The Somerset reporter., 1906-10-11


thing to have.
The most absorbing topic of conversa-
tion there at the present time among
men and officers is the coming abolish
ment of what is known as the canteen
This is the beer hall where the men can
go at proper and stated hours and get a
glass or two of lager beer. This is run
on very strict plan. The reporter
interesting.
There are two large adjoining rooms
each of which is filled with tables where
the men must sit when drinking their
beer. This is obtained only in certain
spot and in certain manner. The men
go up to the window and buy ticket.
He then passes through turn stile
where the ticket Is dropped into box
and recorded After this is done he
passes along to the counter, receives his
schooner of beer and on through to one
of the tables where he sits down and
drinks it at his leisure. Everything Ia
conducted with the same precision to
be found in the voting booths under the
Australian system of balloting and the
process l6 very blnlhT,
The whole place is under the charge
of an officer who sees that strict order
is maintained. If a man shows any
signs of having too much he Is stopped
from further drinking and sent to his
quarters No undue noise Is allowed
but ordinary conversation can be car
ried on at all times.
The officer in charge is Sergeant Dan
iel w. Savage and he kindly explained
the entire workings of the place and its
results. The profits from the canteen
are wholly devoted to keeping up several
institutions for which the general gov
ernment makes no provision
In this connection 1t may be well TO
observe that every officer in this institu
ton, from the governor down, considers
the abolishment of the canteen a mis-
take and one that is going to give the
discipline of the Home q blow. This
openion is shared by everyone here and
not one of the officers is more bitter in
denunciation of the act than is the Rev.
Henry S Burrage, post chaplain aud one
of the best known temperance men in
Maine.
he objection to abolishing this can
teen WAS we'll expressed by Sergeant
Savage in an interview with the Journal.
n said:
II am glad that the Journal has asked
me this question for every officer here,
as well as the men are anxious that the
people of Maine should know and under
stand the exact situation.
First, every officer here believes and
knows that the abolishing of this can
teen is going TO prove destructive OF dis
ciplne and result in demoralizing every
thing to a great extent. 1t is going to
result in increased drunkenness among
our men where now we have but little.
You ask how this can bep Well, l
will tell you. The men can now come
here and get their beer where we have
them under direct personal control. In
all my experience here we have never
had man get drunk in this canteen
The beer is the very best made in the
country and contains but four per cent,
of alcohol.
"There are $500 men in this home of
all classes and races. Many of them are
going to have something to drink any
way and If they can't get 1t in one place
they will in another. The nom mt this
canteen stops next February you are
going to see hundred dives spring up
all around this reservation. 1t will be
mostly pocket peddling and the stuff will
be vile poison. One drink of IL will get
man crazy That is the situation that
we have now got to face and IL is a
terrible one We cannot stop these
dives as they are just outside our juris
dction. Neither can we stop the men
from patronizing them unless we make
this establishment prison and put the
men under lock and key. What sort OF
home do you think that will bep
But even this is not the worst feat
uGe The profits from this canteen now
go to keep up some of the finest features
of this establishment. 1t adjustment
means the destruction of our library,
theatre, band, amusement hall and lots
of other things There is no escaping
this fact. This calamity has been
brought upon us by class of men and
women who know but little how great
( bodies of men are managed They
know but little of human nature or this
| thing would never have been done
Now that am talking there is an
other thing that | want to say. We old
soldiers who belong to this home are de-
prived of the right to vote. What do
you think of that? If we had this right
somebody would get hurt for this can
teen business. | fought for my country
four long years and now am not allowed
to vote while any foreigner who has
been here a few months can enjoy that
privilege If this is not an outrage then
fail to see and understand the meaning
of the term
And there are many who will agree
with Sargeant savage, in both of these
propositions. 1t certainly seems wrong
tha the brave men who fought for their
flag should not have the right 10 vote
while another class who stand ready to
trample that flag in the dust can have
the right to march up to the poles and
vote for a consideration. 20, liberty !
How many crimes are committed in thy
uamen
The writer has merely recorded the
sentiment here without colorng it with
his own views. In passing, however,
he will simply call attention TO the re
Gently published letter of Gen. Fred
Grant In which he expresses the belief
that the abolishment of the army can
teen in these homes, Is to work havoc in
their ipline.-Bdn Commercial
At the Niben club on Saturday after