Co. A, 31 Mich. Vol.

Camp George H. Thomas, Chickamauga Park, Ga., July 6, 1898.- On Sunday afternoon the boys of the Thirty-first were made hilarious and happy by the reoeipt of their pay. For a week the most important question, next to the omnipresent problem, as to when we shall break camp, was "when is pay day." The muster and pay rolls had been handed in on the last day of the month, and it generally takes a week or ten days for the paymasters to do their part of the work, but orders were received from the war department to rush the paying of the First Army Corps, henee it carne about that the pay day of the Thirty-first feil on Sunday. Shortly after noon the first sergeants were notified that. Pay mast er Seymour Howell, late major of the First battalion at Island lake, had arrived with his strong box, well filled, j and were instructed to line up their men in military order- sioned offleers according to rank, and privates alphabetically - so as to be in readiness by 3 o'clock. During the next ten hours approximately $43,000 was handed out to the regiment, Co. A j ceiving in round numbers $3,500 for its share. The old men were paid from April 26, the day we left Ann Arbor, at the rate of $15.60 per month. Our turn came last, and the glorious Independence day dawned e'er the boys of Company A received their crisp new bilis. It was too late to spend any of it that night, and in the morning most of them sent half or two-thirds of their pay home. The news of the utter annihilation of the Spanish fleet added new lustre to the glories of the Fourth of July, and the boys cheered again again, but au air of gloom hung over thousands of hearts as the prospect seem. to grow smaller and smaller of our seeingr active service in the field. The customary artillery salutes were fired during the day, and ai few pistols and firecrackers popped here and there, but the strict orders aganist the latter prevented the usual noisy demonstrations. In the afternoon a sham battle took place tween the New York Regiments, and in the evening the boys of the Thirty-first gathered at the Y. M. C. A. tent for a patriotic song service in honor of Sampson and nis gallant crew. Target practice has begun at last. Today our battalion will march eight miles into the country where Col. Gardner has set up a rifle range, for target ractice. They will leave in lightl marching order, carrying a half of sheler tent, a rubber blanket, saversack, anteen, and gun. After the practice, hey will camp out in the shelter tents or the night, and return early toraorow afternoon. Particular attentie n is being paid among the entire army carps just now .o the packing of tents and equippage, n order to give the offleers and men a practical demonstration of the amount of baggage that can be carried wheix under marching' orders. Two wagons are allowed for the aecommo.ation of each Company's baggage, one 'or the tentage, knapsacks, and offleer's jaggage; the other for the Buzzacott oven, and heavy chests packed with rations and extra clothing. The f uil quota of men for the Thirtjflrst has been reached, and its musterrolls now account for 1,372 men and offleers. The recruits are being drilled egularly, and their progress is very promising. A sergeant has been deailed from each company to take permanent charge of the work, and in case we are suddely called to the front, the new men will be left behind in charge of a sergeant and a corporal. All oí ;hem have been issued guns, and are being trained in the "manual of arms" and the foot movements. If we stay here two weeks longer, they will be able to take their places alongside of the old men, and will no doubt give a good account of themselves when we reaeh the enemy's country. The non-commissioned officers havo received their warrants, or official appointments, signed by Col. Gardner and Adjutant Abel. The "non-coms" are very proud of their little documents, and are sending them home. A unique ■way of doing this is to wrap ït around a joint of bamboo. The new Michigan T. M. C. A. tent s proving a popular feature at Cami. Thomas, and the report of its secretary, Mr. B. B. Johnson, of Ann Arbor, for the week ending July i Is very ïratifying. The report shows the nuniber who have availed themselves of its privileges for the week to have been 5,125; that 3,800 sheets of paper and 2,175 envelopes were furnished gratis, and that 2,500 letters have been sent out and stamps to the amount of $30.50 sold. Since the tent opened a gross of steel pens have been used in penning love messages to friends at home. Chaplain White has turned over the books and magazines in his care to the tent, and in future the secretary will also have charge of the stamp business. The regimental hospital is also furnished with books, magazines and