The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-05-07
One Of the Effects Of
DeWcy'S Victory.
PATRIOTISM EXEMPLIFIED
Many Thousands of Dollars Spent
by the Business Men.
RECRUITS FROM MILLS HOTELS.

NEW YORK, May z. Especial. lit
wouldn't be correct to say that any one In
this town regrets the good work done at
Manila by Commodore Dewey unless IL
be an occasional Spaniard or an ultra
pence at any price chap here and there, but
1t Is true that there are some thousands Of
New Yorkers who feel pretty blue at the
present prospect of speedy termination Of
the war.
These are the men who have responded
with such splendid patriotism to Uncle
Sans FIRST call for volunteers, but are not
likely after all to have chance at the
fighting. All told more than 12, 500 men
have volunteered for military service here,
and IL, as seems probable, only those max
ing up the two accepted regiments from
Lafayette post are taken on, there will be
a surplus of more than 0,000, not count
ing the thousands who enrolled themselves
on the lists Of William d d'Hertburne Wash
ington's National Volunteer Reserves. The
disgust of those bound to be left behind is
intense. 1t Is possible of course that a
second call may be necessary later on and
that then nearly all will have a chance,
but this possibility Is remote.
Widespread Patriotism.
The extent to which New York has dis
played its patriotism within the past few
weeks is hardly understood, probably, even
by New Workers themselves Lafayette
post has enrolled about 1000 men, or one
regiment more than two brigndes; the Old
Guard hos brigade, three regiments;
John Jacob Astor has nearly full regi-
ment of artillerymen, Tammany has
regiment, the proposed Wall street regi-
ment is nearly full, and William Astor
Chanler had almost full regiment In
hand when he got tired OK waiting and
with three or four friends started south on
his own hook, intending to go to Cuba
and join forces with Gomez, SO as to take
personal hand in the fight whether or no.
OF course the recruiting of all these men
has cost a pretty penny. There are not
sufficient data at hand or likely to be ac-
cumulated for an accurate computation Of
the total expense, but 1t must run we'll up
into the tens Of thousands In cold cash, to
say nothing of the money value Of the
time expended.
Probably John Jacob Astorund William
Astor Chanler have spent moro money
than any other two individuals, since
their offers to the government included
equipping as well as raising troops, but
the expenditures Of some individual mem
bers of Lafayette post have been well
worth considering. Cornelius n. Bliss
offered the cloth for uniforming one regi-
ment of Lafayette's volunteers, and an
other member of the post announced him.
self ready to make up the uniforms.
have no definite knowledge as to how
much these uniforms win cost completed,
but their donors must surely stand to pay
out $40, 900 or more between them.
Lafayette Posts Expenses.
The drafting in of two regiments from
the Lafayette recruits to take the place OF
national guards creates demand for just
twice as many uniforms as these two pa
triotic members are ready to give, and OF
course the post itself must furnish them.
In addition to tho cost of the uniforms tho
post must have been at no small expense
in keeping its 81 recruiting stations open
for week or ten days.
1t Is true that somo of the stations were
in charge of men who gave their services,
but this was not an inyariable rule, and
there were clerical and other expenses at
every station. No money had to be paid
out for rent, convenient but unoccupied
quarters, the use of which was donated by
the owners, having been found In every
instance. The handsome headquarters at
256 Broadway were opened free of cost by
one Of the big insurance companies, and
the furniture and fittings were contributed
by a Wholesale furniture dealer.
The expenses for printing, however,
were heavy, and so were the bills for flags
and bunting, but many other expenses
have been much smaller than was expected
through the liberality and patriotism Of
various business men. In the matter OF
sign painting, for instance, the post gave
out two or three orders to well known
firm, and the work was promptly done in
tho best style, but when invoices were
called for the sign painters sent a receipted
bill and expressed regret that they could
not show their devotion to the cause by
doing twice as much work without COM
pensation.
The Old Guard must have spent good
deal, too, but the Old Guard stations were
not so numerous and their plan did not
include uniforming the men.
Drilling Anyhow.
Some of the organizations formed di-
rectly after the issuing OF tho first call
have now disbanded, but not all. In some
instances those still organized have gono
ahead with regular drill exactly as IL they
were to 20 to the front without delay.
Lafayette posts men have been drilled
afternoons and evenings for some time now
in big building once used for furniture
warehouse. Their work has been thor
ough. and the majority Of tho men have
attacked the problem before them not only
with persistence, but with so much intel
ligence that few awkward squads" are
now in evidence.
Among the most interesting OF all tho
volunteer organizations here arc two COM
panios made up almost wholly OF French
men. Many of them know little English
in fact, somo do not speak the language
at all-but every man Jack OF them Is ns
eager to fight the Spaniards as any Yankee
born patriot that ever drew breath. Like
the others, they are drilling industriously,
officers as we'll as men being French and
tho orders all being given An that tongue.
How they will manage to understand