Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-05-13
The REGULAR ARMY.
Ssme Interesting Facts in Connect n
With Recruiting at Salem.


Ssme Interesting Facts in Connect Il
With Recruiting at Salem.
The attention Of the military re
porter of the JOURNAL was a few
days ago called to the appearance
upon our streets Of couple of
smarily dressed, we'll set up men in
the uniform Of the U. S. artillery,
wearing sergeants' cheverous. Up.
on inquiry learned they had been
sent There under the command of
Lieut.. f, T. Brown, 5lh Artillery,
Tor the purpose of procuring re-
cruits for their regiment, and more
particularly for their companies,
now stationed at Fort Candy, at the
mouth of the Columbia river. The
two companies stationed there will
in one years time be transferred to
the Preside, San Francisco.
Having in former times come in
contact with troops of the regular
army we are pleased to note that the
army has kept pace with the march
of improvements. Noteworthy was
the change in the quality and make
of the clothing now issued to the
troops, and upon inquirlng it was
learned that the troops were now fed,
lodged and taken care of better than
any workingmaa (single) is able to
do for himself on $l,40 to $500 per
day. The soldier of today has a
woven wire mattress, with cotton
mattress to sleep on, and is provided
with sheets, pillows, etc. His
rations are more ample and he has
now vegetable ration, so if the
garden, which most posts have, is o
failure, he is sure of fresh Yegeta
bles. The company fund which
formerly was used to purchase table
furniture, etc., is no longer charged
with that item of expense, the gov
ernment now issues complete sets OF
dishes, and the fund is used to pro
vide delicacies for the table. There
is quite a number of other changes
for the welfare of the enlisted men
Among others, they are not obliged
to go to bed as soon as it is dark but
have till II o'clock p. M, even if not
on pass.
fla man who enters the service
finds he does not like it he can pur
!, chase his discharge at the end o
one year for Sl20 and at any time
after that at S. less per month unit
at the end OF three years he can
have his discharge for nothing if ht
so desires, though he has to enlis
, for five years.
But Uncle Sam in upsetting thu
theory that no man but meier do
well or "a confirmed loafer woulC
enter the regular army, and he use(
to treat them as such, has als'
raised the grade of the kind of meI
he will take. A man who nov
wishes to enter the regular arm.
will find he must be of proven goo'
character, sound in mind and body
and as we were told day or tw
ago, Uncle Sam expects to get 81
men for the pay of $l3 per month
: which is raised to SIS per mont
a after five years. But on the othe
] hand, Uncle Sam will provide goo
, food and clothing, medical attend
/ ance and good treatment, aud raise
, the pay every five years, and after
service of 80 years he will retire tn
soldier on three-fourth pay an
allowances for the remainder Of hi
life, which we are Informed amount
to about $33 per month.
TO those young men of brigh
abilities he offers a commission a
an officer after they have served q
a non-commissioned officer tw
years, provided they can pass tn
necessary examination and tests.