The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-06-01
Comfortably CHARTERED iii Tents,
Old Soldiers Are Not Worrying
About Weather.
PRACTICAL JOKER ABROAD
One Man Complained Because He
Had Only Seven Pairs OF
Blankets.

The fine drizzle which fell during a
considerable part OF yesterday had
little effect in chilling the ardor Of tho
tented army at Camp John w. Gordon.
Over five thousand men, tired out with
the cxcrtions of Thursdays parade,
slept soundly on the cots, nearly every
one having n pair of good, scrviccable
army blankets. there being more than
two blankets to every cot IL camp
All day yesterday the men busted
themselves about the camp. great
many not leaving during tho day.
Rows of big campnres lighted up the
streets of the camp through tho day
and last night, and about them We're
groups Of old men. some wrapped IN
blankets, all sitting on logs and swap
ping tobacco and yarns
Veterans Boys Again.
North Carolina men predominant IN
camp, and have overlooked the strNet
assigned them in every direction Every
man has his own plug Of black Durham
tobacco. the excellence OF which he Is
willing to back against anything in the
South. One old sport who eSnce!sscd a
preference for Connecticut tobacco
( came. near being pitched out OF camp.
and only by nbjcct apology to dclega-
tons from Virginia and the Carolinas
did he escape q ducking
Through the afternoon many school,
boy pranks were being played In all
parts of the camp, and when some wng
possessed himself of the camp bugle
half hour before supper time and
called the whole company around the
mess hall. the disgust of the more So
ber-minded men knew no bounds
representative Of The Times-Dis-
patch spent the greater part of the
day yesterday and last night In camp,
and visited a number of the men in
their tents. The only person who had
word to say against the hospitality
of Richmond was gray -hcadcd man
who had possessed himself of seven
pairs of blankets. and had been re-
fused an eighth pair, although he made
a most pitcous and moving appeal for
them. Possessed of many badges. this
old veteran admitted that he had never
seen service out of his native State.
having been conscrpted as member
of the Home Guard" In far Southern
town. When the camp authorities
levied on his stock of blankets and
insisted on n more even distribution, his
complaints We're loud and continuous,
even threatening to write letters to
the papers about it.
On the other hand, thousands wore
loailng in the tents or about the camp
Ia tpo''a
things provided for them. Not n sin
gle man. even among the professional
grumblers. has as yet made any OBJ
lection to the quality or quantity OF
the food that is being served. and as
many as 1000 veterans Quartered IN
various parts Of the city iourneyed
out to the camp yesterday I. ct d
good square meal of the kind that Is
being served there.
Scenes ut Camp.
A number of ladies' wives of mem.
bers Of the committee and others, Wis
tied the camp yesterday and assisted
in the arrangement of the tables and
looked over the pantry and cooking
arrangements. They found everything
Clearly and neat to an unusual degree
One experienced housekeeper remark
ed that she did not think it was prob
able that during the reunion rush thu
kitchens and pantries of any hotel o.
boarding-housei in Richmond were KEEP
as clean and neat as those at Cam
Gordon.
The rainfall on the roofs Of the tent
only proved soothing accompani
ment to the music Of the banjo AM
fiddle. which were kept In constant re
QUESTION in the big round tents, wher
the cots were arranged as seats aroun
the wall, leaving a big open space Il
the centre.
One of the interesting sights of TIL
camp is the receipt OF supplies at til
pantry entrance to the big dining shct
Visitors have become accustomed to sc
drays loaded with boxes of blanket
come up, another 1900 pair being adde
yesterday afternoon. Wagons are cor
stantly at woEt going backward an
forward with big loads OF bread, loa
after load going into the great slicin
machine almost as soon as unlondc
A big automobile came out yosterda
afternoon loaded to its capacity with
fine blend of excellent coffee, alread
roasted and ground. Wagonlouds
Grated eggs occasion no surprise, Il
orders being placed over the phone +,
500 dozen at a time. Meats OF all kind
potatoes by the barrel, and canned col
and tomatoes, with fresh onions al