Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-10-14
CAMP POWERS.
Cool Reports Given from All the
Typhoid Patients.
The Work Of a Mathematician in QueIIinq
Discontinued Man.

Surgeon Martin of thes batteries is
much encouraged at the way his men
are fighting the fever, as out of the 20
cases in the hospital, only one of them
is critically i'll. This man is I.ancas-
ter OF Battery c, who has been very i'll
for several days. The condition of the
men in the other hospitals of the city.
continue to improve.
The officers OF the 1st Regiment are
deep in the work of arranging their
musterout rolls. In other words. each
one CT Chem is performing the duties of
an historian. They have to go back
through the company records. and
trace the records Of each man from the
date of enlistment to the present time.
Few of the officers are at all in love
with their literary work so recently
thrust upon them, but the only thing 70
do is to get it out of the way as soon
as possible.
Among the arrivals at the camp.
Thursday, We're Colonel Kendall and
Captain Michael Moriarity of Co. 1.
Captain James Moriarty of Co. D has
not yet arrived.
The subject of the pay that is re-
ceived by the common soldier. was be-
ing discussed at a little Sitting" held
in tent on the grounds, Thursday
One Of the men had expressed the opinion
that the soldiers were paid mighty poor
wages for their work, and another had
taken issue with him on the subject.
The latter was of mathematical turn
of mind. and he rather got the best Of
the argument, so the others thought.
He opened the subject by asking the
kicker how much he earned in private
life. The fellow replied that he re-
ceived $1.25 each day for his work.
Do you have steady work?" asked
the mathematician.
For about nine months in the year
we have almost steady work, but the
other three months we have TO loaf"
was the reply.
Then they got down to business and
the man of figures soon made his
weapons show up very well.
1t was found that if the man who
was earning s1.25 each working day of
the nine months had worked on each
day, never losing one, would have
earned in all s292.50. The man was
living in a town away from home. and
was paying $3.50 each week of the year
for board, which amounted to $1S2.
This left him but $11O.5O for clothing,
doctors bills, and all the incidentals.
The man said he often got little jobs,
through the odd period of the year,
when he was not at work, but he ad-
mhtted it would not amount to much
more than the time he had to lose, or
at least did lose during the time he
was working.
By figuring the amount he is now re-
ceiving from the government $3.50 per
| month it was found that he receives
S1S92O each year clear of all his ex-
penses, as his board and clothing, as
we'll as his doctors bills are all paid,
and if he is away on furlough his
pay continues.
1t was estimated by the same man,
that the common soldier clears more
in the run of a year than the man who
received 81 per day for his work, and
has to run the risk of losing time and
doctors bills.
What is the reason asked the man
of figures, "that you are kicking about
the service. on the ground that you are
not paid enough? Your work formerly
was away from home. 1t was far more
disagreeable than that of drilling four
hours each day, and doing the other
little duties about the camp"
| The kicker was silenced.