Republican news item. (Laport, Pa.) 1896-19??, July 28, 1898, Image 3
1 OUR ARMY PUTS ON 1 I ITS HEW uinroßM. 1 —— !•> IDEAL SUITS HAVE BEEN PROVIDED FOR A |! g TROPICAL CAMPAIGN. §| $ i> Despatches from Cuba tell bow tbe soldiers of our army, burdened with hot flannel uniforms and heavy out fits, are throwing away everything they can on the march, even their coats. Iu the terrible heat every ounce of weight adds to discomfort while marcliiug, and, regardless of the future, men are casting aside blankets, extra clothing, tin plates and other articles in their Merriam kits, caring only to lighten their burdens. Meu in regular marching order who have been sent to Cuba, volunteers as well as regulars, carry in all nearly sixty pounds, including their rifles, enough to stagger a man in a cool climate. This casting away of every superfluous article is not a new prac tice, for it was done by tens of thous ands of men in the Civil War and has been done by soldiers in al most all other wars. Recognizing the unfitness of the regulation uniforms for the tropics, the Government is having 40,000 cot ton drilling and duck uniforms made, i^V/vv™v £ ' ~ 'cwtfht CORPORAL ''J^jJ-"" I ' ''"V MAKE A STUDY OF THESE INSIGNIA AND YOU CAN RECOGNIZE THE RANK OF A MILITARY MAN AT A GLANCE. which will greatly add to the comfort aud general appoaraueeof the soldiers. Already 4000 of these suits have been completed aud shipped to Tampa to be forwarded to Cuba for General Shaffer's command. The new campaign uniform for in fantry is maite of canvas duck or drill. Its distinguishing feature is a Norfolk jacket, or blouse efl'ect with a box plait down the back. There are four pockets in the front aud five buttons. The two upper pockets are faced with blue cloth, the epaulet straps, cuffs aud collars being of the same material and color. The uniform is made with felled seams. Brown canvas leggings some what darker than the uniform are used. A web cartridge belt, blue woolen blanket, haversack to contain tin plate, knife, fork and spoon and rations, a water bottle and tin cup complete the equipment. No knap sack is used. The trimmings of the cavalry uni form are yellow and of the artillery red. Regulation army uniforms now in use are lined and weigh about eight pounds, being better suited for use in the Arctic regions than in a climate where the sun's rays are as hot as the blasts from a furnace. The lining carefully sewed inside the coats makes thein doubly warm, aud officers do not wonder that the men under them cast the garments aside in disgust. Different from any uniform ever be fore worn by any United States troops are the new styles adopted, and they are as attractive looking as they are durable. The cloths used in the suits for the Cnbau campaign are what are known to the trade as drill weave aud duck. Housewives would call the first named material cotton drilling. 'CAVT\ I? RY ' '/VFA/VTOY 'LT6T¥T HCAVR T/*4/RE#/WR< COMOBAL F*™XRE ASSSSISS^ AFIMITEV P#/VAR£ THE NEW CAMPAIGN UNIFORM FOR U. 8. REGULARS. Baits of these materials weigh less than half aR much as the uniforms now in use, and because of their looser weave are much cooler. The cotton drill uniforms, which are of a light buff color, weigh just two pounds and fourteen ounces, while the duck, which ire light reddish tan, weigh four ounces more. No colors could be found bet ter adapted for service in a country ivhere the men are exposed to dust and lirt in all kinds of weather, and even tfter a hard, long campaign it is ex seoted the uniforms will still present 6 fairly respectable appearance. In style the coats for all depart ments of the service, infantry, artillery and cavalry, are like the once popular Norfolk jacket, with a belt of the same material. The trimmings are of tbe same style, but of different colors, blue for the infantry, red for the artillery and yellow for the cavalry. This trimming, which lends an at tractive bit of color to the uniforms, cousists of a deep facing at the ends of the sleeves, over the lapels of the two upper pockets, shoulder straps and around the low cut military collar. The trousers are perfectly plain. The uniforms of privates and non commissioned officers are worth about $3 each. Four big pockets are made in the coats. Dressed in these suits, with the light under-wear being provided by the Government, the soldiers will feel lik„ new men. No attempt probably will be made to carry the kit on forced marches, except when absolutely nec cessary. Officers will wear uniforms of finer, but no more comfortable, material. The cloth is known as kahke iti India, where it comes from, and is like brown linen. Uuiforms of this cloth cost about 825. In addition to the canvas and drill uniforms, which will be sent to the camps in the South as well as to Cuba, the Government is providing a blue flannel