Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1900-02-21
LOTS OF VOLUNTEERS
The British Corps Numbers aso, 900
Unseasoned Men
They Have Never Seen Service, Bat
They Are Eager to Co to the Front
The Honorable ARTILLERY
and Yeomanry.

The British volunteer corps as II ex-
jsts to-day is the result Of an enlist
ment act OF 1860, The act, in tufn. being
the fruit of fear OF in yasion in that
year. The volunteers number roughly
$50, 0Go men. cost the government a
tribe over 100000 year, and none
of them ever has seen service. That Is
TO say, the volunteers as body have
existed only since 1860, but there are
two or three regiments which date
back far, indeed. notably the Victoria
rifles and the duke OF Cnmberland's
.sharpshooters, which were in being
,ghep william ~. was prince of Wales.
Older by far, however is the Honorable
Artillery company, (which received a
visit from it's American offspring, the
Ancient and Honorable Artillery com
pany, of Boston, last year, and which
will repay the compliment W. making
l,ip TO the United States this year.
AS he will be a regular when in the
field, the British volunteer will be treat
ed rs one He will receive "Tommy's"
x,ay, which is about $50 cents day and
found" He will eat Mr.. Atkins ra-
tions-a pound OF timed meat and
palf pound of fresh meat, when il can
be had, fresh bread or cracksrs--he will
call them biscuits sugar, tea
nnd coffee, when possible. His kit,
blankets and great coat he will furnish
himself, but the government will trans
port him to the scene OF action.
Friends and advocates of the volnn-
:eers and yeoInanry say that those
.btAsches of the service have been dis
couraged, sneered at and generally sat
on by the war Office ever since their es-
Jabljshment, and that their acceptance
jor service now may be regarded as a
great victory, giving to Lord Lands
downe the credit for the new order OF
Kings. An officer copnected with the
war Office told me, however, that the
hua5pb Was entirely without reason,
4hpi ALI the noise was made by few
indictments, and that no change what
ever had taken place under Lord Lands
,lowne's administration so far as the
volunteers we're concerned. On the
pther hand. people who have no par
= ~ uiat ibAtlSsb III ,lut volunteers Say
that their being permitted to take part
,n the war at this time is direct insult
TO the militia.
AT any rate, 1t can never be said that
The volunteers, to whom was given that
chance, were slow to accept it, as
score or more of commanding officers
throughout London and the provinces,
who are being harassed to desperation
by every individual member of their
commands, can testify. Men have al
most taken to figuring on their chances
for going with paper and pencil. For
instance, | have heard volunteers say:
There are 1000 men in my battalion.
and there viii be ITO chosen. that gives
me about one chance in ten. Then my
record for craftsmanship is 40 innny
Poipts, and craftsmanship is going to
be tae deciding test, and the general
average is aboat so Iuiich," etc, When
the fortunate ll0--"fortunate" is the
volunteers word-are told off there is
going TO be actual bitterness.
The venerable organization of hon.
orable artillery and yeomanry was
formed by Henry VIII, in 1907 for. as
the king quantity put it, 1.-THE bettere
encrease of the defense of this our
realm" This company, then, was
formed more than a full century before
any other existing corps; it was in gar
rison at Tilbury when Drake met Phil
ip's Armada; it fought under Crom-
well IL the civil wars and was almost
wiped out by the great plague. Later,
half of its barracks was DESTROYED in
the London fire. Since its beginning ii
has taken part in all public ceremonials
and all crownings of sovereigns OF
England.
The Ieomanry, 10000 of whom will
be collected for service in South Africa,
dates back as force much further than
the volunteers or militia. The Yeo-
many consists entirely of cavalry. and
its members are mostly country gentle
men who are in the saddle much Of the
ting. They are obliged to furnish their
own mounts and equipment, and are
drilled much more severely and fire.
luently than either Of the other two
branches of volunteers. Their total is
1900, and they cost the government
$375.00o annually. The first detach-
ment of 1000 sailed on January u.s.
Cincinnati Commercial Tribune.