New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1884-12-31
WHAT A RECRUIT MUST
LEARN.
Tho Intelligence of the signal Service Corps,

The Intelligence OF the signal Service Corps.
To serve in tho signal service Is to
receive thorough and valuable edu-
cation, no matter II the man who has
enlisted takes advantage Of the earliest
opportunity to obtain his discharge.
He has acquired methodical business
habits; he has become q good telegraph
operator and a good mathematician.
Before man can enlist in the service
he must satisfactorily pass nm examine
ton which requires that his education
has not been neglected. Indeed. some
OF the applicants for enlistment have
been graduates Of colleges. As regards
intelligence in the ranks the corps Is
far superior to the rest Of the army.
When man is accepted in the service
he Is ordered to duty at Fort MYer,
where he underg0es thorough train
ing to fit him for the duties he has to
perform In the future. There he IL
drilled in the usual duties OF soldiers.
and in addition is taught signaling in
all its branches, telegraphy, the use Of
various meteorological instruments,
the modes Of observation, and the form
and duties required at stations of OBJ
servation. The term OF duty at Fort
Myer is six months, and by that time
he is pretty well versed in the duties
he has to perform. He is generally
sent to some one Of the many stations
for duty. His course here is watched,
and his record Is kept accurately. His
chances for promotion rest on the man
ner in which he performs his duties
and the record he makes No further
examination is required up to the rank
Of sergeant. For promotion to q lieut.
tenancy, however, it is necessary to
undergo q very thorough examination.
The chief signal officer annually selects
q number Of sergcantS who shall COM
pete for the two positions in the grade
OF lieutenant created annually. The
examinations are held in this city, un-
less it is impossible for candidate to
come here, when he Is examined at his
station. The new lieutenAnts are &C
once transferred to Fort Myer, where
they are instructed in the higher
branches 81 nassssssssEssll8fy. Eysn After
lh2t they Mugt serve 4 year or EWO II
the signal Office in this city before they
arc competent for indication work.
This indication work is very wear
ing. One officer is on this duty for q
month. He is obliged to DO at tho Of
flee until 1890 or o'clock at night,
and he must be at his desk again at 8
O'Clock tho next morning. His morn
ing work keeps him at the Office until
l O'clock, and he is again on duty at
B o'clock in the afternoon.
There are $50 stations in all, but
there are only $50 first-class meteor
illogical stations from which daily tele-
graph reports are received. Obserya-
tons are taken precisely at the Same
minute Of Washington time-at 8.
M, 5 p. M, and II p. m. at all tho
stations. Two additional observations,
not for telegraphing except in special
cases, are taken at IL q. m. and D.
m. These simultaneous reports fur
nish the data upon which the weather
charts are formed. The government
owns and operates through the chief
signal service officer several thousand
miles Of telegraph lines, and this, to-
gether with other lines, the use 0f
which is secured when necessary, forms
q chain which connects all parts Of
this broad continent with the signal
Office at Washington, where all the
weather information is concentrated
simultaneously, and then sent broad
cast over the land for the benefit Of the
public. Washington Star.