The Portland daily press., 1898-07-08

sums Of money fromstheir comrades. Gen.
Forsyth. the famous Indian fighter, told
your correspondent about q man in his
command who after payday-the troops
having been paid off for four months
service-sent home $1,000 which he had
won at poker fairly. He won that amount
inside of a week.
1t Is impossible to prevent soldiers from
gambling. They will do it in a corner
behind blanket, if no better opportuuity
serves. The fact that q man is, fond Of
playing cards~does not initiate against
his being good soldier. The average en-
listed man, when payday comes and he
mas il9 ga Undated MS small debts, is uneasy
unGil ne gets rid of his money. Many
soldiers look upon service in the army as
mere episode, getting as much amuse-
menu out or 1t as they can. They mean
TO quit at the close ofssthe war, and they
90 not expect to lay up anything. IT any
cash comes their way they are disposed to
spend 1T for whatever is going. These
strong under adverse circumstances, and
are apt to prove themselves capital fight
ers on occasion.
On the other hand, some soldiers save
surprising amounts of mony. Paymasters
IN the regular army are compelled, IL the
men request it, to take money from them
on deposit. On such deposits the govern
ment pays per cent per annum; The
question as to whether volunteers during
the present war are to enjoy this privilege
has not come for decision as yet. In San
Francisco few years ago "a sergeant ap-
preached regimental paymaster and as
tonished him by laying down Sl5 600 on
the pay table, asking that it be credited
to him. The paymaster refused, on the
ground that he was obliged to take only
the savings and ordinary accumulations
Of the men. The sergeant replied that
the SIS 900 represented his savings as an
enlisted man, inasmuoh as he had bought
wharf lot 10 years before and had just
sold it for the sum in question. The pay
master sale that the government could
get all the money it wanted at per cent
and it ought not to be obliged to pay
per cent under such circumstances. The
sergeant then refused to take the money
back, and the matter was referred to the
attorney general. who decided in his
favor.
Gen. Forsyth says that when he was in
command at Fort Hauchulca, Ariz, there
was an infantryman in his regiment who
was company tailor. He had been in
the service for 80 odd years, and had saved
his money. He earned outside of his pay,
by mending and altering clothes for sold
iers and officers, from SIP to $40 month,
and was reputed to have very large sum
on deposit in Califor mia savings banks.
Being questioned on the subject he told
Gen. Forsyth that the amount to his
credit was SIS. 900. He began to make de-
posits when he first enlisted, at time
when the savings banks on the Pacific
coast were paying 9 per cent month in
terest.
In India an army of 5000 or 1000 native
troops is accompanied by anywhere from
5000 to 5000 camp followers, including the
wives and children of the soldiers 1T
used to be the same way as far back as
the day Of Darius. Up to quite recent
times European armies were followed by
swarms of persons of every Imaginable
description, including numerous women
of dubious character. The policy Of the
war department during the present con-
fiict will be to discourage camp followers
as far as possible. Reasonable exception
will be made in favor of newspaper men,
who are perhaps the most persistent OF ali
camp followers. In speaking of camp
followers on ought not to omit mention
of the numerous animals which accom-
pany every army. Every company of
soldiers has it's pets, always including one
or two dogs, with an occasional squirrel
and raccoon.