Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-01-29
VETERANS DON'T WEAR THEM.
One Place Where Overcoais Are Not Much
in fashion.

Il thought you said that the Home pro-
vidcd its members with all thu necessities
Of life" remarked a visitor to one nf The
orderlies as M sat near the radiator IN
the comfortable roccptinn-r0om over
across the way from headquarters, one
of those recent frosty mornings. waiting
for the veteran whom ~ wanted ~ Sc'.
to To- hunted N. II iid-ind sp il does.
was tn" reply. ''WcN. what about All
these men going round here without any
ovcrcoats? | should think they We're a
necessity in a climate like thiS." and the
visitor pitched his chair ltt!y closer 7"
the radiator. -Oh those fellows hay"
ovcrcoats, only they don't care to Wear
them: that's all. seldom wear ono my
self" replied the orderly.
II is a matter If fact that fully two
thirds Of the members nf the Home S"l-
dom ever wear overcoats. no matter how
cold or stormy. though" says quarter
master Gallagher. when lust as the cold
weather was setting in last fail "" were
bothered for time in securing proper
sizes. through delay in shipments. il WI
the man who hardly ever wor" 0lercpat-
that found most fault because We did not
have them t. issue That tins Should
have been So i not strange. for soldiers
are proverhially chronic "kickers w"
more they kick" the better they fight
and the veterans who are nrw in tn"
soldiers homes are not changed At all in
this respect It j.. apparently. one "i
their chief devices fnr killing time. Illu \
tration: When General orders NJ. -
was published last month. an rrd.r sim
ia, r,lIi-h.J AZ lp bIc al
the winter season for several years, put
ting on the limits as il is called. ana ''r"-
quircd." t. quote from the order itself,
son account of the exposure a. which
their lives ana health are subjected du.-
ing the severe weather OF winter, one Of
the oldest veterans in the hospital. a
man who seldom ventures outsidi of :hc
building during the entire winter, was
heard to remark that tn" Home wa like
prison "A man couldn't so nowhere.
The order confined no one - camp Win"
had good and sufficient excuse for 30
ing out Of it. ana it il doubtful it the
veteran i'll question could haze 4, cn in
duced to leave it even htd consider
able incentive been offered to MIN.
The style of the present issues IF over
coats is pretty much that Of an orlinlry
civilians overcoat Of medium weight
ana they are made Of the sam material
as the uniform trousers, but there are
quite number Of OVcrcoats about camp
made Of a finer and stronger material
ana Of a lighter blue in color. double
breasted ana with a heavy cape. which
were issued some years ago. ana which
are popular with those who really care
for good warm coat. At one time tn
adNisability of substituting Il military
cape for the ovcrcoat was discussed, but
the project never went hes Ind the en-
bryonc state, and it is doubtful if men
caring so little for an OVerCoat would
even bother to slip on cape when going
out of doors, while those who now wear
an ovcrcoat would prefer it to the more
easily donncd but less warm cape.
The way in which the veterans go about
is proof though in sense far different
from its original meaning. that ''as a
man thinketh, 50 is he'-they consider
themselves warm enough.-and doubtless
they are, even though passing from the
the superheated rooms Of the barracks to
the rigorous out-of-doors temperature OF
a Maine midwnter. The next time that
you visit the Home this winter, all We
goode people who reade We Journal do not
think that Uncle Sam does not provide
his disabled veterans with sufficient
clothing, but rather that ii is a matter of
fashion that the majority do not wear
overcoats.