.
A Happy Day.
Fortunately enough, most soldiers have
the same ideas of Christmas and there is
little to distinguish the great Christian
festival in the Philippines from that in
Arizona. The big quadrangle of the pa
rade may be snow-covered or uot-it is a
mere question of climate-but inside the
tall beetling barracks the scene on Christ
mas day is much the same, whether the
mess-room is warmed by huge, roaring
pines. or by slanting shafts of Oriental
sunshine.
i To begin with the day is one of the
big annual holidays at military post. and
soldiers dearly love holidays, having never
really outgrown their schoolboy days.
Everything except necessary guard duty
is suspended on that day. Usually two or
three days proceeding are declared TO be
holidays or half-holidays 10 facilitate pre-
parations
AT the posts on what used TO be called
the frontier a hunting party from each
company is organized a week before
Christmas. They go on the principle that a
Christmas dinner IS so much better worth
the eating if you captured 1t yourself. and
l guess it's true. The hunting parties go
off into the mountains, sometimes at dis
lance of two days ride from the post, and
make a camp. Usually they come back
laden-buck, antelope. wild turkeys, wild
geese, quail. and sometimes a bear 1t is
a great sight to see the return OF the MINI
rods There is a blowing of buges and
Gathering of hoofs on the ground.
OF course fortune has smiled and frown-
ed with the Partially we are all used TO-
The successful hunters are very proud, but
ill-luck does not mean being sent dinner
less to bed, nor does a meal fit for vege-
tartan follow as matter of course. The
army is communistic and the fruits of the
chase are impartially divided. If there
chance to be but one bear the steaks
chops and launches are divided after Sol
omons good old-fashioned plan, that has
yet 30 be improved upon.
The wild game is always supplemented
by other meats Roasted crab Kissing in
the bowl, is a favorfte and there is always
turkey, without which Christmas would be
a fraud. The turkey is smothered in cram
berry sauce and the army soldier may dine
entirely on the bird that shares honors
with the eagle if ne likes.
Most of the army cooks are accomplish
ed in their art. They know the tastes Of
their comrades, and often the ofice%s take
an early breakfast with the men. This al
ways means a plate of hash in which on
ions are the chief component, a pint cup
of coffee and good bread, for the soldier
cook is a prime baker
The Dinner.
But, to return to the Christmas dinner.
which is served at high noon, at an hour
when an aristocratic stomach is satisfied
with a cracker. But when you breakfast
| in the darkness of O'Clock on Christmas
I morning appetite is not lacking at IL, and