The Columbus commercial., 1912-08-18
RECOMMENDS ARMY
POST FOR COLUMBUS
St,5OO,0OO WOULD Be SPENT
Col Van Orsdale, Who Was in
Command at Camp Brewer,
Says Columbus is an Ideal
Location for Army Post


days had waved over brigade
headquarters was furled Friday.
and the same day the soldiers
took their departure, the men,
bers of the battalion from the
Seventeenth Infantry. u s.
Army. having gone back to their
barracks at Fort Mcpherson, Ca,
while the members of the Missis-
sippi National Guard departed
for their homes in various sec
tons of the state.
Troop A, cavalry was the first
to depart, its members having
marched through the country to
Macon Thursday. The members
of the State National Guard left
Friday, all having gone on special
trains except the Aberdeen and
Caledonia companies, which
marched to their homes through
the country. The battalion from
the Seventeenth Infantry, U. s.
Army. left Saturday morning.
This command will march through
the country to Admission, Ala,
going thence by train to their
barracks at Fort Mcpherson, Ga.
The total amount paid out to
the soldiers and for other ex-
penses Incidental to the encamp-
ment, including food and other
supplies was about $4,000. OF
this amount the sum of sis,
was disbursed by Col. Goodman,
paymaster-general of the Depart
ment of the Gulf, U. S. Army,
the remaining $4,000 having
been paid out by Col. Jno. P.
Mayo, paymaster. general of the
Mississippi National Guard.
In his report to the War Dept.
on the encampment Col. Jno. 7.
Van Orsdale will recommend that
an army post be established in
this city. Col. Van Orsdale be-
lieves that our salubrious climate,
pure water and exceptionally
moral environment conspire to
make Columbus an ideal location
for an army post, and will urge
that one be established here. He
will also embody in his report a
recommendation that congress
make an appropriation for
twelve-foot channel for the Tom
bigbee, so that both troops and
supplies may be transported to
and from Columbus by water.
The establishment of an army
post here will be a big thing for
Columbus and will prove a
potent factor in advancing its
growth and prosperity. As an
instance Of what an army post
will do for city Col. Van 0rs-
dale cited the experience of Des
Moines, Iowa. AS the result of
the establishment of a post of
this kind the population of Des
Moines advanced from SO 600 to
10000 in a decade.
The estimated cost of the build
ings necessary for an army post
is 81, 500, 900, and in the event
that post was established here
ninety per cent OF this amour
would be paid out to local mef-
chants and contractors. Several
hundred troops would be in bar
racks here throughout the greater
portion of each year, and the
monthly payroll would be Sl25
600.
The idea of an army post for
Columbus originated with Col.
Jno. P. Mayo, paymaster-gener-
al of the Mississippi National
Guard, and he is very enthusias-
tic regarding the scheme. Col.
Mayo suggests that every mer-
chant and every professional
man in Columbus write letter
not only to the congressman ant
senators from Mississippi but tt
any members of the house and
senate from other states whom
they may know urging them tc
do everything in their power t.
get an army post established
here and to secure an appr0pria
ton for the Improvement of tn
Tombigbee river.