Waterbury Evening Democrat

SHEDDING THE BLUE
The Uniforms of Uncle Sam's Soldiers Will Continue to Do Good Service.

Soldiers who have returned home and been mustered out are shedding the blue uniforms of Uncle Sam. But the uniforms will continue to do service even after being discarded by the men who wore them to the front. Occasionally a blouse, a pair of leggings or a cavalry boot is to be seen in the stock of a pawnbroker. Some of the soldiers get rid of the garments by giving them to their own children or their neighbors' boys. These youngsters delight in the blue clothes. They wear them regardless of fit, adjusting them as well as they may, with pins and bits of string. They are particularly fond of leggings, and a boy with a pair of them is the envied of all the juveniles in his circles. He can trade them for any other valuables any of the enviers may possess.

A canteen is another favorite article from the soldier's kit, but it is not always put to good uses. Over on the West side one day last week the police raided a can-rushing soiree in a secluded alley. The receptacle the guests were using was a canteen that went through the campaign.

The slouch hats are also in demand, especially amongst teamsters, or young fellows who desire to put a tough edge on themselves. Besides being a serviceable article of dress Uncle Sam's hats are capable of being pressed into wonderful and startling shapes. Some of the decorated hats command fancy prices, and many have been offered for sale, which the venders are willing to guarantee had seen service in the battles before Santiago. They point to holes in them as passages made by Mauser bullets.

Of course the soldiers are not allowed to retain their arms, but what they are allowed to keep they generally part with quickly, usually in a spirit of generosity, but occasionally as a means of profit--Chicago Chronicle.