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the Mohammedans ate everythinI* The Russians had little besides blackbread and soup. They wer* given W^er-round cans of some kind of meat preparation at intervals, much in the samemanne,as the Japs used American meats, iney had the finest cooking arrangement though, of anv. Upon a sprtngless carriage was mounted an iron furnace under aSemispherLcal boiler water -ja cketed. Theboiler was fitted with a tight-fitting cover,,and the whole was very strongly and compactly built. Into this they put .all the materials for a soup or stew that they possessed, and nothing came amiss, screwed down the cover, lit the fire, and awaywent this perambulating souP,tureen withits company. When they made camp, all they had to do was to “ stack arms andmarch past the soup machine, the cook 5Ss a faucet, a.,a each inurjB™! his ration of hot, well-cooked, thi.°k soup, the assistant cook in the meantime was chopping up a loaf of black bread with an axe, and each man got a liberal chunk. I tasted this bread several times and it did not improve on acquaintance. It aeemedto have been made of equal parts cf bra sand,- and sawdust, and was spur besides. This was an ideal and economical ^ayto prepare soldiers' food, but I am aHaicisoup three times a day is too much osteady diet for the American to adopt, l neRussians thrived on this, for they look hearty and strong, but I do not believe they know the use of a tooth brusn.CLEANLINESS IN CAMP.The Americans kept the best policed and cleanest camps. AIL garbage was carefully removed and buried in pits at some distance, rears were invariably established promptly and limed or covered with dryearth daily. In fact, there was no fault tobe found as regards sanitation, and I believe it is a second nature with the regular soldier to be clean and to make others dothe same. Anyway, they made bfe a burden to the Chinamen by insisting onexcept nor was itas strong, and their system of driving required two teamsters instead 01one. ' • NATIVE PONIES AND PACK CAMELS.au:All nations utilized the native carts forThese were of twotransport purposes, kinds, the Peking cart, used by the Chinese for passenger purposes, and the huge lumbering freight cart. The Peking cart consisted of a heavy pair of shares, mountedon an extremely heavy. pair of woodenwheels with huge hubs, and a strong hard-and with very carried really a great dssisf-own transport• John cleaningout his streets and bouses, which, judging from their condition, I donitlio/I hfton lt;lnnp Since tlie \lbit UJ-believe had been done since Marco Polo at least.The British kept fairly clean camps, butthev seemed to do it by spasms. Let them get dirty and then turn out about a thousand coolies and do a week’s work in tvso11 ^ j j.The Japs kept their immediate quartersclean, but were, not at all bhrticuhir ottheir environs. The camps of the Russians and French were plainly perceptible by tne olfactorv nerves even at some distance.Although they established rears in theirpermanent camps, their condition was frightful; and but little attention was paid to camp sanitation, llad it not been for the coo! weather that came in September L think they would have had trouble withsickness from this cause.The Germans kept their camps very cleanand seemed thoroughly to understand the value of sanitation. They had stringent rules regarding the care of the health ot their men, but had the biggest sick report, I believe, of any—mostly diarrhoea, dysentery, and some typhoid. This is surprising In view of the care they took.wood axle. Between the shafts was a lightw’ooden platform; in some cases it is or woven rattan. This was surmounted by a lattice-work canopy covered with cloth ana with a sunshade, which extended over thecart and mules. It was a heavy, ungainlyvehicle and extremely top-heavy. - The freight cart was of the same style, but heavier, and had a solid wooden bottom and 110 top. In addition to the shaft animal were three and sometimes four ponies or mules, harnessed abreast, long rope traces. These enormous loads, and wrere ance to the troops whosewas limited. . ,The Province of Chi-Li was rich in ponies and mules, many of the latter being splendid animals equal to our own. especially for packers, as they were short, coupled with big barrels; in fact, ideal pack mules.Near Peking was obtained also a large number of camels of the two-hump or Bac-trian breed. These ungainly brutes carried 500 pounds apiece, and were the cheapest transport in China. They ate all kinds or refuse forage that £t mule would not touch, and thrived upon it. The saddle was simplicity itself, consisting of two narrow wooden bars, running at right angles to the ribs, and connected by a few pieces of old rope thrown loosely across the animal s back; these equalized the pressure of theload on the ribs. The