Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1910-10-06
FOR ARMY =.
Is COLOSSAL TASK
PrOdigiOus Food Stores Kept at Fort
and Systematic Methods Are
in Vogue.
OFFICERS HAVE HANDS FULL
Captain w. L. Clarke, with Varied
Duties, is Poor Bah"
HAS BIG WORRY ON SHOULDERS
Thousands Of Pounds of Meat and
Other Food Used.
HAS BIG WORRY ON SHOULDERS
THOUSAND POUNDS OF SALT
Soldiers Like Ak-Sar-Ben and Are Not
slow i'm Entering Into spirit of
OccasiOnr-NO Hydrant Water
Drank at Camp.

Administration has its gories and
triumphs when the army is at peace,
and the men who do this part Of the husi-
ness are regarded, necessarily, as quite
important personages. In fact. to them
the active field officers and the men give
a confidence that signifies they feel sure
of the men attending to the details
To look at Captain w. L. Clarke of the
signal corps, in his office. one would not
pick him out as at all concerned with very
large affairs. Yet he is carrying quite
some responsibility, and he holds as many
offices as the Pooh Bah of the old opera.
First, he is property officer, and then he
is constructing quartermaster. Likewise
he is post quartermaster post commissary'
post ordnance officer, and, lastly, post
police officer Thus he is a sort of general
director, overseer and executive, all in
one. SAsz
That Captain Clarke has his hands full
goes without further specification. he
has had to get to camp and in shape 10
issue with precise expedition 25O,OOO POUNDS
Of hay, 10000 pounds OF oats, 100 cords OF
wood and hundred ana one other neees-
saries for a big herd of horses AS the
men are cautioned not to drink the
hydrant water on tap throughout Inc
grounds, Clarke keeps three water wagons
I
bringing barrels of drinking water from
the artesian we'll in Miller park. The
| troops like this water. and it eases the
pressure on the doctors. as well as avoid
ing many a call on the medicine chest
| All the manure and garbage OF the camp
must be kept cleaned up and removed, and
| to this duty Captain Clarke also gives his
| attention. The City Garbage company does
most Of the hauling, but army assistance
! is necessary where so large body OF
troops and so many animals are concerned
Vast quantities of manure and garbage
go to the city dumps from the camp each
day, and the camp is clean always.
| To feed the thousands of men is some
thing Of trick, but the army system en-
ables this tremendous chore to be handled
without a hitch. For the number of troops
now at Fort Omaha, during a ten-day
stay, 24.OOO pounds of beef is required. a
like quantity of flour and potatoes and 5000
| pounds of onions. or tomatoes 1,600 cans
| are used, of sugar 5000 pounds and of cof-
| fee 1900 pounds. Salt is consumed to the
| extent of LOCO pounds and sixty pounds of
pepper. The bakers use up A0 pounds of
baking powder and S00 cans of condensed
milk are consumed. OF butter between 500
and 1000 pounds is required, supplied in
tubs holding sixty to sixty-five pounds
each, besides which the men Of the various
commands buy great many pound pack
ages. Bacon used runs to the weight OF
5000 pounds, and besides all this provender
of the basic kind the men get beans, rice
prunes jam, apples and peaches fresh and
evaporated. pickles. lard, syrup and every
thing in fact that appetite Graves or taste
bankers for-all from the commissary
stores, either for ready cash. or in ex-
change for other rations.
Rations cost on the average A.S2 cents
per day per man.
Captain Clarke and his able assistants
are kept from going to sleep without much
trouble, but they show no signs of undue
! worry. They are ready, courteous anC
obliging all day long. and even a pryint
newspaper man can get informing ant
polite answers to his questions any tim,
OF the day. Here is a good bunch of mer
to meet and it is true that the same thinI
can be said Of Major Devore and his stat
at camp headquarters. and of every othei
officer with whom anyone has any rea
business.
Soldiers Like King.
He's a whaling sood old kingy' is tn
/ universal expression of the army officer
and men encamped at Fort Omaha. TIL
high officers and energetic scouts of AK
Sar-Ben XVI have from the very frs
taken particular pains to let the militar
visitors know that here is their real HON
and habitat.
] Street car tickets have been provide
! literally, and the uniform of Uncle sar
e admits its wearers to the kings highway
! An officers club has been opened at tn
fort. with all the necessary decoration
and equipment to make men away fror
home feel that they are among friend
= and can be at ease and joyfully sociabl
= 10 their hearts content
The military men have not been slow
respond, and they are further please
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