The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1875-04-01
THURSDAY. APRIL /, 1879.
How the Roy. In Blue are parI.
A correspondent II the Denver

How the HOys I'm Blue are paid.
A correspondent If the Denver
Ne,es accompanied Col. Stanton, Pay
master U. s. Army, on a recent trip
10 the military posts ON this frontier,
And gives the following account Of
how the troops are paid:
The regular troops Of the United
States army are mustered for Tny
every two months, tho Esval year
commencing June 81. 4 ~payIuastcr
- appointed for every SUh-li-'rict,
whose duty it is TO attend personally
To the disbursement Of all funds due
for service 10y every person connected
with the army in his district, no
matter in what capacity the employee
serves. The puyma-ter regularly
sends estimates 10 Washington in re-
gard to the funds needed for dis
bursemcnt, and upon receipt of
which sufficient currency Is inaulC-
diutely placed to his credit In the
pearest depository to his hCadquGr-
iers. AT the proper time these funds
are taken charge Of ny the ~rnyElast,r
and he proceeds to the various mill
tary posts under his jurisdiction.
The adjutBnts Of these rusts are then
AAATAlA EN'hA ~ ANAAHAA 10 AaN. 10Y AeNnhA
musters uf pay-rull- of The command,
the rolls containing the lame Of the
soldier, the place where he enlisted,
hy what officer he was enlisted, the
date tU which he was last paid, and
ali other data to enable payma-tcrs
TO make a correct statement Of his
account. From these rolls tho pay
master makes up in detail the
amIurft due each enlisted man. The
rolls are then rCCeiptCd by each man,
and are ready for payment, upon
which the troops are marched by
companies To tho temporary head
quarters adopted by the paynlastcr,
and paid nOn-COmnissiOued officers
first, private5 next. The rates of
payment tO upn- commissioned officers
and privates are as follows: First
sergeant, 81 per month other ser
geants, $l7 each ~cOrpOrals, $50; pri-
~ates, $i3 per month for first five
yesrsof enlistment. Tue pay of all
THESE grades is increased in the third
year of enlistment, 81 per month;
fourth year, 81, and nth year, 50;
but these amounts are always re-
tuinCd by The government and paid
when the term of enlistment expires.
ShouHd the soldier rC-enIiSt Within
thirty days of the expiration Of hi,
first term Of enlistment, his wage
are Increased two dollars per month
above the amount received during
the last months OF his original term.
The above grades ali draw clothing,
rlti0n~, and have medical attendance
furnished free Of ChNrgV. The ruliUu1
Eud clothing are
Sd AMPLE FOR ALL NEEDS,
and many of the soldiers save and
are paid for a fair portion not used.
Upun discharge from service, each
soldier IS allowed one days pay and
subsistence for every twenty miles he
is obliged 10 travel from the place Of
his discharge to the point al which
lie was enlisted, tAiS being intended
to pay necessary travelling expenses
home. For the convenience OF Officers
and men who wish, TO ave money,
the government h~agpruvided a rCgu-
lar system of banking, the details Of
which are attended to entirely by
the paymaSter and his clerk. BY
this arrangement troops raj de-
post funds regularly and receive
interest at tile rate of four per cent,
per annum on all sums over fifty
dollars. Amounts 50 deposited are
al IlufAN NN'lb u ''bJN AHCbNhN ~ :
uepOSitOrs, and statements Of accounts
regularly sent to the Washington
headquarters. Besides encouraging
good habits on the part Of soldiers,
Fhis system materially reduces the
proportion of assertions, as its work
inSS are understood. In this district
Rbout one-ffth of the gross earnings |
or the soldiers are kept on deposit,
and the ratio IS steadily increasing, |
which proves cOnclU>iVeiy that SOL
dierS are notthe shiftIesS spcUdthrIfts
they are by many supposed to be.
zine paymaster also issues drafts on
New York in lieu Of currency. when
eVer individuals desire to seud money
home, or to remote points for any
purpose. Fhis privilege is also taken
advantage of by many of the boys in
b.ue, which is another evidence of the
heaRHy, mora. tone of the various
posts. IL may be mentioned here
that this district, of which Major T.
II. Stanton is paYmaSter, is one of
the most undesirable, and the duties
the most arduuuS OF any siInilar posi-
ton in the United States military
service The tour covers over seven
hundred miles o.! travel, on n frontier
Unusually EXPOSED to the inrOadS of
savages and the iuC'emeuCieS of
weather. Oue month is generally the
time required to complete the trip,
during which period the payniastcr
and his efficient clerk, Mr.. Fl. w.
Chase, travel entirely by ambulance,
HecoRpanied by a suitable escort,
and sleep most of the time upon the
ground, at all seasons of the wear.
OF course, all the enjoynIents Of
home life are thus
NECESSARILY BLOTTED OUT