Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-13
THRIFT TY BLUE COATS
TonSorial and Sartorial Artists in the
Army and Navy.
EARN PLENTY OF EXTRA MONEY
Sometimes They Are Detailed by
Their Commanding Officers.
HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS

Written Exclusively for The Evening Star
While the government only pays n private
soldier in the United States army Si3 a
month, the army regulations do not re-
strain him from earning all the extra
money he can. so long as he does not per-
init his work to interfere with the per
formance of his military duties In the
oiu days IL used to be common
garrison remark that every bandsman In
the United States army was a cobl,l.r
For the most part, the bandsmen were men
with families, and, to amplify their some
what nggardly incomes from Uncle Sam.
a very great many of them took to the
work OF patching the soldiers boots and
shoes during their rather scarce leisure
hours. They made small charges. and each
OF them contrived to pick up a few dollars
every month by this means In time how
ever, the daily practice hours for bands
men prescribed by new regulations took
up nearly all the time the musicians had
nitherto devoted to cobbling, and at the
headquarters OF the regiments their patron
age OF this sort fell into the hands of the
privates. At the small posts. more or less
oeit privates always captured the work
OF mending their comrades footgear Nom
commissioned officers i'm the army are no,
permitted by their superiors 10 engage in
TINS or any other sort OF money-getting
work q similar character. with the SOL
dlers for patrons, the view taken being
That in doing a job of work for an inferior
IN rank for lucre the non-com's dignity
would be dcteriorated and his control OF
the men relaxed. This unwritten reeula-
tlon mas caused n any a prosDerIuc private
doing well at cobbling or tailoring TO
strongiy resent his promotion TO the stripes
and chevrons. The private who hustles for
ezra com by laboring with his hands Is
olten such a frst-rate soldier that his
company commander regards in as ahso-
lutely necessary that he be made a non
commissioned officer. In many cases the
chasrin and disgust CT a buck private
who is making money hand over fist is 100
deep for expression. He is of course
compelled 10 accept his promotion. Bur ne
cannot be compelled 10 hold his chayrons
py eooG ceal and. by the commission of
q lev minor ofenses none of them sufii-
clently serious TO get him into actual troti-
bic. he VIII frequently contrive TO get him.
self busted to the ranks again So thai
sans stripes and chevroEs. he may resume
me practice of his none y-makne trade
OF late years, however officers arc catch
ing on TO this little scheme. so that nova
Gays, when one of these accountability
alsp,sed non-commissioned officers is broke
10 ule RANKS for cause, he is often not
permitted TO resume his former labors for
cash. .'-
An Army Tailor
A company tailor i'm the army Is detailed
for the work by his company commander.
always on account of his fitness for the
job. He must be a man who has thor
oughly learned the tailoring trade before
entering the service. 1t is now quite COM
mon for young tailors who do not find
themselves prosperous IN civil life to make
Investigations in recruiting offices as to
army companies, troops or batteries that
lack taflors. Hitting upon such a tailor
less outfit, the yielder of the shears
doesn't have much trouble In enlisting for
the company that is deficient i'm uniform
maker provided he can pass the physical
examination. Nor is Il by any means a
bad move on his part. An army company
tailor makes a good deal of money-at the
very lowest figure three times as much as
the average jourBeyman tailor quite aside
from the pay he draws from the govern
ment. He is required to do really sl<illfui
work, for soldiers of the United States
army are exceedingly finical as to the lit
and finish of their uniforms A large part
OF the company tailors work consists in
the altering of government straight" uni
forms. as the ready-made uniforms are
called by the men. These uniforms are
dished oIt to the men when they first enter
the service. They invariably fit badly SO
that when recruit draws his first months
pay ne takes his uniforms fatigue and
mastering, to the company tailor to have
them altered TO fit his shape. The Job eats
up about all his initial pay day. but the
i'Siuit. weary OF serving Darrack-
room laughing-stock. considers IT money
wen spent After few months the qucs-
ton OF a new tailor-made uniform begins
to agitate the recrui; who wishes to enter
the lists to buck for commanding Off
GERS ORDERLY at guard mount So he draws
the cloth from the first sergeants stores
turns ii over to the company tailor and
gets himself measured for a uniform thar
is to fit him like a mold. and knock an
Other months pay kite-high. Later. he
feels he can't sleep o nights unless he
discards his government straight over
coat and cape, and gets tailor-rnade gar
ments instead. Thus the company tailor
prospers. He is required TO perform hard
ly any military duty-perhaps nothing
more than rare guard tour-and. as often
as not, doesn't even have to stand monthly
muster. He grins in the teeth of the fell
lows who have to hop out of their warm
hunks at reveille i'm the gray dawn.
Barbering "a Regiment.
The amount of money the company bar
Ger makes depends in large measure upon
the degree OF his popularity with the men,
so that it behooves him to stand in with
them. In a regimental post there is gen.
orally barber for each company but it
is generally the case that, of all the out
fits, one or two Of the BARRIERS get the
great bulk of the trade on account Of
greater geniality, skill CT diplomacy-the
latter a trait never to be despised by any
soldier who Is looking to the pockets Of
pay. The company barber usually sets up
his shack I'm an unused store room close
to the quarters Of his outfit, and fits IL
UP out of his own pocket Some of them
are quite luxurious. The company barber
himself is very rarely a man who has
learned the trade Of harber.ng. He has
just picked 1t UP" from observation, gem
orally OF the work of other company bar
hers. but great majority of them become
in time quite as clever at the work as The
civilian BARRIERS. who have been regularly
apprenticed at the trade. They needs
must, in truth, for the American soldier
is mo less particular as to his beard and
hair than the most exacting of civilians.
The company barber charges each man In
his outfit, or all other customers, in fact,
whether from his own company or nos,
from 81 to 81 per month, in accordance
with the distance the post Is situated from
the barber shops of civilization, the amount
of work done, and on. Ordinarily the
81 g month charge includes three shaves a
week and two hair cuts q month, and the
- charge is levied upon men of such nfcesy
TO their cOuutenancea that they must