Tanana leader. [volume] (Tanana, Alaska) 1909-1910, 1910-02-10

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only bugaboos; with the cool, dry
weather comes smallpox. Vaccina-
ton protects most of us, but occasion
ally it don't protect, and one more man
is missing at muster, one more "trum-
peter" is called on to blow TAPS"
The American public, the censor of
our morals and motives, says: "Well,
he knew the risk when he enlisted,
and he probably Joined the army be-
cause he was a failure at everything
else" Dear American public, don't
throw all the bouquets to the volun-
teers; give US some credit. This ap-
peal is not made to the Western people,
for punched COWS for years over the
Texas and mountain trails to the
north, and l am aware that the social
ladder, west of the Missouri, is az fol-
lows: Lowest rung is the regular,
next the army mule, next the Indian,
and from there on among the better
grades OF society, train robbers, etc.
But am getting too serious, and this
little affair we are having over here
should not be taken too seriously.
Night after night have I sat around
the campfire and joined in the chorus
of "Christ to make men holy, Let US
fight to make men free," and the next
day made record of stealing chickens
from the natives that would make an
Afro-American minister turn green
with envy. I often wonder if any one
in the United States cares to read any
thing written by the private in the
regular army. We read long stories
on the moral aspect of the Philippines.
biased business opinions by sugar mag
mates, pathetic letters from homesick
volunteers, most of which we are in
clined to take too seriously, but have
never seen anything in the way of a
combination from the real thing, 1.-THE
buck private of the regulars" don't
mean one of Kings or Remington's
privates, for the dust-covered Arizona
private passed away with the cowboy
and the buffalo; the private-of-today
fin-de-siecle article of the twentieth
century.
was goaded to this outburs5 by an
article in wel-known weekly for
young people. Following the closing
of the canteen, this sketch seems like
mockery. The writer was lavishing
punches of American beauty roses on
the government for the thoughtfulness
in establishing commissaries at which
the boys might purchase condo ased
milk, canned pineapple, candy, ginger
ale, chewing gum and peanuts. The
main point shown was that if the boys
failed to get enough to eat from the
bareback and bacon issued by the gov
eminent they were at liberty to fill the
void with canned goods purchased from
the commissary with their Sl5 60; but
this army grub-it would be serious if
it were not so amusing. It's comfort
ing to me, too, for if it were not for
the familiar names of armour" and
Swift" on cans and barrels the private
would never see anything to remind
him of home except possibly the U. s..
on set of summary court charges.
Everything bears the legend, "Made
in Germany" The commissary is a
theoretical inspiration, but works out
as follows: One week after payday
four fifths of the country's defenders
are broke, for gambling has a centrifu-
gal force which puts the other fifth on
Easy street, in ragtime. For few
days the lucky fifth live in clover, and
the commissary does regular canteen
business, but human nature has it's
limits in the army as we'll as else
where. It is hard to refuse comrade,
especially one you have Just decked;
so the lucky ones soon tire of paying
40 cents can for butter and only get
ting a covering for one slice of bread
therefrom, so the canteen gets into the
game, holds the winning hand for a
few days, and then every one is broke
for another three months.
The grub is good, wholesome and as
. rule we'll cooked, but our bill of fare
lacks variety. 1t is very APPLY de-
scribed in Hebrews xiii, 8. And the
emergency ration! I dislike to speak
of it, for some one has said, eff you
don't like man don't pick on him."
The emergency ration has, like all
candidates, its friends and its enemies.
To its friends it is relief from bacon,
and to its enemies it is Imaginary
ration, !" Condition powders" first aid
to the hungry" etc. The emergency
ration is put up in q small tin box
about the size of generous bar Of
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