The Portland daily press., 1883-06-27
Candidates for the Armv,
IN. Y. Herald.l

IN. 1. Herald.l
-Four strong young men looked anxious
while they awaited the examining physi-
clans nod igthe Chatham street recruiting
-otiee, and three of them, very well satisfied
donned their clothes again when the exam
nation was done. The recruiting rooms are
situated on the second floor of brick build
ing as much the worse for wear as most
buildings on the thoroughfare, and i'll fitting
windows and badly made window frames
put the weuld-be warriors to a thorough
temperature test before the physician even
laid eyes on them. One large room, origin
ally divided into two by folding doors, with
hall room for the officer in charge, consti-
tuted the "offces," and candidates who pass
the first fire Of questioning are given chairs
near the back windows to await the more
searching ordeal.
Several who offered to defend the country
had their services refused for obvious trou-
bles-with chest or limbs or eyes-and the
four who were remaDded for the second
search seemed perfect specimens of physical
manhood. One after another the physicians
called them up-one to 90 back for serious
defect, and the others to hop, jump, kick.
cough, twist their arms and lift weight un
til professional vigilance was satisfied.
Then the examination of eyes began, and
one man failed in the very simple test.
half way across the room sergeant was
stationed with pack of cards, and with an
eye held shut the men were made to num-
Der the spots held before them. With the
right eye one man did it very we'll, but with
the left he blundered. and called three for
two spots held plainly in his sight ssSix,''
he SAID again, seeing, or probably feeling
that he had blundered, and again he tried
five, when it was evident that his other
guess was wrong. "That won't do,n said
the doctor, though the eye looked sound, and
with a little questioning the man admitted
that he had injured it looking at the sun
and had seen dimly with it ever SINCE He
was an American, however. and as Ameri-
cans are always preferred an application was
made to take him even with the defect.
Hearing was tested by the ticking of clock
held In different positions. While the SUBJ
jects' eyes were closed, though some physi-
ologists say the ear will not indicate posi-
ton, each man told where it was every
time.
The test of finger strength was made by
taking broom at the end of the stick with
SAS oAi0hiD Dh OhS biAC ftuu uTSb UDgeT GX-
tended on the other, and each man brought It
to horizontal position with apparently lit
tie effort. 1--WE have an unusually good LOT
this morning." said the officer in charge.
''for we often examine seven or eight to get
one man fit for the army. The rules are
stricter every year, and mighty few men are
going out now to see service in the hospi-
tals.o
81 don't know that I find any particular
6isaaooc for
said the physician, in answer to questions,
Though notice scurvy often developed In
sailor and skin disease in man who has
worked with sugar. Sedentary workers.
and men who are kept steadily in close at
mosphere, show general debility and fabby.
weakly muscles, but even with them debility
seems more in the whole system than in any
particular organ"
During the recent month 124 men applied
for enlistment, but SO could not pass the
physical test. Many of these were Ameri-
cans, but Irish and Germans applied in
about equal numbers and met with about
the same reception. Twelve of the num-
Der accepted were old soldiers. who
found army regulations better for their
pockets than civil freedom and were
anxious to get back to the. ranks. One
veteran who had paid his mileage payment
to get back to New York, after five years in
the frontier service, asked to be sent to the
barracks Immediately the other day, prefer
ring not to risk the effects of a few more
days liberty when his vacation had already
carried him to the limits Of health and cash.
Veterans know they will get good treatment
with chance for favors If they enter the
army second time, and they start off en-
couraged with the promise of transfer to
some regiment which they wish to Join. At
present the twelfth infantry, on duty near
the lakes, is the favorite with the old war
riors.
In the cavalry service the regulations for
physical cause seem more numerous than In
the infantry-twenty-six only Of 1877 appli-
cants passing the examining physician in
January. The large proportion OF appli-
cants for this branch have been Germans, in
this country two orthree months, and dis
couraged with the chance for getting other
work. Near-sghtedness keeps many of
them back, and want of knowledge of the
language wrecks the hopes of several every
day. Appearance Of drinking habits seems
to operate strongly against applicants, too, if
the figures are correct, for one fault only,
bad general Appearance leads In the
number rejected.
For the marine corps service, which the
bills declare station the men in large cities
and give them trips, when they go at all. to
distant parts of the world, the Irish heart
seems to have leaning, for scores of that
nationality are ready to join. That their
health is better than the average of mankind
is not written in the books, but that abous
ten per cent. only have been rejected Ia a
fact for philosophers to study, that Is, il the
pnysician has not made u mistake in the fg-