Omaha daily bee., 1910-10-04
SOLDIERS TENTS
FORM GREAT CITY
Rain Greets Incoming Thousands Of
Military Men, But Hosts Are
Refreshed.
J0SHIHG AND FUN AT FORT
Company Dogs Receive Friendly Pet
tings by Visitors.
COMPANY STREETS LAID OUT
Officers Direct Driving of Pegs for
Camp Lanes.
KITCHENS PUT UP QUICKLY
Cooking is Begun in Full Blast for
the Hungry Men, and All Manner
of Arrangements for TheIr Com
fort Are Carried Through.

The tented field, or fields, at Fort Omaha
wore wrinkled frown Monday morning !
but when the evening gun was heard the |
uncouth roughness had given place to many ,
rows OF khaki-colored tents. arranged with |
military regularity.
And the picture was most attractive
one TO civilian eyes. 1t could be surpassed !
only by an army in real battle array before |
the charge. On the high plateau on which |
the officers homes are located is the camp
headquarters. Just below the driveway in
front are the tents OF the officers of the
various commands differing from the tents
OF the enlisted men In that they are square
while the others are round
Officers and men alike were kept busy
all day long getting everything snug, and
right up to the coming OF darkness team
sters were hauling to the reservation the
baggage of the various commands and the
innumerable pieces OF impedlmenta that
goes with such an encampment as this.
Visitors were not wanting, full of curiosity
of the kindliest character; but 1t was neces-
sary to have men stationed at focal points
to keep the city folks from intrudlng within
the camp lines and getting in the way
The bakers section was the only part of
the camp whore anybody was allowed to
wander at will
This morning the camp viii look as II
II had always been in possession OF the
ground, for the military men clean up as
they go along. An inspection will we'll
repay the time given to 1t by man, woman
or child. Should this weather hold during
the week, General Smith and the other off,
GERS expect to see a great many thousand
people pass through the reservation, and
1t seems certain they viii not be disap-
pointed. Omaha is a military city, with
mighty pleasant memories of the nations
soldiers from away back In pioneer days
nghtdown 10 the prosaic present.
MudslingerA Rs MDuilders.
Mudslingers were at work on the feserva-
ton Monday afternoon, with deeply inter-
ested crowds looking on. These mudsling-
ers were building a field bake oven. such
as is used BY the army in camps where
they remain for any considerable length of
time
The one such mud even built here is close
TO the sidewalk in the camp of the division
bakery" 1t is constructed for the benefit
OF the general public more than from any
need for IT, as three large steel ovens are
in full play few feet away. In each Of
these ovens, set the ground bread
ration for 2l6 men is produced at one time.
To build the mud oven two barrels with
the heads Knocked out are set end to
end. Around them, from the ground up,
is moulded soft mud to the depth Of six
or eigth inches, by hand. At one end a
chimney Is moulded, which sticks up about
eight inches The oven was finished at
3 O'Clock Monday afternoon. 1t will be
fired this morning. when the barrels win be
burnt out and the clay will thus be baked
hard. Then a fifty-five man ration can be
baken In five pans.
Wet and Hungry.
''Oh, you John" yelled a cavalryman with
an unmistakable southern accent to a COM
rade just coming into the Fort Omaha
reservation, where's bakery? we-all
want a cup OF kawfee worse'n anything on
earth"
"Out yonder's some. you hungry man,
replied the one addressed. and the cavalry
man and two comrades broke into a quick
step toward the food emporlums now
plentifully located at Thirteth and Fort
streets.
large proportion Of the soldiers in camT
about the Fort Omaha buildings got full
dose of the heavy rain sunday night anc
were not in extra good humor Monday
morning. Yet there was joshing and fur
galore on every hand
Company dogs inquisitive visiting dogs
and stray dogs found heavenly resting
place most anywhere on the reservation
Every canine had dozen friends anywhere
he went, and the way he was petted. teaseC
and man handled. In, gentle gladness, mus
surely have tickled him into a high stat'
of satisfaction.
Out on the big green parade ground I
soldier with gun was quietly trailing an
other soldier with a stick having a spik
= IN the end and bag over his shoulder
Not the smallest piece OF paper or othe
litter was missed by the spearman, an,
by o'clock the verdant carpet was a
clean OF foreign flotsam even finck.
housewife could wish. Other soldiers witt
guns were trailing other somewhat unwill
ing workers around the edges Of the parad
ground. and into every hole and corne,
seeing 10 II that the police work was ele
gantly well done,
skies Again Brighter.
After the night OF depressing rain an
considerable measure OF more or les
miserable sleep, the completion of cam
making was done under autumn skies a
blue Irish eyes Early in the day IN
promise OF sunshine and balm was in ev
dence. and with the rising warmth ros
che spirit Of the soldiers.
Every reglmental camp was marked b
hundreds OF cots and oceans of beddln
and personal belonging spread out to DIR,
Tent canvases, too, were spread numel
ously about the grassy places, and on
line here and there were displays OF fO'
ball clothes hung up to get the benefit (
the gracious air and the medlcated bean
OF Old Sol.
Officers were busy directing the drivin
pegs along what win be company stree
by night and the pains taken TO have a
in orderly alignment rather astonished Il
few civilians who We're on the grour
right after bgcRkfRstlng.
Everybody busy.
II Everywhere mounted Ordcrlies. and othe