cargo was simplytied together dnd hung on each side. One man cared for six animals; he led the ftrM bv a long cord passed through the gristle of the nose, the other five were tied to their leaders in the same manner, the cord being made fast to the saddle. The last camel carried a bell suspended from his neck and shaped like a section of stove pipe. As long as the bell sounded the camel driver knew his string was intact withoutThri46Jerlooking around. We employed a number ofin coalMETHODS OF TRANSPORTATION.In transportation none of iho allies could touch the Americans. Our amount was limited at first, but this was soon supplied. Although we had only escort wagons, theirnd the amount they hauled surprised. .the foreigners, and when we told them that these were our light wagons, .^ent because the anticipated difficulty of Chinesethese beasts to haul in coal from the mines to our camp at Peking. They only made about two and one-half miles an hour, but as this pace, like that of the British Pack train, was regulated by their coolie drivers. who walked, I don’t know whether it is natural or not, but think it is. They have nasty tempers, and are prone to kick and bite, many being muzzled. Having tried them, I do not think much of them as a saddle animal, the motion being similar to that of one of the Philippine coasting steamers in a typhoon.Although .our wagons did splendid serviceand held up well under heavy loads and ox er rough roads, we were at times embarrassed by the fact that spare parts were-not interchangeable on all the wagons. \\ e had three different kinds of escort wagons, all differing slightly, and T think this is a mistake. These wagons should be built to standard specifications, no matter who Is the maker; thus all parts would be interchangeable, a prime necessity in a cam-ThiArneristowasNewlocalrancfinetowrTharre:for lt;crea.mereFift:turnsufflt;towringtlt;Fiellt;tee;himthenMr.a m the 1Ththeat ti tlerl]byAlbtc-arr the in t he likepipassthetrip.Tt v a y the mile had that milt« «i bu line.*•paign.sizeclAll the foreigners were very partial to fair leather equipments, and the British and Germans kept theirs in a beautiful condition.CLOTHING.somwillattecast » *ANDotroads, and that at home we habitually used a much larger, stronger wagon, hauledby six mules and driven by one man by a single line, thev listened politely but ditln t believe it. Our wagons were usually loadedwith from :1,5lt;k) to 4,OUt) pounds, according to the condition of the roatl. But even on the days when the other nations stopped their trains because of the mud. ours went through on schedule time. With our s\ s-tem one man c-ared for four mules, and each mule hauled from TOO to 1.000 poundsof stores. With the cart systems of the others, this never exceeded .00 pounds per animal, and each animal required one manto care for him. .Our pack trains also surprised them agreat deai. The system of putting loanson so that they staid there until unlasnedwas something new, the Diamond Hitchbeing indeed a mystery to them, i hen. too.*■; EQUIPMENTThe Japs marched with but little equipment, that is, the weight was not great; but they seemed to have all they wanted. Hie British troops also were lightly loaded. Both of these nations had a coolie for every fighting man. or about that proportion.The Russians carried little, a rough blanket in a roll, the ends of which were tiedtogether and stuck in their soup cans. .V wooden water bottle and a canvas haversack completed their outfits. rl lie J renchthe one Thing ------ . . . ,ment was the manner in wnich the mu esfollowed the hell mare. How tiftx mulescould be turned loose and kept controlled.especially on herd, by a couple of men wasremarkable, but when it came to diningthem along a crowded road and through the labyrinthine streets of Chinese cities, without decreasing the speed, losing a mule, or stopping to adjust loads, they simply marveled.The Japs had a number of pack horse* with' panniers, fierce little Japanese stallions with shaggy manes and bulging eyes, each one led by a little soldier, and horseand man were generally executing a sortof waltz in the dust. They were not muchgood. Their principal dependence were little, one-horse carts, consisting of a. light r’at form and shafts mounted on two small wheels Thev had neither sides nor ends, and. 1 hough * of light construction, were strong. They carried about .»