suit, unlined, which NEW v. S. ARMY UNIFORM—LIGHT AND; HEAVY MARCHING ORDER. weighs only a few ounces more than three pounds. Clothing the army and navy is one of the most important problems pre sented to the War and Navy Depart ments for solution. The quartermas ter-general performs the task for the army and the paymaster-general for the navy. In time of peace the duty involves considerable labor. In time of war, and especially at the begin ning of hostilities, when the public are crying for a million men to be enlisted, clothed and put at the front in a minute, the task assumes the proportions of a mountain in a fog. Take the quartermaster-general, for instance. It is his duty to see that the big army which the President has called to give battle to the Span ish is clothed at the very earliest pos sible moment. His usual sources of supply are quickly exhausted. Oth ers must be found. The clothing must be made. The first thing the ofuartermaste:-general does is to as certain. as nearly as possible, the ex- act uumber of suits required, the kind of suits, the number of shoes and underclothing, also hats. The exaot kind is then specified in detail, and ASTOR BATTERY IS AN IDEAL TROPICAL UNIFORM FOR SERVICE IN THE PHIL IPPINES. bids for the whole or part of the clothing needed. Accompanying every bid is a check to guarantee that the terms of the contract will be carried out to the letter. These bids are submitted, together with samples of the goods required. The bids are carefully examined aud compared and the lowest bidder (the quality of goods being satisfactory) gets the contract. The goods con- manufacturers and jobbers in thai line of business are invited to submit tracted for must be ready on time and delivered to the Government. When they are delivered they are inspected by Government officials and, if all right, accepted. Then they are for warded to the store house of the army at Philadelphia to await orders. When a regiment is recruited and sworn into the United States service, the captain of each company makes out a requisition for the number of uniforms needed and forwards the requisition to the quartermaster of the regiment. The colonel approves of the requisition, and then it is for warded to the brigade quartermaster, who, if he has not the clothes required on hand, makes a requisition on the corps quartermaster. The latter, wheu uniforms are needed, makes a requisi tion on the quartermaster-general, who draws the supplies needed from the depot at Philadelphia. Upon the delivery of the clothing to the regimental quartermaster, the captains of the several companies are notified. The captains march their men to headquarters and there they receive the clothing apportioned to them aud for which the captain gives a receipt to the regimental quarter master, who keeps it for his voucher. The same formula for the issuing of clothing is followed in the navy. The army and navy uniforms are made in nearly every large city of the Union, and the cost of those for the privates is about $5, r.nd those for men before the mast is about $8 per man. The officers' uniforms range in price from SSO to $75. A bullet will, however, pierce the one as quickly as the other. The uniform of the gen eral officers of the army is a double breasted blouse of dark blue cloth or serge, with four outside patch pockets with flaps, a rolling collar, with two rows of buttons, grouped according to rauk, of the same kind as those worn on the dress coat. For all other of ficers a single-breasted blouse is worn, of dark blue cloth or serge, with four outside pockets with flaps, falling col lar. with five buttons in front of the same kind as those worn on the dress coat. The skirt of the dress coat ex tends from one-third to one-half the distance from the hip joint to the knee. Quite as important as the elothes are the shoes. For Cuban service the men will wear dark brown canvas clothes, but the shoes will be the same as worn at home. They are com mon brogans, these shoes, stout of upper and mighty of sole and heel. In fact, the army shoe is not a thing of beauty, but on the march it is a joy forever, as every veteran knows. They are made of cowhide, and, if possible, of the hide of a very tough cow at that. They are exceedingly broad of sole and heel, and are made with the double view of securing durability and comfort. Record In Clotlies Making. Thomas Gitson, employed in one of the cloth mills of Pennsylvania, had six sheep sheared at 6.30 o'clock one morning recently. The wool was then sorted, ncoured, dried, carded, spun, woven into cloth and the cloth was given to the tailors and made up into a suit of olothes which were given to Mr. Kitßon at 12.34 o'olock, or six hours and four minutes from the time of shearing. The best previous rec ord was about eicht hours. IFOR FARM AND GARDEN.] A Cure