The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1900-02-22

U
will receive the rations used for
the prison hospital and see that
they are properly prepared and
distributed according to the num-
Der Of patients in each ward. He
will also see that the supply Of
hospital wood is properly dis
tributed according to the number
Of prisoners, and the size thereof
in each ward.
JOHN WILSON, JR,
Surgeon in charge of G. S. Mill
tary Prison Hospital, Sails
bury, N. G.
In the execution of his duties
as set forth in the foregoing pa
per, Mr.. McGrath was allowed
the privilege Of going outside of
the prison into the town.
''Hhat those Of our citizens as
sociated with Mr.. McGrath in
the prison would be benefited by
the liberty allowed him in pro
curing articles of food and other
copyeniences, which the prison
regulations did not supply, will
appear in the facts yet to be re-
lated. The Post Sutler, Mr. i.
Taft, who took a kind interest in
our citizen prisoners, agreed to
furnish them with such articles
as they needed, receiving his pay
ment as they earned money in
the way hereinafter designated,
or at some future time Mr.. Nc
Grath run up accounts with him
amounting to as high as twenty
eight hundred dollars, and in one
case over three thousand dollars.
AT the time of their departure
from the South, Mr.. McGrath's s
account was over two thousand
dollars, and year or two after
the close of the war Mr.. Taft Wis
ited.Mr. McGrath at this place
and enjoyed his hospitality and
renewed old acquaintance for
week or two, when this account
was adjusted by the payment of
some three hundred and seventy
q
five dollars in greenbacks, which
was entirely satisfactory to Mr..
Taft, for the prices charged for
the articles were proportioned to
the market value of Confederate
scrip at the time of the purchase.
"Mr. McGrath's method was
20 keep an account Of the expen-
ditures for the mess for a month,
at the expiration of which each
person was charged for his share
as well as for any extra Injuries,
as will be shown presently. To
give an idea of the manner of liv-
ing, ais well as the prices paid,
copy few items from Mr.. Nc
Grath's book now before me: 3
lbs. coffee $50; box shoe blacking
So; 2 lbs. sugar $50; stockings $13;
flour S16; pepper S1.50; beef S1S;
chicken $40; goose $50; apples $4;
dried apples SIS; soda SO; cabbage
$40; potatoes $50; turnips Sc; ba-
con, 5ibs., $50: chicken 800; pars-
nips So onions So; sausage $5; en-
velopes So; eggs $50; butter $50;
molasses S13.50;. Judging from
the frequent charges for potatoes
tobacco, onions and such luxuri-
es, with an occasional goose at
thirty dollars, and chickens at
from seven to ten dollars, with |
all the other necessary "fixins"
for the table, it will be seen that |
McGrath was the right man for
the place. The occasional char
ges of several dollars for needles
and thread suggests the idea of
sewing on buttons and mending
clothes. In the individual ac
counts charged to the persons
composing the mess, | find one
person whose name | withhold
lest he be charged with gross ex-
travagance, charged with tobac-
coS6; toothbrush IS; share in
mess S36. 55; tobacco $40; thread
81. 80; tobacco Sc; stockings SO. so;
salt $3.50; chicken, (perhaps he
was an invalid and needed some
thing extra, SO; pie 50; enve-
lopes 50; medicine purchased in
town S25.
"lt would be injustice to Mr..
McGrath to pass by his skill as a
caterer to his mess without re-