The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1900-11-25
TEST OF ARMY RaTIONS.
Emergency Food Shown Valu-
able by a Thorough Trial.
GOOD roRTHE MARoH BUT NoTwAR

Old Hard Tack and Bacon Would
BE Better-Fast Time Made on the
Trip-Captain Fountains Views of
the Test.
The emergency ration intended for
soldiers on long marches has been CIV
en- a thorough test, and the result, ac-
cording to officers and men, Is that it is
only a qualified success, says a Wichi-
ia (Kan) dispatch to the Chicago Trib-
une. The food is declared satisfactory
for an ordinary march, but If there was
fighting to be done the ration would
not prove sufficient.
In actual warfare, with the hard
work incident to a real campaign. say
those who tried the prepared food. the
ration would become monotonous and
not as valuable as the ordinary hard
tack and bacon. With good water and
a comfortable overland expedition in
which the men could take their time
the ration would satisfy as well as the
old style OF provisions.
This Information was received re-
Gently from Fort Reno. o. T., where
the % troopers in charge of Captains
Fountain and Foster of the United
States army who made the march over
land with the Eighth United States
cavalry had returned.
was made across the Kiowa and Co
manche Indian reservation from Fort
Reno to Fort Sill. a distance of $50
miles. The march was made in six
days. or at the rate of 25 miles a day.
This adds to the average distance
day five miles. Generally marchers on
a trip of this kind do not make over 20
miles per day. The men retained their
regular weights, and all are feeling in
fine spirits.
During the march the men lived
wholly upon the emergency rations,
partaking of no other food. They were
under strict watch of the officers. For
the first two days of the march some
of the men wanted to go back to hard
tack and bacon despite the protests of
the officers, but later they became used
to the food and liked it even better
than the old rations.
The rations tested were prepared un-
der the direction of army officers at the
packing houses in Kansas City. The
food was put up in cans eight inches
long. One days food weighs one pound,
and each can contains three cakes of
sweet chocolate and three cakes of
food preparation composed of meat and
bread principally. This preparation Is
declared palatable. One of the troop
ers on his arrival at Forc Reno said
that the men could stand the rations to
march on ak right and live high, but
when it came to fighting and marching
at the same time on them he feared
they would not prove much of a sue
cess.
Captain Fountain of the ration test
board said:
II will report to the war department
that the emergency ration march across
the Indian reservation has been a sue
cess, but | cannot say that would rec
ommend this kind of food for long
campaigns. If men only had to march on
this food. they could get along all right.
while if they were required to fight and
eat these rations at the same time
think that it would grow monotonous
in time.
Men who have been used to living
at the forts, as these men have been
doing. can do better with the rations.
| and that is another reason why the test
has been a success. We have been
making more than 20 miles day on
an average. OF course this march de-
| pends great deal on the water. My
men have been pretty well satisfied
with this march. but fear if they had
to fight Indians on the way they would
| not like it so well.
Il think as a whole the emergency
ration as prepared. however. has been
a great success. The war department
can use it to advantage in many
| cases."