Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1888-09-18
rhirteen Dollars a Month.


Thirteen Dollars n Month.
"s.ve money on ,hif,een dollars
month ?" said a soldier N Fort Wayne.
repeating the query. "Yoa be, | save
money. That's what | wen, iato the
service for. I'm going 10 come out ai
the end Of FIVE years With $500 saved a'
the least. and I don't propose to be very
economical. III did Id se, the figure
at $780,"
The statement Vas . surprising one.
Th., the blue uniformed private, that
any full grown man could se, by over
slO0 per year on such small pay vas
something to be doubted At frs, thought.
aud the private saw H. SO he fastened
=, once To d.monsu.ie hos IL Vas done.
"a small percentage Of an enlisted
man, pay" be said. "s always retained,
90 a, the end Of Ave years he s bound to
have 81? TO hi. credit. This leaves the
actual pay be receive. sl3 Por month
for the fr, ,~o years, sit fot the third,
SIS for the fourth, and sl6 fof the mn
year. There 10 . certain allowance for
clothing which aggregates from s2oO 10
$500 Coz the Eve years Oat OF that
man ough, TO save from $3.50 to 5000.
"Bai ,h., leave. only 500 to elo,he
man fSr five years"
"I know IL. and II ~e 80, our clothes
Of. custom tailor |, ~ouldn't 20 far.
Ba, the go,ernmen, farnishe. oil the
elo,hs. =, very loo prices. B!'u'e' eO's
about s2.50 each. Psh,alcon. s2.2S .
pair, and DIRE. Goa, only ss OF ~
A priv.,. get. say 500 allowance for
the first year II be draws less than that
amount the balance stands to bis credit,
"And IL he draws more "
"Thsn the amour, i. deducted from
his p.y. The sovernmen, watches these
G otnsr, pretty closely. There i'a settle.
men, every 81, moh,h. and the men al
way. know Jas, how they stand. Nov
ia Eve year. . good steady man ought TO
save $500 Of hi, pay. 500 at the very
le.., on clothing aud So retained pay.
Some q, the fort nov will ssys - high
=. $500 during their fret years service.
If,hsy snli., ss.in they se, 81 per month
more. The ri.. Of ~ j, made on every
re.enlis,ment.
"Here's another thing that adds up.
A soldier can depo.i, hi. savings with
the United State. psymasier aud ge,
per cent inieres, from the momen, l, Is
turned over. Ba, once placed there be
cannot. for any reason. touch the money
again until he /, discharged. No matter
how badly he needs IL. there the money
mu.i stay. I've no doubt that many
man h.. been KEEP, from de.er,ipg by
having money With the payma.ier. Of
course IL they deserted they would no,
dare TO show up to claim !, aud It would
be dead lo..
"Hers another poin, where q man
stand. q good show Of making stake.
When he /. discharged hn get. . trans
por,.,ion from the place Of di.ehafs. TO
the place Of snli.,msn, =, the rate Of 81
cent. for every twenty miles. ia man
enli.,s in New York and is discharged
in AiiEona be can make the ,iP II be
choose. for probably one-half what he
receive. for transportation, which nets
him = snug sum-
"Do any married Pri's,e' squeeze
along on such small pay and save any
,hibgr
"Plsn,y Of them, sir. OF course the
soyernmen, does no, provide quarters
Tor familie.-or 10 no, expected TO. But
they are found =, every post. aud only
the consent Of the superior officer !. nee
s,..y to occupy them. Then women
are Away. needed, for there !. washing
to be done aud other work OF women's
kind. OF course the government issues
no rs,ions To families, but the soldier
with wife and children gets bis allow.
anee and ,ha, helps out. All Of them
do more or less work. and tha, hslrs out
some more. SO tha, = private with
family, II /, is not too large one, real
ly saves more than one without. There
are men a, For, Wayne who have bought
land outside. built cottages. and get
quite an income from them. There are
plenty Of lot. in Sprinswells owned by
soldiers IT For, Wayne.
"And is the life such ,hs, the men
often re.enlis,"
"oh. yes. lts an easy enough life,
and IL a man obeys order, he Is sure to
stand we'll with the officers, and have
more or less favors shown him. Oae
sergeant at the fort has been in the ssrv.
ice twenty-five years, aud others are
there ~ho havs been in the army twenty
five and twenty.six years. Under the
retiring act. after thirty years service,
man can do as he Plssses, and be sure
o. bis pay from the government Thir.
" years Is . long time, bu, propose to
stick them out. I've got only twenty
i =. ~ 49,, .h..d ~ me