Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-04-11
WILL BRING
OUR BOYS HOME
Chartered Train For the Norfolk
Companies.
REASONS FOR THIS MOVE
What Each Private soIdior VIII Ro.
ceive on Being Mustered cut of
the Service of tho United states
Tho Proposed Reception and Ban
quet TO the Boy s-Evcryfhing Will
he In Readiness.

In regard to the proposition tocharter
special train to bring the Fourth Vir-
ginia regiment home from Savannah.
much interesting speculation has start
ed as to the amount of money the SOL
diers will receive upon being mustered
out and the great benefit home mer-
chants would receive if the regiment is
brought to Virginia as a whole before
any chance to spend their money IL
offered the soldiers.
1t is q welllknown fact that soldiers
mustered out long way from home
and given foot loose" to spend their
money and go home when they want to,
generally reach home with very little
or no money. The money is generally
spent at the mustering-out point This
fact has led many communities to pc
tition the Secretary of War to have
regiments sent home to be mustered
out, but 1t is now an iron-clad rule of
the department to muster out troops
in their camps. The travel pay given
them more than compensates for their
having to pay their railroad fare home,
especially since the railroads give half
rate to all soldiers recently mustered
out. But this money generally goes to
the merchants and others at the mus
ter-out point. and this is n strong ar
gument in favor of bringing the Fourth
Virginia soldiers home at once in n
body, so that their money will all be
spent here.
\ CALCULATION.
BY close calculation it appears that
the privates of the Fourth will get
about s67.S1 on their final statement
papers from Uncle Sam. The law re-
Gently passed by Congress allowing SOL
diers who served in Cuba or other for
eign countries two months extra pay
at their muster out will give each pri-
vnte s31.10 in addition to the one
months pay which will be due them
for actual service and their travel pay.
Travel pay is allowed ut the rate OF
one days pay (52 cents), and one days
Communication ration money GO cents)
for every twenty miles Travelled, and rs
Savannah is 515 miles from Norfolk by
the nearest route this will amount to
SPILL. This with the one months pay,
sl5.G0, and the bonus OF two months
pay. allowed by the special act Of Con-
gress, will amount to s67.s1.
The commissioned and nom commits
stoned officers will receive pay in this
proportion also. and those holding n
commission will have n neat sum-
The men will all need complete out
fits in civilians dress, and the mer-
chants of Savannah will reap all this
money if steps are not taken to bring
the boys home in a body. So aside
from the purely patriotic service to
the soldiers, Norfolk is interested in
bringing her companies home.
THE RECEPTION.
There is no abatement of interest in
the proposed reception and banquet 10
the Norfolk companies on their return
home. We are assured that the cX-
members of the Fourth regiment will
have everything in readiness to make
the Norfolk companies feel that they
have returned to people who not only
admire their courage, but are rejoiced
TO have them back again.
Capt w. w. Dye and the other men,
bers of the committee to whom was
entrusted the work of making the ne
ccSsary prepare tons have not been
idle, and will be found ready when the
time for the reception and banquet ar
rives
1t is said that quite a number of our
citizens who have friends and kindred
in the Fourth will go to Savannah and
accompany the Norfolk contingent
home.