Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-08-21

| campment. There are enough mascofs-
they could not be classed as anything
| else-to provide two or three for each
| command in camp. About the only
thing that makes them look like real
soldiers is the uniform. BY some queer
| ruse they have obtained the khaki
| regulation pattern, which. so far as
| the sentry is concerned, esta blishes
| them as full f1edged men Of war :,
They are around the camp at all
| where and at any time except when the
| work is being done in camp. Then they
HE themselves to some nook little fire.
quented by the officer of-the-dayo or the
sentry, but we'll known to these. young
Americans. They are visitors in camp,
visitors to the extent that they eat and
sleep there. the main point of interest
| to them being the mess tent.
Know the Mess Call.
| What do they know about things
military? Why. they know how to get
on their uniforms quickly and turn out
| before the inspection of the camp is
| made in the mornings, they know the
| mess call. and they know, too, that
| the bugler is away behind time in
blowing for the mess, judging from the
way their little stomachs begin to gnaw
J for food.
Inquiry about the camp as to the
reason for so many of these young
sters within the camp conftnes ana IN
| military uniform developed the In.
formation that they were the sons OF
some of the officers and men who are
spending the entire period of the en-
| campment here, getting taste or the
| real life of the soldier in the heid.
There are a great many of them in the
camp, many more than has ever peeh
seen before at any of the encampments
of the National Guard of the District.
AS to the rations in the camp, not
complaint has been heard from man.
Every one of them seems to be pleased
with the rations that are being served.
Everything is well cooked and pala :
table To go even few days without
complaint is remarkable when 1T is
considered that about 1.50o soldiers
are being fed every day at three big
meals.
While in the camp the troops get
the regular army ration issue. which
amounts to % cents per man per day
of three meals. In addition to this 10
cents per day per man is added from
the National Guard Golfers, making a
total of 33 cents per day per man. To
this, in many instances. is added money
from the company funds, which many
purposes. With all of this money. and
buying food in the large quantities
necessary to feed so many men, three
fine meals a day can be put up.
Ice Part of Allowance.
Every morning the quartermaster
Headquarters at the southeast corner
of the campgroun1s is besiegei by the
quartermaster sergeants of the cor
panies. There the supplies are appor-
toned out according to the number of
men in the company. Everything is
served to them fresh. and each COM
~ nv hoc ice af nd ,f in
day for the purpose of keeping the
supplies in good shape. The supplies
are issued under the direction of Maj.
John c. Whitaker and Capt. Spencer
Bliss, Quartermaster Corps, n G. D. c.
Fresh beef is served out every day.
and the bread which the men eat is
baked in Washington, comes out of the
ovens at Washington barracks every
morning at o'clock and is served in
the camp the same day The meat
goes through a thorough inspection at
Washington to see that it comes up to
the regular army specifications. 1t is
purchased under contract, and should
the contractor ship meat to the boat
which does not come up to the speci-
fications it is turned down, and if there
is not time for the contractor to send
more from his own place of business
before the boat sails the officers have
authority to go in the open market.
purchase the amount, without regard
to price, and charge the same to the
contractors account.
To feed the soldiers here during the
entire period of the encampment will
take 1900 pounds of beef, figured at
twenty ounces of beef per man per
day, the army allowance. But all of
this meat supply will not be beef. The
quartermasters have divided 1t up, so
that 10 per cent of the amount is beef.
be bacon.
l.
When the encamprent is over. the SOL
diers will have consumed 1880 pounds
of potatoes, 1000 pounds Of rice, $500
pounds Of onions, 1900 pounds of beans,
1,400 pounds Of coffee, $500 pounds of
sugar, 1000 pounds Of salt, 500 cans of
jam, to say nothing of the pepper Gin
namon and other spices, as we'll as
prunes, canned peaches, tomatoes. etc.
The soldiers of the camp are now be-
ing bumped up in the morning in regu-
lar soldier style and the work day prop
erly ended with the booming of retreat.
when the colors are lowered, and the
dress parade starts. The little one
Sylvia. the training ship Of the District
Naval Militia, has arrived in camp, and
has been staked in the ground in front
of the brigade headquarters, where it
booms at reveille and retreat
Sergt. Joe Cornish, officially termed
ordnance sergeant" who has handled
millions of rounds of ammunitions of
all descriptions at the many encamp-
ments OF the National Guard of the Dis
trict and who has fired guns with muz-
zles almost as big around as his head;
almost baked at firing the little one
FOUNDER which the camp has been forced
to use. because the regular field guns Of
the LIST Battery Field Artillery, n. G. D.
c., are in Tobyhanna
Sergt. Cornish came out of his tent
took a look at the gun, SHE'D off and an
nounced that he was afraid to fire that
gun. He pleaded ignorance of its oper-
officers. but near naval man sought to
give him instructions in its workings.
which left Joe with no excuse, although
still little balky. He wanted the near
naval man to come into camp, uniform
less. and fire the gun for the two i'm
portant ceremonies of the days life in
camp. not to mention the salutes which
will be fred for the assistant secretary
of war should he make his expected
visit to the camp, or Maj. Gen. George
Fl. Harries, D. c. Militia. retired. when
morning.
Ready to Fire Statutes.
After a reville and a retreat had
been missed, Cornish finally nerved
himself up for the ordeal Of setting off
the piece. He loaded. grabbed the
lanyard connecting the firing mechan
ism, turned his back. closed his eyes
and fred Nothing serious happened.