for Chicken Tapeworm. It may surprise the general reader to know that four different speoies of tapeworm attack chickens, four other kinds attack geese, seven attack ducks and five attack pigeons. The remedy for tapeworms is one spoonful of ab sinthe to fifty fowls, mixed in warm bran mash once a day for three or four days. Clean up and sprinkle premises with four fluid ounces of sulphurio acid mixed in one gallon of water. For other intestinal worms give one teaspoonful of turpentine to twenty-five birds, mixed in bran mush. To Grow Lima Beans. There are two methods of growing Limas. One is to grow them on poles and the other on wires. Where the largest crop is desired and poles are easily obtained it is the best plan. When poles are not at haud, and one jares for the ornamental appearance »112 the garden, a very good crop can be ;rown by using wires to support the fines. When grown in this way one row forty or fifty feet long will supply a family. Limas, like all the good things from the garden, require a rich toil. My experience is that I cau grow the best crop with stable man ure. —American Gardening. Keep the Chickens Growing. Now that the hatching season has snded more time cau be devoted to keeping the chicks constnntly grow 'ng. The first few months of a chick's jxisteuce determines its value at mi rarity. If allowed to get stunted no amount of care ever after will remove the trouble. See to it that they are regularly fed and watered, at least :hree times daily, aud do not allow the coops and yards to become foul. After a few weeks old give them plenty of good sound grain, such as wheat and cracked corn and be sure not to overlook a pleutiful supply of §ood sharp grit. Examine the mother heus at least once a week to see that no lice are on Shem. Should there be any, an ap pli< atiou of grease under the wings and on top of the head will suffice to tid both her and the chicks of them. After the chicks are weaned watch them carefully at night aud see that they return to their coops. If allowed to roost on perches their breastbones .vill become crooked aud they will not do so well as they would if roosting in the coop. Burdock as a Vegetable. What is even regarded as a vile weed ran, with a little stretch of imagina tion, be turned into an ornamental plant or delicious vegetable. This is especially the case with the common burdock, Lappa major. Schoolboys all know it from gathering the burs and compressing them into a ball,they being held together by the curved points of the floral involucre. This is all they know about it. It is difficult to see anything more to be despised in the burdock leaf than in the leaf of the rhubarb. It appears that it is largely used in China for food. But It is stated that, if the stalks be cut Jown before the flowers expand and then be boiled, the taste is relishe I equally with asparagus. Tho leaves, when young, are boiled and eateu as we eat spinach. In Japau it is in iniversal use. Thousands of acres are devoted to its culture. But in this case the root is the object. It requires deep soil to get the roots to the best advantage. The common name in China is gobbo—a name, however, which need not replace our common oue of burdock.—Meehau's Monthly. Marketing the Cherry Crop. In almost every neighborhood many farmers have a greater supply of cher ries thau are needed for home use, aud as the fruit is regarded as too small to pay for the trouble of picking and marketing it, much of it is left to be rotted or eateu by birds. The fact is that small as the cherry is, it is one of the most profitable fruit crops that can be grown. Cherries need to be picked with their pterns, must not be bruised, and must be placed in clean baskets holding fifteen to tweuty pounds each. They are usually sold by the pound and are marketed iu all the cities where this fruit is to be found in its season on fruit stands. The sour cherries of the Morello stock are mostly used for canuing and for making pies. The Montmoreucy is a comparatively new sour cherry, aud we know it to be a valuable variety where found. It is not best to have many varieties when cherries are grown for market. Tlie black Tar tarian is a large, dark red sort', that is nearly black when at its best. It is the standard sort and is more largely sold aud better liked by the fruit dealers thau any other.