The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-07-29
SOLDIERS ON THE MOVE.
JOB or PRESERVING ORDER AMONG
THEN IS NOS TRYING.


The Hike" From New York to San Francisco
IL the worst That the Troops Make-Next
to Impossible to Keep Liquor Away
From Them-Always Trouble at Cheyenne.
Now that the movement Of troops toward
China Is under way the officers who have been
ordered to stand by TO take charge OF the NOV
Ing outfits are wishing that they could transfer
TO the staff for just a little while-until tho NOV
ing Ia all over. say, They don't mind what il
TO come when they reach their destinations, but
II they are at all experienced In that sort OF
thing they can't help but look forward TO the
moving OF the oldiers with dread The officer
who is put In command OF four or Ave carloads
OF soldiers on the long hike from the Atlantic
to the Pacific has his work cut out for hin. The
old-timers lay in a large stock Of sleep before
starting out on a journey of this sort, for they
know that the amount Of slumber they are
likely to get between this ocean and the other
one won't make them sluggish and dull-witted
There is something doing night and day on a
train-load OF soldiers on the move, and It Is the
business OF the officer In command TO mix in
and find out what's happening or what's going
TO happen from the first hour Of the rail hike TO
the wind-up thereof. Enlisted men on railroad
trains act like unruly boys, the best Of them.
II doesn't make any difference how quiet and
tractable an outfit may be in camp or garrison,
the men seem to go up in the air, so 10 speak,
when they embark on n long railroad journey.
The army regulations are, Of course, just as
binding on soldiers a move as they are on SOL
diers at anchor In posts. but the men appear to
forget this-probably because 1t is so conven-
lent to do so-and the officer in charge has to
forget II In part, himself; otherwise he would
have a bunch Of data for general courts-martial
at the end OF the line that would virtually deo-
innate his command to nothingness.
The determination Of the travelling soldiers
to refresh themselves with liquids is, as a matter
Of course, the root and branch Of the trouble.
OF what use would a change Of station be to q
soldier IL he could not reeale himself on the
wayf Neither gnarled clubs nor bayonets will
serve 70 keep the black bottles out Of the cars
set aside for the soldiers. The young, mex
perienced onicer In charge OF a detachment OF
soldiers on the move will herd the men together
In . corner Of the stations smoking room be-
fore the start is made, and put a guard on them,
In addition to a chain-guard outside the station,
and when the train pulls out each and every
mantwtl have his quart, nevertheless and
Notwithstanding There is no way Of explsin-
ING II, but it always happens that way.
The old-time officer In command Of an outfit
about TO move doesn't heed the men at all at tho
beginning of the journey. He Is wise enough
10 desire the mon to spend every sou-markee
they possess on bottles or anything else at the
outset OF the trip. so that. unde the influence
of remorse and the languor that comes from In
s%olvency, he'll have them all right and tractable
by the time the journey is drawing TO an end.
He knows that there is a certain amount Of boy
ish deyiltry in his bunch that has got to be
worked off during the trip. and he prefers to
stand for all of the exnberanoe at the beginning,
rather than pull up with a demoralized crowd
of men in blue at the finish Of the nike.
When the conduct Of the men In the cars be-
comes too tempestuous. however. even tho
most liberal officer In command has to round
them up. and the fore-and-aft guard is estab-
ished. That Ia to say. a couple Of the sober
mon. with their bayonets at a fix. are stationed
on the platform. one in front and one in the rear,
with instructions to make real dents in the per-
son OF any soldier who tries TO get out. Tho
object OF this is to diminish the supply Of LIQUID
for the soldiers to stop OFF and make record
spirits for the nearest rum empoytums, there
p % SSss%Hi,A With me The largest %sns yr% IN hand d si' The
ever sSi'U the s'Y iors- IHgs H' sa iaSi fai. q d ia1si S0% Of
W IuIIb-t--IOT III 1TS HlNe WulQDNA
The soldier who feels that he is imperatively
in need Of sttmulant will eithor drop out Of the
window himself whom a stop IL naached, or he
will endeavor 10 enlist the kindly services OF
some station loafeT to the end of securing the
bottle Of which he stands In such sad need. This
Is an uncertain method OF trsnsacttng business,
character or circumstances of the chap 10 whom
h. "a t. - hs mere~, and ha inevitably takes q
long chance OF never seeing either his bottle or
hls money any more when he employs this
Station loaiers thus commissioned, however,
have really been known 70 come back. but such
among the old-time enlisted men. When money
is passed to the commissioners out Of each win
dow. however. the chances are always favorable
that a few bottles will be returned. anyhow. and
30 the fore-and-aft guard doesn't actually
amount TO much. Great wrath invariably foE
lows the failure. Of a station commissioner to
after, One time an old soldier. whS, surely
ought 10 have known better, handed a brawny
hackman at Council Bluffs a $40 note, with the
Injunction to procure two quarts Of the best
procurable at a dollar per quart. and the prom
ise Of a dollar for his labor. The hackman had
ample, time to return; but he didn't. He was
d0 !!hil rish an for s9' tSs si% Snsi s SesfsE' tn. foolish
Si%s SSl SH, II = three a9s Pc" sai sna IN IN be ,s sSp| e.
mass over the remains of that one"
And il almost came about that way. The
old soldier did drop on at Council Bluffs a bit
diately sought the hackman who had abeented
himself with the ten-dollar note. He found
him, and the pitiable condition to which he
reduced that Jehu. az well A three or four other
Of the tribe who mixed In, was told about very
elaborately in. the Omaha parers. When the
old soldier told his story In the police court
on the following day the Magistrate dismissed
him with the assurance OF his high esteem and
his warm regards,
The officer in charge OF an outfit Of soldiers
on the move Is put to a lot OF worry over the
perpetual danger Of losing a few of them. When
a change OF cars involves a delay Of some hours
In q city the men can't. Of course, be penned
up In the station. They are permitted to roam
around. with the strict Injunction to report
officer 10 charge aiweys makes this about AZ
i've will have a chance to dig up absentecs. Until
he gets them all together again, and their names
checked of on his roll. the officer In charge
+ a miserable enough man. He knows that
he can wait over . train or 40 for the absentees.
for his transportation papers have only one
a cab and go after the lost or .trayed himself.
He unearths the majority Of them. as a rule.
but when the outfit on the move Is big there
Is nearly always at least one man left behind.
II Il the business Of the soldier thus left behind
10 proceed direct 70 the nearest post, or. II
there Is no nearby post, he must apply 70 the
Nav or Of the city IN which hs Is kft for tIans-
together with enough eating money 70 see
him through. Mayors know that this Is the
rule. and they invariably supply stragglers
IN blue with the. transportation. asked for. the
Government making COED 10 tho MAYORS for
the soldiers rides In due fine. II O s~traggler
doesn't do this, and fails to arrive a the post
ton Aata of thu data uhap ha Loaf himsalf hA