Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-12-11

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UjK{&H3NkIzM dy master General
'i'G&EIESIYIEW Stantons recommen-
EIghHT w cation for the re-
YMgN sumption of the for
KM mer system of pay
VIII ing Off enlisted men
that is, in person
by the departmental paymasters They
were correspond:ngly disappointed when. a
short time later, the War Department an
nGunced that the present system would be
continued. The old system of direct nav
ments by the paymasters had preyailed
Stree the establishment sof the United
States army until about two years ago.
when, on the score of economy in the pay
masters and the paymasters clerks mile
age accounts, the system of forwarding the
enlisted men their monthly pay by express
was inaugurated. This is the system that
is to be continued, although 1t is said to
nave worked unsatisfactory from the be-
ginning. A good deal of money thus ex-
pressed TO remote posts has been lost, much
CONFUSION has arisen in setting losses right
and the paymasters themselves heavily
borded, necessarily complain to the de-
partment of the Injustice of compelling
trem to transfer to the hands of others,
rot bonded at all, moneys for the loss of
which. in transit, they or their bondsmen
might be made to suffer.
The soldiers themselves. and esnecia1Iv
the old-timers, regard the expressed -enyei-
ope payday with unconcealed dislike. 1t
practically does away with the old-time
Joyous payday function. Under the pres-
ent system, the men simply straggle into
the orderly room upon the first sergeants
announcement that the money has arrived,
ana Under the eye of the captain or frs;
lieutenant, or one of the minor officers of
their companies, handed their strong
manila envelopes-a complete shearing of
all the former fun of standing alphabetical
ly in line payday, and of rackline in
the hands fresh bills and of iinglirg loose
gold and silver d:shed out at first hand by
the paymaster's clerk with the pIastered
hair. under the supervision of the puffy
paymaster with the very strong cigar, and
other little joys attending the long-cstab-
hshed system of paying off. $
Arrival of the ePaymaster.
The fun of watching out for the arrival of
the paymaster as pay day drew nigh was
something that the soldiers looked forward
TO, especially in the lonely posts off the
railroads. At these remote posts the driver
of the post ambulance would always be the
first man to get the news that the nav
naster was approaching. The commanding
o1lcer would get a fdispatch, brought 10 the
post by pony messenger, from the nearest
station announcing that the paymaster
would arrive at the station at such-and
such an hour. and he would summon the
ambulance driver and order him to have
the ambulance ready, I 'prepared for the
paymaster." at that hour. Then The, am
bulance driver would Iops to the quarters
of the men with the news. and il. would be
all over the post like wild-fire. At such
out-of-the-Way posts an escort OF about
half dozen men was always provided for
the ambulance carrying the paymaster.
ana. Tor no especial reason aside from the
chances for excitement, all the men liked
to be detailed as members of these escort
parties. Very often during the past quar-
ter OF century these escort parties have
had heavy work cut out for them in de-
Tending the paymaster and his money grips
from the attacks of determined bandits
and on at least two notable occasions they
have been outfought and practically ami
hilated by the highwaymen.
At the larger posts, nearer to Civilization
and directly on lines of railroad, the time
of the arriI al of the paymaster was pure
~ probiematical up to the very hour he
put in his appearance in garrison, anu
when pay day time drew elose--no exact
calendar day was adhered to by the
paymasters under the former system for
paying off in certain posts-the men made
1t practice to bet tobacco, trinkets of the
kit or even small sums of money on the
cay of the paymaster's arrival The inter-
est OF the canteen steward in the matter
was probably mere acute for business rea-
sens than that ot any other man in Ii large
post, for ii devolved upon him to provide
the necessary number of barrels of beer
to meet the demand the paymaster's ar
rival created.
Suppressed Excitement.
Even after the arrival of the paymaster
at the post the men were usually kept on
tenter hooks for a couple of hours before
they learned just when they were 10 get
their money. Those unoccupied with military
duties would keep an eye on the command
ing officers quarters where the paymas-
TOR al la1 ff,r
period from one to four or five hours be-
fore beginning business The appearance
oil the paymaSter'S clerk with his heavy
d athcrn bag, plodding along for regimental
headquarters, would be the signal for a
sort of suppressed shout, and then the first
sergeants of the companies would speed in
to the quarters and order the men to as
sumo sidearms and gloves for the paying
CT ceremony. The men were marched to
1egiriental headquarters in companies, and
then arranged in Indian file, alphabetically.
according to their names. The paying of
would be done rapidly and the men would
dispense for the chief business of the day
settling up.
On pay days the enlisted banker, the
lender Of small sums of money to COM
radeS at the rate Of interest OF about 500
per cent year. would establish sort of
flyer office of his own on his bunk. Soldiers
Of the United States army are scrupulouSiy
honest in their payment Of debts, even to
the Shylocks of the service, and for several
hours offer the paymaster lad finished his
work he would do quiet but none the less
profitable business on his bunk. Occasion
ally, when the men would crowd too thickly
around him. he would drop business for
spell and go outside. forr}1is business was a
forbidden and surrept.tious iyone. and he
feared the possible visitlof accompany Of
fioer. ~ ID
Lnyins in Provisions.
The very first thing the psid-off soldier
does after receiving hise money Is to pro-
vide himself with sufficient tobacco to get
him through the month, IT does not take
recruit very long to Ipercslve the good
sense of this move. After he has gone
practically tobaccoless for9sa couple of
months. owing to his failure to make proper
provision in this respeeH on spay days, he
falls into the habit of the hld-timers of
repairing to the post ekchaIiEe from the
paymaster's desk and getting himself an
armful Of tobacco, smoking or chewing.
Ninety-three per cent of the soldiers of
the United States army either smoke or
chew. or indulge in both habits. according
to statistics compiled on the subject. Sol
diers have OF recent years united infor-
mally against men known as tobacco
buns" There used to be class of men
In the army who rarely purchased any to-
bacco thems elves. but depended upon their
sn oothness to supply themselves with the