(»lt;) pounds, maximum load. Each, horse was led by asoldier, and they were well handled andverv efficient, but not near as good as a four-wheel vehicle like ours. However, thev had plenty of them, and kept them-selves well supplied by their means, andthat is the main thing.The Russians used a two-wheel cart, considerably larger than those of the Japs, with flaring sides and ends; it. w7as v ery roomv and commodious and strong. They were drawn by shaggy Manchurian ponies of great strength and stamina. They moved much faster than the Jap carts, w hicn wore always led. They carried as much as Sod pounds over good roads and for short hauls, but 500 was the average. This cart seemed to me to be extremely serviceable, strong, handy, and fairly light and wed constructed.PACK MULES AND CARTS.and Italians had very heavy packs. The Germans were heavily loaded, seemed to have a belt and pouch for everything from a pair of boots to a meerschaum pipe I only sow’ them marching on the roads, but feel certain that if they went into action they would either have to strip and run the risk of losing their packs or else develop powers of endurance that men ot noother nation possess.In the matter of dress, our men are verysensibly clothed, in comparison with theothers, especially in the matter of foot andhead gear. Our blue flannel shirts excitedadmiration.The Japs limped in heavy, stiff brogans, which thev wore apparently for the same reason a plantation negro wears shoes on Sunday for showy as they moved around barefoot or in straw' sandals with ease and comfort. Their Summer uniform was ofcoarse, white drill, made very tight fitting,extremely so—they seemed ready to burst at every seam. The Winter uniform was of coarse xvoolen cloth, varying in color and trimmings, according to organizations, and most spectacular in these combinations. Indeed, all the armies except the American reveled in gold and colored lace on their Winter uniforms, and. although it is striking, it’s a nuisance, and requires much labor and care to keep it present-c\t)leAltogether the American force was better fed. both in quantity and quality of the ration better clothed, and, for.the Winter es-cially so, and had the best transportation, newspaper correspondents to the contrary notwithstanding. Wheie the - Americans fell down in the eyes .of the foreigners wasin military appearance. Our men wereslouchy in dress and rambled about clothed or half-clothed or dressed in any old way that their fancv dictated, but this wras true of our officers also. 1 am sorry to say. We seemed to lack a proper pride in our personal appearance. .The foreigners thought this go-as-you-please manner was due to lax discipline, where it’s a National characteristic, though hflfi nne and one easy of correction ifreacweKielTlserxbanJenupothe:ticequaItofContalkwatpoircalaioi\Ythefor« ip!a(Fieilart hei thetowFietiglmirThithet h e« ifollow. This particular feature has beenrampant in our army since ’OS does notBRITISHThe British had an immense number of mules, small, active, vicious littlepackbeasts. They were led tandem, three in onebunch., the halter chains of the two rearones running to a ring in the saddle of theone preceding. The coolie in charge of thethree led the lead mule. He took care of allthree. The pack saddles were of iron orsteel, very strong, light, xind neat, writhbreast and breech straps. They had curved lugs or hooks on each side,seem to improve at all. But the American s arms were .always clean and in good-order, and he can shoot and take care of himself better than his more neatly dressed brothers-in-arms, and, he wras animated by a spirit of humanity and regard for the rights of others that was in marked contrast to the actions of these same presumably disciplined troops. After all, these things are the true test of true discipline and not perfect alignment and polished buttons. Butboth could go hand in hand.maI 1lt;F Frc a be I si;FieAAirtioentmao’cStrtheveiditPaweAuotlraifieDoMemnmeYtheanonlt;byprlt;tineViwlwcruruPClLITTLE FRIENDLY INTERCOURSE.se,twtaon which theload was hung. The parcels to be carriedlUilU vx ci. nil lift • ^ X- ■----- ~~ ~ . .were lashed around with a close twisted rope which was provided w’ith small loopsor ears, leather covered to prevent chafing. To load the mule the cargo was simultaneously lifted to each side, and the loopshung over the hooks. This was quick, but the load did not stay on if the mule trotted or acted foolish, which they often did. In other words, they lashed the load to the saddle while w’e lashed it to the mule. As they normally move at the gait of the coolie walking, the system works all right.They also had a number of carts with wooden axles and solid w’ooden wheels, which I noticed were abandoned all along the road with broken axles. As they were such a lumbering, self-evident failure, I will not dwell upon them. In September they got a large number of carts from India. All were steel built, with lattice bottoms and sides, patent hubs, and wood fellies and spokes. They had a pole and were drawn by pack mules, the pole being fitted with a swiveled crosspiece at its end Each end of this crosspiece rested on the iron pack saddle where It w’as engaged by a ring, the mule bridles were connectedbv a halter shank.These carts