writing materials by the Y. M. C. A. The work of this organization is highly appreciated by the boys and should meet with hearty flnancial support frona our friends at home. The question as to whether the Y. M. C. A. tent wal follow the army of invasión when the Thirty-flrst leaves here for Cuba of Porto Rico has not been fully settled. The matter ha been taken up with the authorities at "Washington, and it is hoped permission will be granted. The officers and men of the Thirty-first are uniformly desirous of having the big tent taken along. The surgeons are particularly interested, as in case of an engagement, they say the tent could be used as a half-way station for the care of the wounded. Arthur Brown and Dr. Nichols are the guests of the offlcers of Co. A. They received a hearty welcome on their arrival Sunday and found everything in splendid condition. Several excursions around the park and up the mountains have been made, and it is expected that Mr. Brown vill exhibit to his friends man y fine specimens of amateur photographic work when he returns to Ann Arbor. He experts to leave here Friday or Satvrday of this week. Mrs. Granger is still at camp, and will continue to remain as long as the troops are camped here. Sergeant Seabolt received a letter written on a cuff the other day. The chaplain presented him with his compliments and said that his correspondent led the regiment in the matter of originality. FRANK A. WAGNER. Politlcal Hlstory. Republican politicians in the Second district say they have discovered a straw that shows the wind in the congressional convention will blow the Washtenaw convention Spaldingward. Chelsea is one of the little one-man towns that are to be found all over the state. The one man is Frank P. Glazier. He owns the stove factory, the bank and pretty much everything else. But Billy Judson's farmer home was Chelsea, and Billy could control as big a percentage of the votes' as Glazier could of the money, and Judson and Glazier were the bitteirest enemies. Glazier & Co. built a private system of water works and wanted tó sell it to the village, but at the meeting called to vote on bonding the town, the Judson men outvoted them overwhelmingly and Mr. Glazier was left with an elephant on nis nanas. When the organized opposition to Judson developed last winter Glazier joined the Ann Arbor Republicans in fighting the sheriff. But all at once ■he quit, and said he thought it was time to stop and go to work like good Republicans. A short time later another village election was held and the water works system was purchased, the vote being nearly unanimous. Then came the appointment of the Glazier postofflce candidate. And it was concluded that Gen. Spalding would have the Glazier support. But at the Washtenaw county convention Glazier was asked to name the delegates to the congressional convention and nameíi Wedemeyer men. "Now," say the politicians, "Glazier is with Judson or he would never have gotten the Judson vote on his water works scheme and would never have appointed Wedemeyer delegates. On the other hand he must he solid with Gen. Spalding or he would not have controlled the appointment of postmaster." The only conclusión they drew is that there is an understanding between the sheriff and the general to the effect that Washtenaw's delegation is not long going to remain widowed if Wedemeyer's political death should come early on the day of the district convention. - Evening News. .lust Like Glazier. In the Wayne county Repubücan convention yesterday to select delegates to the congressional cónvention, J. H. Bishop swept Spalding out entlrely by a decisive vote of 25 to 16. It was by this vote that he was allowed to name the delegation that will come to this city. After doing this job as neatly as F. P. Glazier in the Washtenaw county convention, Mr. Bishop was called upon for a speech and delivered the following while the convention winked the other eye: "I have been charged with going into this campaign for the purpose of defeating Gen. Spalding. This is absolutely false. I went into the campaign to nomínate J.. H. Bishop and nothing else, and that is what I am here for now. I have never yet sunk ray manhood so low that I would design to stoop to injure any man on earth, and I never expect to. I am in this campaign to win and I thoroughly expect to. As for Gen. Spalding. I have as kindly thoughts towards 'him as toward anyone on earth, and l have never done one to injure him. Nor wih I." The delagation is flrst, last and all the time for Bishop. It has. no second choice. One or two of the members would favor Wedemeyer for second choice, two like Smith and several rather favor Townsend, but all are antiSpalding.
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Ann Arbor Democrat