Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-05-07
A FRENCH CONSCRIPT.
A FEW OF THE DUTIES HE IS
TAUGHT TO PERFORM.

Transformation of y Raw Recruit into an
Artiileryman-Learnin the Mysteries
of the Riding Eing-Getting Very Tired
| at Last and Very Hungry.
| The conscript has listened to 80 many
stories that in his eyes the regiment has
come to assume the aspect of q sort Of ante
chamber to the penitentiary. The way he
is received at the head quarters is not calcu-
lated to remove such ideas or TO please a lad
Of %, fresh from the tender solicitude Of q
! mother. From the storehouse, where he il
furnished with an ill-ftting and ugly uni
form and stout stosies that hurt his feet, hs
is taken to the artillery school, where he is
armed with a saber and a brace Of revolvers
of which he is, OF course, very much afraid
He knows from heresay that hs owes re-
spect to his superiors, but how is he to know
the colonel from the adjutant, and if be
makes mistake he is not only severely rep
rimanded, but also becomes the butt of no
end o. impairment ridicule Never has he
experienced 50 severely as during the first
days of his military life that he is alone and
abandoned. He lacks the experience and
GOODNESS necessary in order to make the best
OF everything, and no matter how Jealous
may lie the corporal whose duty it ia to IN
struct him, he is apt to think that no one
one takes tn, slightest interest in him
What really is the matter is that he is home
sick ard disguised with the proniscuity Of
BAR ack life with the food he is forced to
eat, and with tie way it has to be eaten
TRAINING THE AWKWARD RECRUIT.
Buttoned up in new uniform which i'm
pede their movements, the conscripts are
drawn up at the entrance OF the riding
school, a gloomy looking building which has
nothing reassuring in its aspect The soli-
tary horse which is about TO serve as the
@piece de demonstration" assumes, IN the
eyes Of the raw recruits, the proportions of
a monster; the track runs around bare stone
walls, and each young fellow asks himself
what will become of him if he happens to
lie thrown from the saddle and strikes his
head against the wall The riding master
has not an unkindly manner, and all the
sous officers are smiling. so it can not be 50
very dangerous after all
Tie iirst lesson consists OF instruction In
saddling and unsaddling horse selected for
its euietness The lieutenant-instructor
names the different Parts of the saddle.
This is the pommel when you are afraid
of falling OF catch hold of IL with both
bands; bat try to rid yourself of this bad
habit as quickly as possible and so on Two
days later the Conscriprs arc placed on
horseback. Their spurs have been carefully
wrapped up AMI their caps are strapped ON.
They move around the riding ring at q
walk while the Instructor explains to each
how he mus. ho,d ths lie ms. throw lack the
upper part of the Lody and Keep his elbows
clos in to his hips tn. lessons end with a
slow trot which the horses, well accustomed
to carrying experienced riders, execute with
u sort Of contemp:uous gentleness
Tie new iedged cannoniers lead their
horses to tho stable where they are taught
TO u.s. the curry comb and brush, to fill the
rack with hay and straw, to measure out
the ration OF cats, to repair the stalls, to
arrange the Litter and to clean the
bride bits All this fills up the time until
II O'Clock, when the barracks courtyard all
at once becomes very animated. The men
on fatigue duty pass around carrying tin
LOWS filled with slvory smelling soap If
the kitchens OF a French barrack are not
always as clean as they should be, the boiled
beef is of good quality and the potatoes
have a fine flavor 10 the young fellows who
have appetites sharpened by four hours hard
work.
VERY TIRED AND VERY HUNGRY.
BY II: As O'Clock the conscripts have got
into clean jackets, buck'ej on their belts
and are ready for instruction in maneuvers
On foot They are tau hit that the length
of the stride IS fixed, and that they must
take Just so many per second. I'm avant
marchel Halle and each time the Brigadier
or other sous oiicer coTrects the alignment
This drill goes on until O'Clock, when the
bugle sounds the -repos
IL is necessary TO instruct the recruits in
the A Is I Of their profession. They must
learn that O colonel wears five gold strips
aud lieut. nant colonel three gold and two
silver stripes, ami that the former must bs
ed Tres ell as Mon Colonel All this is in
terrningle6 VITA such ma1ims as Discipline
Is the true strength of an army" and such
appropriate comments as the instructor
fees called on TO make This afternoon les
son is rot popular with the recruits, besides
the heur de la sOupe is approaching, and
empty stomAchs have no ears Accord
ingly the offers ami non commissioned off,
Gers whose Guty il IS TO impart this instruc-
tion have anything but pleasant task On
hand
With the end OK the week comes wei
come change in the monotony Of tie re-
cruit's Isiiy life. At O'Clock on Satuf-
day the colonel. accompanied ~ his whole
stliT, passes in review the eyiment The
conscripts are elreaiy beginning to feel
proud Of their unforIuS \, trie3y as pos
sibls the colonel expresses his satisfaction,
Its tine men OF from such punishnents a.
they may have in urrei, and If he Is really
pleased, gives all hands permission 70 stay
out Of barracks until nidni zht-J- Il
Hay ME III San Fran isco Chronicle