were exceedingly strong and well constructed, and larger than the Russians’, but the method of attaching thedraught animal did not permit of the full strength of the beast being utilized. There was also considerable play to the saddle, which caused sore backs. But they loaded them verv lightly. They took excellent care of their stock, every animal was thoroughly groomed daily and blanketed atnight.' Thev not only picketed with a heavy iron pin by the halter shank, but had a heel rope or chain attached by a leather ring or collar. So they were moored fore and aft like a ship in a stream. They said that it was impossible to picket them any other wav because of their fighting propensities, but thev also said they could not drix’e them in the same manner as our pack mules, and then admitted they had not attempted to do either one. I believe that their mules would stand to a picket likeours if given a show.The French, Italians, and Austrians had no transport except what they picked upin the country. ,The Germans were in much the same fix, but late in the season got in a large number of their military baggage ’wagons. These wagons were quite narrow at the bottom and flared out considerably at the side. The axles were of steel of rectangular section and had no sand bars or falsebolsters; the wheels were of wood, with patent hubs. The spokes spaced very far apart, making too weak a wheel for a rough road. The absence of sand-bars, together with their very narrow bottoms, threw the load on the centre of the axles too much, causing many to buckle, throwing wheels out of. line and consequently increasing the draft on the team. The brake power was transmitted by a crank and rod fitted with vfflrra gear. The harness was of fair leather, and breast straps were used instead of collars and hames. The man on the box drove the wheel team only; the lead team was controlled bv a driver mounted on a near horse. This wagon does not compare with our escort wagons,was not as capacious, was badly shaped,Regarding the feeling existing among the factions of this cosmopolitan force, it was amusing and instructive to see the cordial dislikes and hatred of the different nations for each other. Of course, all official relations were nice and diplomatically cordial, but that sort of intercourse means—noth-The true feeling came out in the intercourse, or rather lack of intercourse, of the different forces. The Jap was smiling and polite to all and in evidence in all the camps, especially the British and Ameri-The Russian flocked by himself andin0-aeacr-thN«leihiLito/pi;w;ofprJowlt;Wcan.did not even seem to care for his friend, the French. The British and American troops were always together and constantlyin each other’s camps. The German kept to himself and the French also, except when he was in the Russian camps. Few of them were visitors to any extent in the English-speaking camps, (except the Japs,) nor were they welcomed by the troops whenthey did come.The British were, in fact, the only realfriends we had, and the only ones whowere Willing to help us if we needed it,and of course we returned with interesttheir courtesy and kindness. The Jap was.tliRClt;arccatWwylt;tov;pleasant and smiling and that was all—he Just simply smiles; he smiled on the Russian as he smiled on the American, and if he had any thoughts he kept them private somewhere In his little round head.vicctrtlccMb:THE MANCHURIA RAILROAD.Russia Making Great Efforts to FinishIt—Said to be Buying Locomotives In America.tcaiQ1tic;ai,clt;tlt;,atlitBERLIN, May 11.—Th^e Cologne Gazette prints a St. Petersburg dispatch saying that Russia is hastening to finish the Manchuria Railroad by purchasing locomotives in America, taking temporarily rolling stock from the Russo-European roads, and greatly increasing the number of railroad officials. In this way Russia before longhopes to be able to throw a couple of army corps into Manchuria by rail.The paper further says that M. Delcasse, the French Foreign Minister, who recently visited St Petersburg, pledged France’ssupport of Russia in regard to the Manchuria question.Nt’osTonHouse Collapsed, One Killed.nohetChicagoCHICAGO, May 11.—By the collapse of a two-story building in Larrabee Street, on the North Side, to-day, one man wascrushed to death and several people were injured. It is feared that others may be under the debris.Smallpox on Board, Ship Quarantined.11.—The steamshipfrom Liver-MONTREAL, May Lake Superior, Capt, Taylor,pool for Montreal, with smallpox on board, is quarantined at Grosse Isle for twenty-one days. She has 700 passengers on board.tr1IItlt;3r1cEt
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New York Times
New York, New York, US
Sun, May 12, 1901
Page 2
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CA 20 Dec 2021
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