The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1863-11-20
Rich Surge i Examination Of Con
script.


The other day Chief Engineer Dean,
of the Fire Department, called at the
office where Imalle shoes for living,
and handed me big white envelope,
Inotyiying me that | was drafted and
must report myself for examination,
at Lawrence, on the 18th of August.
Now | consider IL tho duty of every
citizen to give his life, if need he, for
the defense of his country, so on the
morning of the cventtul 18th, | lput on
a clean shirt and my Sunday clothes,
and started for Lawrence, to see if ]
could get exempted.
Lawrence is situated on the Merri-
mac river. and its principal product
ions are mud, dust, and factory girls.
The city proper, at least that part that
/ saw, consisted of long, narrow en-
try, up one flight of stairs, adorned
overhead with a frescoing of gas met
crs, and caIpeted with worn out tohac-
co quids, and furnished with one chair,
two settees, and rs many huge square
packing cases, marked, m. q. D.
Scattered all around this palatial en-
trance hall, were some forty or fifty
conscripts, looking very much as if
they expected to be exempted by rca-
son of old age, before the young man
with the fcrocioIs mustache should
notify them Of their turn. Most Of
them, however, were doomed to dis
appointment, for while they counted
the hours, of delay, the door would
suddenly open. and the tail young
man would single ont man and march
him through the open doorway 10 he
seen no more.
BY and by--that is. after several
hours waiting--my turn came.
"John Smith " shouted the door
keeper.
That's me- says ], and, with u
cheer from the crowd, / entered a
large square room where two persons
sat writing on Il table, and third ev-
idently surgeon, was examining Il
man in the last stages Of nudity.
One Of the writer's at the table, n
young man with curly eyes and blue
hair, nodded to me, and dipping his
pcn in the ink. commenced:
"John Smith, what's your name:'
"John Smith, says |.
"Whcrc were you bom?"
"Podunll, Maine"
"What did your great grand moth
cr die off,"
"Darned if know" says ].
"Call it happcntap," says he; "and
your grandfather tooy"
IL don't care what YOU call it." says
|, for l was Il little Wy his monscnsicol
question.
" Did You ever have boils = says
he.
Not boil.
"Or its?'
"Nary iit.'
"Or deiilium tremcns;'
mo stree!
"Or ricketts,
81 II ricket You, says J, FOR ] thot
he meant something else.
"Did you ever have the measlc, =
says he.
Here took off my coat.
"or the itch;
Yes, sir, said l--"That ere fist
(nnd ] showed very large brown one
/ within three inches OF his nosc) has
been itching for the last ten minutes
to knock your pesly head or YOU lit
mean, low-liycd, contemplate whcll
YOU
"My dear sir" said the mil1-spok
en-, gcut,cmahly surgeon, laying hi-
hand on my arm, "calm yourself,
pray. Don't Let your angry passion.
rise, but take off your clothes, so car
see what YOU are made Of
So | suppressed my angcr,and, with
drawing to \ corner, | hungmy clothes
up on the floor, and presented myself
for examination, clad only with the
covering nature had given, except
about square inch OF court-piastel
on my right shin, where | had fallen
over chair the night before, feeling
for match.
"loung man, said the surgeon
looking me straight in the eye, "yor
have got the myopia.'
"Ics, sir, said |, "and Il good one
tool little Biningcr with Il drop OF
Stoughton, makes an excellent eye.
opener, of Il morning
"And there seems to he an amauro-
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