Fort Dodge Messenger: Jan. 5, 1904

Army Rations Not In It

An Old Soldier Writes of His Christmas Dinner.

Former Fort Dodge Man Tells of Good Things to Eat at Old Soldiers’ Home on Christmas.

Those veterans of the civil war who are gathered together in the home for the old soldiers at Marshalltown fared just as well or better than many who had homes of their own on Christmas day. One soldier from Fort Dodge, who is now at the home, has written to the Messenger telling of the many good things that they were served on that day, and starts his letter with “Did we have dinner Christmas at the Soldier’s home? Read the following and draw your own conclusions.”

“One hundred and twenty-three pounds of turkey; three gallons of oysters for dressing; three gallons of good gravy, forty pounds of potatoes; fifteen pounds of bread, six pounds of good butter; forty pounds of plum pudding; three gallons vanilla sauce; green pears; fourteen quarts cranberries, nine pounds of sugar; one hundred and thirty-eight oranges; one hundred and sixty-two bananas; twenty-four pounds of candy, one-third of a barrel of apples, twelve dozen doughnuts; nine pounds of cheese; one and one-half dozen pickles, fifty pounds of milk, two pounds of Mocha Coffee; one-fourth pound Formosa tea. This was in our dining room in the O.P.B. We have two good cooks in the kitchen and five good girls in the dining room. Everything is cooked and served in good style.”

Tags: 1904