Evening star., 1886-09-25
AT TAE RECRUErING OFFICE.
How YounE Men Thiratius fer oloey
Get Int the Army,

1
| cannot claim that he was induced % enter the
| service by any false representations addressed
| TO the eye or the ear. Tue recruiting ONCE, on
| the south side Of Pennsylvania avenue. near
| 10th street, is not paIatfai in appearance, and
there b nothing about IL 10 impress one with
uncle Sans wealth, power or military renown,
except the sight of blue 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 10 hung . poster enbellished at the top
| with cut Of the American eagle with out
| stretched wtngs. holding In its beak wreath Of
awaits the recruit. This emblem OF glory is the
only thing about the oflice that addresses Itself
Tsr sne sentiment &c or patriotism Of the passer-oy
| drum, such "a used to set ones blood tingling
a. recruiting Offices in war times Underneath
! matter-of-laot-about as much 90 as an adver.
| tlsement OF . contractor for hands to work on a
railroad. It announces that there are wanted
| LOT the United states army able-bOdied men
between the ages of II and SO years." Then 1t
goes ON to prescribe physical requirements. No
weighing less than 12O or more than 100
Infantry IN or artillery. In the cavalry the limit
| feet ton inches high will be taken. The six
| lOoter Is not wanted, on horseback. Facts about
In are ss
soldier, whose pay is S13 . month, besides
rations, clothing, bedding medicines and medi-
at SIS q month, a sergeant at SIT. u first SER
geant at W., Il sergeant major or fegimental
qaartermaster sergeant At $23, or even q post
QuaftefmaSter sergeant at $34.
INSIDE THE OFFICE,
II, after perusing this notice and calculating
the chances for glory and promotion. you have
made up your mind to enlist the guard at the
| door very quickly discovers tha; fact aud starts
you up u dark and narrow fight OF stairs to
sao room WbsS ans .Se Officer Capt D. M
sWered several questions put by the captain,
| he is turned over to a sergeant who puts him
joining room. Every thing is short and husi-
| ness-iike, and sounds rather curt to one un-
| used TO military manners. When 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
little stiff aud awk ward Ia the blouse and blue g
trousers tbey mad just donned. The fresh
creascs In their clothing betrayed the fact that
the wearers were Veterans of only u lew min
utes standing Then they curled their legs up
| i'll an unmiliLary way.
FIRST LESSONS IN MILITARY DISCIPLINE
When the captain walked into the Office one
OF the new recruits asked: Cant 60 home
and stay with my mother while Pm In Wash
ington?'
geants perm issiOn to leave" said The captain
You must obey the sergeant You remember
without leave the police viii arrest you as q
dcsertcr.'
The recruit sat down, looking little sad after
Then the captain addressed the three recruits
generally, giving them some simple instruc-
Lions as 10 their duties. One OF them, long
legged country boy, remained in mis- seat, cling
| Ing to his new blanket. The captain did not
appear to notice this. but the ser geant went TO
| sharply: "stand up. Always stand up when
an cmcer speaks TO you." The country boy
$1,000 up very quickly, dropping his blanket
fusion. A coiored recruit, who was signing q
clothing receipt at the desk, dropped his pen
also and stood up, but the sergeant pushed him
back into his chair, saying: You need not
rise. Ihe sergeant explained that u soldier
who was doing something engaged In any
military requirements was given, and the new
soldiers were SO much further on the way to
that perfection of discipline which makes the
regular soldier Q we'll reguiL ted machine that
VIII at the word OF command advance upon a
battery without f1inching.
TIE captain then turned over the new recruits
SELLING THEIR OLD CLOTHES.
"You can take your old clothes" said the SER
geant, pointing TO a heap of old coats, Shoes
shirts and pantaloons, land sell them. I'll
send u man with you who will show you where
you can sell them" Inc sergeant then sum
Moneu u private and put the recruits In his
charge. The recruits rolled up their old gar
inentS IN bundles and started away with their
new guardian to a secondhand clothing store,
| 10 part with the last link that con nnected them
| vita their old life ss private citizens
"it recruit has u BROTHER" said the sergeant
ing to him. ii he wants to- We don't allow him
70 Keep bis old clothes. He can sell tnetn aud
buy tobacco with the money. When he eniisls
ne Is put at once into uniform. Sometimes an
OLD soldier, re-enlisting Is permit wear ais
citizens dress while he remains At the recruit
ing Office"
ExAMIS1SG THE APPLICANT.
shat, fo Aecf
ined as 10 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 lie will ask also whether the would-be-re.
cruit can read or write. White men that cannot
read or write are not taken, but in the case of
coiored men this rule is not applied. Many who
np2S for are rsIsSeed opoa this
satisfactory The recruit is taken to an upper
room and prepared oy means OF a bath for The
surgeon. DIR. Skinner, naked and ctcan. Aa
eairy Is made OF his height and weight his
chest measurement, the color OF his eyes aud
halr, ana his complexion.
TESTING THE KYEsieHr.
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 in
the center. Tho recruit Is seated at table on
the opposite side OF tho rOo:n aud requested Ia
look at tne white sphere through q little hole
In an iron frame. In this hole Is set a glass or
lens, which revoiveS as the surgeon turns a
pointer or index hand on the apparatus. When
tho recruit first looks through the hole he is
amazed TO discover TWO white spheres instead
OF one. As the glass revoives he likely dis,
covers one OF these spheres tapping over the
Other The surgeon asks him questions as he
turns the hands and makes nOle OF the pOin 10
where the spheres seein 70 lap. or where they
separate or just touch. From this data he
makes a report on the recruits eyesight. Then
the recruits lungs are sounded aud his body
thoroughly examined for defects. A very little
defect, such as u bunion, is apt to ccuse mans
rejection. for In peaceful times the government
takes its pick OF the men who offer themselves
tor enlistment. The day The STAR reporter
visited the Office six men were examined two
were rejected, one declined to enlist because
copied.
CAVALRY RECRUITS.
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 the ser.
vice. The superintendent of the mounted re.
cruiting service has prescribed qualifications
enlistments. He desires that Americans un(ief
twenty-four years Of age and above the average
intelligence who Seek enlistment. not on sc.
count Of want of employment or stress of Cir.
cuInstanceS, but purely from military ardOr be
accepted. Thero are not many such young
Americans who seek to enlist for i've years In
these piping times OF peace. When the recruit
the articles OF war are read to him and the oath
IL administered to him. He ID then issued q
new suit OF clothes, with army shirt, socks and
shoes. he has cot upstairs On which ho ma an