Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1904-12-22
CAPTAIN THRIFT
! SUCCEEDS BYERS
Melvin H. Byers Resigns Office
of Adjutant General and
Successor Is Named
CHANGE TAKES PLACE SOON
General eyers Was Appointed During
the Administration Of Governor
jackson and Has Made Great Rec
ord in tho Guard-somethins About
the New Adjutant.
specia. to Times-Republican.

Specia. to Times Republican.
Des Moines, Dec. %. Melvin II.
Byers, for number Of years adjutant
general of Iowa, will be succeeded the
first of the year by Captain William
H. Thrift, of Dubuque.
Gen. Byers, the retiring adjutant
general, was soldier in an Iowa regi-
ment during the war of the rebellion,
and was for many years engaged in
business in Glenwood, Mills county. He
was also justice Of the peace for a
number of years. He became connect
ed with the Glenwood military COM
pany many years ago and always took
an active part in guard affairs. Dur
ing the administration of Governor
Jackson when a controversy arose in
the guard as to who should be adju-
tant general and the bitterness en-
gendered promised to disrupt the or
,gantzation, Gen. Byers was selected
as a compromise, and he was given a
difficult task He remained at the head
VI IAG Eu6Io uluCl SoNShAhOA ASAAeS" e~AA>>
had upon his shoulders the responsl-
bility for equipping and sending to the
front the four Iowa regiments OF the
volunteers formed out Of the four guard
regiments After the return Of the reg
iments he reorganized the guard, and
he has continued in the service to the
present time During his term there
has been great changes in the guard
and the annual appropriations have
greatly increased and the national gov
ernment gives more literally.
Capt. william H. Thrift, Of Dubuque,
who is to- become head OF the guard.
is probably the officer In the guard OF
longest continuous service, or practi-
cally in continuous service. He has
been many years at the head Of the
company at Dubuque and went with
the company to Cuba Capt. Thrift is
a native of Iowa and was one of the
first white persons to be born in what
is now Des Moines. His father was
an officer located at old Fort Des
Moines. Capt. Thrift also served in
the civil war with credit. He has
been connected with the guard for
MANY years. has never mixed in poll
tics and is engaged in business in Du-
buque If the selection had been
left to the members of the guard there
is very little doubt that Capt. Thrift,
altho he is a strict disciplinarian,
would have been chosen.
The change in the headship Of the
Iowa national guard does not reflect
in any way upon General Byers or his
administration. He was not commits
stoned for any definite term, but the
adiutant general, who is the personal
representative of the governor, holds
his position entirely at the will Of the
governor. General Byers had been long
at the head Of the organization, had
been efficient in many lines; but the
governor had reached the conclusion
that the growth of the guard work and
the changes incident to a great devel-
opment of the work demanded plac-
ing a new man at the head There had
grown up the inevitable friction be-
tween officers Of the guard and an
unsettled condition due to the desires
of many of the company commanders
to have more progress.
Governor Cummins, on taking his Of
flee, determined upon making atten-
ton to the national guard personal
matter with him and he attended ev-
ery camp in person and made every
review required Of him. He also fa-
miliarized himself with the guard AMI
it's work, became acquainted with all
the officers, consulted with the .regi-
mental and company officers and has
given, attention to every detail of the
guard. This attention to detail ripen-
ed into the order for certain changes
in the guard regulations which were
prepared by Governor Cummins re-
Gently and which were transmitted to
the company commanders by him thru
official channels. The new regulations
were in the line of progress and ad-
yancement of the guard and were
chiefly on some points much desired
by the rank and file of the guard.
There have been some great chang
es in the guard in recent years. The
guard formerly had over seventy
companies and nine regiments; but at
that time the state gave very little
support. Now the state is liberal in
appropriations and there are four reg
iments with twelve company each and
a signal corps. The guard has about
$1,000 to spend each year in Iowa.