—American Cultivator. A Practical Milking Stool. The observing farm student is sure to come iu contaot with new ways and new implements when traveling through the country, no matter whether he is on busiuess or pleasure. Some of the best methods aud most simple homemade implements are lying siae by side in our farm homes waitiug tor some one to "happen along" to make known to the world these hidden treasurer). One of these simple devices is found in the milking stool. It is made with three or four short legs, just as the milker thiuks most convenient. Di rectly ou top of this short-legged stool is a small box, the top of which forms the seat of the stool. The lower part or under board of the box extends out under the eow to support the milk pail when milking. This not only keeps the bottom of the pail free irom particles of manure, which are sure to adhere to a pail when set directly on the floor, but raises the pail, so if the cow occasionally kicks she is not so liable to place her foot in the pail,up setting it, and one's temper, too. But what is the little box for? Every dairyman knows the necessity of brushing the udder before milking, esfieclally in the morning when cows are kept in the stable or in yards. A small' woolen cloth can be kept in this box, and when the milker sits down to his work all he has to do is to place the pail on his knee,reach under the seat of the stool and get the cloth, clean the udder, put back the cloth aud goto work. The cloth is always at hand and there is not hall the dust set in motion as when the cloth is used separately on the cows and thrown from one to the other.—Agri cultural Epitomist. Tarred Paper for Cabbage Maggot. We have often suffered a good deal of loss.-on account of maggots destroy ing a large proportion of 'our early cabbages. If we believe what some of the experiment stations tell us, then the collars of tarred felt (roofing felt) put around the stems of plants near the surface of the ground are a very effective meaus of protecting cab bage and similar plants from the mag gots' ravages. The reports show that the loss in treated fields has been very small. The labor adjusting the collars also is considerable. The only trouble seems to be to get the collars. They are not kept on sale so far as I know. So the only thing that I could see was left for me to do was to make them myself. A certain professor long since devised a tool to cut the collars out of sheets of roofing-felt with neatness and dispatch. I gave my blacksmith orders with full in structions to make one of the cutters after his pattern and expected to set a man at it to make the collars in rather large quantities, so as to be able not only to have my own supply in readi ness, but a'so to fnruish them at a slight advance 011 cost to any of my neighbors and friends that might de sire to try them. But it has taken my blacksmith much longer to get the tool made than I expected, and, finally the time for usiug the collars has ar rived and I have just received this "collar cutter." This sets the matter right so far as my own plantiug is concerned but I cannot help out my friends as promptly as I would have liked. Neither have I as yet been able to figure out the price at which the collars can be put on the market. I believe that they should ;be kept by seedsmen and plant dealers, and that many could be sold at a good profit. Local plautsmen might proeure a cut ter aud furnish the collars to their customers. —T. Greiuer iu Farm and Fireside. Summering Cattle on Graft*. I don't know of any subject more timely thau how cattle of all kinds should be treated while living on grass. The common method with most farmers is to let them all run together—calves that are fed by hand excepted—many or few,large or small, just one pasture and generally too small fcr the number that must get a good Inin? or be half starved. Then close grazing aud often long dry spells and a good number of cattle following each other day after day, reaching through fences aud in the hot weather the field looking so bare that the grass loots are ofteu killed out en tirely. This is no overdrawn picture. How can a cow give a good yield of milk,or young cattle take 011 much growth or flesh under such conditions'? Unless they get a satisfactory feed and in reasonable time they cauuot spare the time needed for rest aud to chew their cud. Every farmer should have two or more pastures. Milk cows do better alone, but if that cannot be had there should be at least two pastures, so that one of them could be rested a while, aud if favorable weiither pre vails two or three weeks will start the grass, so that when you turu on it again you Just watch the difference in the growth and yield and see the grass start up in the one vacated. This is a better way than if the number of acres were all in one lot. I hojie those interested will try it. Where cattle are compelled to eat off the blades of grass scarcely an inch high, and probably destroy others just peeping out, ten days, if left grow, would furnish twenty times as much feed aud no injury occur to the roots. People tell of leaks and losses ou the farm, but too close grazing is the biggest one I know of. Then there is a big talk about calves dying from scours, etc., but it is generally those that feed their cows such a big lot of