The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-05-04
SOLDIERS BUDGET.
A Regular Soldiers Life.

ut would be good thing" SAYS an
arm y fficer in the New York Sun, "il
parents more generally knew that their
sons might go further and fare much
worse than in the United States amy
Could they know fully, as we know
the benefits Of the service to young
men, they would approve of their sons
enlisting rather than object to it.
1.-THE general opinion that pee pie
have Of life in the army is erroneous in
The extreme. The army is not rough
place, nor is the service, except on the
far frontier and in the winter, a rough
service. Young men, even those who
have acquired vicious habits in civi
life, come out of the army after five
years of service better men, unless they
are utterly incorrigible and bent on {
life of evil. The service and the disci
pline develop all the good qualities OF
the man. He knows that disobedienct
of orders or violation of any of the un
written laws which should govern so.
cieiy meets with prompt and meritet
punishment, and that makes him sup.
press and govern what may be vicious
in him. This discipline gives him 6
manly courage, an assurance he might
not otherwise possess, better respect
for law and order; and he learns tc
obey without questioning, which is
unfortunately, something young men
do not learn in civil life.
''There is another thing TO be con-
sideted about service In the army, and
that is the habits of economy and pru-
dence that are generally acquired
True, the pay is not large-$13 a
month, but in addition to this the men
have a home, food, abundant clothing,
medical attendance, and, in fact, every
thing necessary to comfortable exis-
tence. They do not have the luxuries,
to be sure, but such as they may re-
quire or desire, for that matter, are OBJ
tainable from the Commissary or Quar-.
termaster at just what those things cost
the Government to purchase at whole
sale. The men are paid once in two
months, and, if they are provident and
not extravagant, the greater part of
their wages may be saved, and if the
soldier 80 desires, the money can be
deposited with the Government. When
the amount of these deposits reaches
$50, interest at the rate of four per
cent begins to accumulate. This
money once deposited, cannot be
touched until the soldiers time is out
and he gets his discharge, when he
hands in his deposit book and receives
the amount due him.
During the third year of service the
government allows the soldier 81 q
month extra; during the fourth year
So, and during the fifth year SO. This
accumulation, S72, is paid the soldier
when he receives his discharge. He
may also save during his fve-year term
as much as 5000 on the single item OF
clothing if he is careful of his uniforms
All of these methods of saving allow
him to accumulate snug little capital
to start him in life with when he leaves
the army, if he cares to leave. More
over, wherever he may be at the time Of
his discharge he receives his transpor'
tation to the place of his enlistment al
the rate of days pay of every twenty
miles of distance, and an additional al
lowance of thirty cents day for ra.
tons. Thus, should he happen to be
in Montana at the time of his discharge
and be entitled to transportation to
New York, he would receive $3.50, OF
S75 more than the actual cost of trans
portation, or an entire profit OF Sl5C
if he chose to remain in Montana
Very many soldiers who have served
their time on the frontier have settled
down there and become prosperous
and influential citizens, and the from
tier has many prosperous farmers to-
day who became such from the savings
of term of army service, that enables
them to take up claims and make happy
homes.
"There are great many good phases
to army life if people only knew is. Ii
all the Western posts there are regu
larly established libraries and reading
rooms, containing the daily papers anC
the best current literature. Then there
are schools under the supervision O
regularly appointed government teach
ers, where the best kind OF common ant
practical education is given without ex
pense. If soldier desires to pursue
his studies further, officers are willing
to assist them. Besides that he ha
plenty of leisure time to educate him
self. The drill and guard duty is no
severe, and, taken all in all, the worl
required is much less combining and on
erous than that in many of the pursuit
the soldier would follow in civil life
And the service is healthful, and Their
is very little-I might almost say no.
opportunity to cultivate or contract tn
vices 80 rapidly acquired in our cite
and towns.
"The opportunities to soldier, also
for making money are many, especial,
if he have good trade. Tailors, shoe
makers, carpenters, blacksmiths, ma
sons, bakers, tinsmiths, harnessmakers
and sometimes painters, bricklayers
telegraph operators and other skilled
workmen pick up considerable sums o
money in the course OF the year b.
doing odd jobs for the officers and sol
diers of the post where they are sta
toned. l honestly believe that sucl
men do better in financial way in thu
army. when these extras and their reg