Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-09-25
AT THE RECRUITING OFFICE.
How Young Hen Thfrstams fer 0losy
Get Int the Array,

! 1ne StHaJ tecIuS VINO EXISTS In Wa1h3ngtOn
| cannot claim that he wss induced % enter the
service by any false representations addressed
/ to the eye or the ear. The recruiting Once on
| the south side Of Pennsylvania avenue, near
10th street, 10 not palatial In appearance, and
there b nothing about IL 10 impress one With
Unole Sams wealth, power or military renOwn,
| except the sight of tluc coats and brass but
| tone. Outside OF the doorway OF the shabby
building during business hours stands . private
| soldier on guard duty. At one side Of the door
way u hung poster embellished At the top
Win cur OF the American eagle, with out
stretched wings. holding In its besk . wreath OF
was: ta rns yS'0 r,;s Il y
only thing about the ONCE that addresses itself
70 Inc sentiment or patriotism Of the passer-by.
drum. such az used TO set ones blood tinglipg
~ recruiting ofnces In war times. Underneath
snis eagle the letter text on the poster Is very
MISREPRESENTATION as much 90 an adver.
usement OF . contractor for hands to work on q
railroad. It announces that there are wanted
between the ages Of Il and Is years." Then NIT Il
goes on 70 prescribe physical requirements. No
patriot less than i've feet four inches high. and
weighing less than 40 or more than 100
pounds, need aspire 70 serve his country in
| infantry or artillery. In the cavalry the limit
feet ton inches high will be taken. The six
Iooter 1s not wanted, on horseback. Facts about
soldiers pay and allowances aud the soldiers
soldier, whose pay is $13 q month, besides
rations, clothing, bedding, medicines and medi-
cal attendance, may hope to become a corporal
geant ut $22. u sergeant major or regiment.,l
gnarterMaster sergeant at va, or even q post
QuartermaSter sergeant At $34.
INSIDE THE OFFICE.
II, after perusing this notice aud calculating
| the chances for glory and promotion, you have
made up your mind to enlist the guard at the
door very quickly discovers tina: fact and starts
you up u dark and narrow flight OF stairs TO
sne room q the recruiting officer. Capt, u. M.
s"ered several questions put by the captain,
he Is turned over 70 a sergeant who puts him
through u preliminary examination in an ad-
joining room. Every Thing is short and bust
ness-tike, and sounds rather curt 10 one un-
used 70 military manners. When u STAR re-
porter got past the guard at the door and
made his way upstairs TO the sergeant's room
three recruits, WHO had just been through the
Gnise. were sitting in the ROOM They looked a
trousers tGey mad just donned. The fresh
creases In their clothing betrayed the fact that
the wearers were Veterans of only few min
utes standing. Then they curled their legs up
i'll an unmilitary way.
FIRST Lessons IN MILITARY DISCIPLINE
When the captain walked into the office one
| OF the new recruits asked: Cant I 20 home
and stay with my mother while FIN In WASH
ington?"
geants permission to leave" said The captain
GU must obey the sergeant. You remember
tne oat,l you have Just taken II you go away
deserter.
The recruit sat down, looking little sad after
getting this first taste OF military discipline.
Then the captain addressed the three recruits
generally, giving them some simple instruc-
Lions as 10 their duties. One OF them, a long
ing to his new blanket. The captain did not
appear 70 notice this, but the sergeant went to
sioe 2. sas country boy and a rather
an oulcef speaks TO yOu." The country bow
stood up very quickly, dropping his blanket
ana setIng ms legs cntansiea In 1t In his con-
clothing receipt ut the desk, dropped his pen
Also anu stood up, but the sergeant pushed him
rise" The nergeanJ explained that = soldier
Wno was doing something Or engaged In any
duty need not rise. Thus another lesson in
military requirements was given, and the new
soldiers were SO much further on the way to
that perfection OF discipline which makes the
regular solder . we'll regui ted machIue that
VIII at the word OF command advance upon 4
battery without f1nching.
Tie captain then turned over the new recruits
TO tue sergeant.
SELLING THEIR OLD CLOTHES
"fou can take your old Clothes" said the SER
geant, pointing to a heap OF old coats, Shoes
shirts and pantaloOns, land sell them. FIJI
send man with You who will show you where
you can sell then." Inc sergeant then sum
lnoned private and put the recruits in his
charge: The recruits rolled up their old gar
incnts In bundles and started away with tncfr
new guardian to a secondhand clothing store
to part with the last link that connected them
Witn their old life private citizens
III q recruit has u brother" said the sergeant
10 IHE STAB reporter, "he eau give TITS cioth-
10 keep his old clothes. He can sell them aud
buy tobacco with the money. When he eniisls
old solder, reenlisting, is permitted TO wear MS
citlzen's dress While ne remains at the recruit
ing Office"
EXAMINING THE APPLICANT
The recruit, when he first appears, is EXAM
ined as TO his name. age, nativity, occupation
aud SO on. The recruiting officer will also Ask
him some questions as to his moral character
whether he has ever been convicted OF crime
DC. he will ask also whether the would-be-re-
read or Write are not taken, but In the case of
coiored men this rule is not applied Many vino
Apply for enlistment are rejected upou this pre-
l1minary examination. Ii this sxaminu tion is
satisfactory the recruit ID taken to an upper
room and prepared by means OF a bath for the
surgeons examination. He is taken before the
surgeon, DR.. Skinner, naked and Clean. An
entry is made OF his height and weight his
cneSt measurement, the color OF his eyes and
hair, and his complexion.
TESTING THE EYHsIGHr.
The surgeon first tests his eyes. On the wall at
one side Of the Office Is suspended u black
square having round white sphere painted I'm
the center. The recruit is seated at u table on
the opposite side OF tho room and requested To
look at the white sphere through o little hole
"
lens, which revOives as the surgeon turns a
pointer or index hand on the apparatus. When
tho recruit first looks through the hole he fs
amazed TO discover two white spheres Instead
OF one. As the glass revo;ves he likely dis,
covers one OF these spheres tapping over the
other. TIE surgeon asks him questions "a he
turns the hands and makes note OF the poini s
where the spheres seem 10 lap, or where they
separate or just touch. From this data he
makes report on the recruits eyesight. Then
the recruits lungs are sounded and his BODY
thoroughly examined for defects. A very little
defect, such as u bunion, is apt to cause u mans
rejection. for In peaceful times the government
taxes its pick OF the men who offer themselves
tor enlistment The day The STAR reporier
visited the office six men were examined two
were rejected, one declined to enlist because
his brother was rejected and three were &C.
copied.
CAVALRY RECRUIrA
The recruit has his choice as TO the arm of the
service he will enter. II he expresses no choice
he is assigned to the infantry. II he wants to
'jine'' the cavalry he must pass q much higher
examination than for other arms of fhe ser.
vice. The superintendent Of the mounted ne.
cruittng service has prescribed qualifications
which amount practically almost TO stopping
enlistmentS. He desires that Americans under
twenty-four years Of aye and shove the average
intelligence who seek enlistment not on ~.
cuinstances, but purely from military ardOf be
accepted. There are not many such young
Americans who seek to enlist for I've years I'm
these piping times OF peace. When the recruit
has passed his examination and been accented
the articles OF war are read 70 him and the oath
to admtntStered to him. He 10 then issued = |
new SUIT OF clothes, with army shirt, socks and