stimulating nostrums of different kinds that makes the milk rank poison to their offspring. Calves from such pampered matrons are as good as sick at birth. Cows should be fed almost entirely on what you can raise on your own farm, and then,like common farmers, losses would disappear. It is risky to buy cows of some men. If calves get the scours we stir flour in their warm milk, and au egg, too, until we get it checked. We teach them to eat oats aud ground feed and keep hay before them all the time un til turned onto grass. When cows scour badiy on tame hay aud mill feed make a real hard boiled dumpling of flour and water ouly.boil it until hard and when cool cut into pieces and feed it to them; it will quickly stop the scours. This recipe is worth dollars if it works for others like it has for us. I may tell you what pastures are like in England, and how they keep them good all the time. They have u more moist climate than we have, bnt we could greatly improve ours by follow ing their methods. —William Oxley in Farm, Field and Fireside. HE WROTE "PIXIE." Dan Emmett Lives to See the North and Houtli Sins: His Famous Song Together. Perhaps very few people know that Dan Eminett, who wrote "Dixie," is still living. His home is in Mount Vernon, Ohio, where he was born and where he hopes to end his days. The old man is a picturesque figure on the streets of the town. In his prime he was one of the mid-century dandies of New York City, but now, with calm indif ference to the conventional, he usu ally carries a long staff and wears his coat fastened in at the waist by a bit of rope. His home is a little cottage on the edge of the town, where he lives en tirely alone. On almost any warm af ternoon he can be found seated before his door reading, but he is ready enough to talk with the chance visit or, whose curiosity to meet the com poser of one of the national songs of America has brought him out from town. It was this curiosity that took me to the cottage. The old composer was seated in the shade by his house with a book open before him. As I went up the path I said, for I had some doubt in my own mind: "Are you Dan Emmett, who wrote 'Dixie'?" "Well, I have heard of the fellow; sit down," and he motioned to the steps. "Won't you tell me how the song was written?" "Like most everything else I ever did, because it had to be done. One Saturday night, in 1859, as I was leaving Bryant's Theatre, where I was playing, Bryant called after me, 'I want a walk-round for Monday, Dan." The uext day it rained and I stayed indoors. At first when I went at ths song I couldn't get anything. But a line, 'I wish I was in Dixie,' kept re peating itself in my mind, and I finally took it for my start. The rest wasn't long in coining. And that's the story of how 'Dixie' was written. "It made a hit at once, and before the end of the week everybody in New York was whistling it. Then the South took it up and claimed it for its own. I sold the copyright for S3OO, which was all I ever made from it. I'll show you my first copy." He went into the house and returned in a moment with a yellow, worn-looking manuscript in his hand. "That's' Dixie,'" he said. "lam going to give it to some historical so ciety in the South one of these days, for, though I was born here in Ohio, I count myself a Southerner, as my father was a Virginian." Half a century ago Emmett was a famous minstrel. Those were the balmy days of burnt cork art, when Bryant's Theatre on lower Broadway was one of the most popular resorts in New York City. Emmett was boru in 1815, at Mount Vernon. He began life as a printer, but soon abandoned his trade to join the band of a circus DAN EMMETT. company. He was not long in discov ering that he could compose songs of the kind in use by clowns. One of the finest of these was "Old Dan Uaoker," of pleasant if inebriate memory. Its success was so great that Emmett followed it with many others. Finally he took to impersonations, singing his own songs in the ring, while he accompanied himself on the banjo. He made a specialty of old men, and blackened his face and donned a wig of kinky white Lair. He became such a favorite with the pat rons of the oircns in the South and West that at last, partly by chance and partly through intention, he in vaded the stage himself. This was some time in 1842, at the old Chatham Theatre in New York city, when, with two companions, he gave a mixed performance, made up largely of songs and dances typical of slave life aud character. The little troupe was billed as the "Virginia Minstrels," and their popularity with the public was instantaneous. Healthy Hungary. In Hungary there are thousands of villages and hundreds of small towns without a doctor within ten miles. Hard Luck. Terrible Heupeok enlisted to get away from his wife and found her at the front as a Bed Cross nans.