The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1907-12-12

than one would imagine. A cook gets
five dollars month extra and is sex-
cused from all duty, the same as
strikers, and that is the reason why
there are such bad cooks in the army.
In order to get this extra five dollars
month some of the men even swear
that they were chefs at Delmonico's.
In the battery where served we had
about dozen sO-called cooks, but not
one of them was cook by trade.
They each had a couple of months try
at the job and we had to eat the results
of their experiments. i believe 1 have
got some of their hamburger in my
system yet.
Uncle Sam boasts that he pays his
soldiers more money than any other
country. IwllI not dispute the asser-
tiOn, bat he has good string tied to
that pay in the shape of summary and
general coprt-rnartlals. The men are
fined heavily for trivial offenses, and
when they lose their pay in fines, they
will sell their clothes and blankets in
order to get money. When they are
caught selling clothes it means more
fines and imprisonment in the guard
house, or dishOnorable discharge.
However, the majority prefer to desert
as the easiest way out Of the difficulty.
could cite a hundred cases, but will
only mention one or two SO you can
judge for yourself.
Smith, after serving nine years, was
discharged o first sergeant. He REIN
listed on the spot and then took
three months furlough. When he
came back he was assigned to the same
regIment. Cine day while on guard
and walking his post, the colonel
walked past him about thirty yards
distant. Smith saluted and thought
that the colonel acknowledged the sa-
lutte. But he soon thought otherwise,
for in about ten minutes the sergeant
of the guard and a relief came and
took Smiths gun and belt and put him
in the guardhouse. The next day
Smith was tried by Major T., the SUM
mary court officer, for not saIuting the
colonel. He told his story to the ma
jor and this is what h. said: "Smith.
believe you. and think the colonel
did not see you when you saluted him; !;
but it is his word against yours. so
will have to find you guilty." He fined
him months pay and a month in the
guardhouse. When he got out he didn't
stop to say good-by, he just hit the
high places and believe he is still GO
ing. Another man was fiEed FIVE dol
lars for not having the company num-
. ber on his hat at Saturday inspection.
Those are the kind of things which
canse so many men to desert.
In conclusion want to say few
words about strikers and extra-duty
men, and will describe things as they
! were in the -th battery; it's the same
all over the army. A battery is sup
posed to have one hundred and twenty
men. We had only one hundred and
. eight counting the officers. The cap.
= tain had two strikers; the first and
: second lieutenant each has one; three
! extra-duty men are detailed as post
painter, carpenter, and blacksmith
! one man for the bathhouse, two cooks
: two battery carriers, and on an average
!, there were four men sick in hospita
and three in the guardhouse. That
left only eighty-nine men to do the
work when there should have been
one hundred and twenty. Now is il
fair to excuse the strikers and extra
: duty men from all duty and pay them
: extra besides ian extra duty man get
!, fifteen dollars month extra) ant
. have the rest do their soldering fol
:. them? B
: If Uncle Sam has any work to b,
done let him hire civilians to do 1t, o
: lelse form another branch of the servic'
!, composed entirely of strikers and ex
: tra-duty men, and enlist men for tha
!. kind of work. He will then have
:. good reserve to lead his forlorn hope
= In time OF war. 1885.
4 He Who knows not how TO confer