The Somerset reporter., 1889-04-25
MAKESMEN IN THE ARMY.
THE DISCIPLINE THAT MAKES OUR
SOLDIERS EXPERTS.

The Country Has Not Large Military
able for Their Facility In Handling the
Rifle How They Are Taught and Trained
The United States has very extensive
territory. yet it has the smallest regular
arnE of any civilized power of nearly
equal territorial extent Still, with
American ideas and policy. the gallant
little force seems amply sufficient to
guard the country. Peace is so much
the policy of our nation that even the
small army finds little to do, The great
Indian tribes have been corralled within
their reservations and the lie OF the
United States soldier il now narrowed
down to the stereotyped military code
Weary with the some old ceremonies
from year to year, practiced until the
regular tactics are absolutely perfect,
they have developed the principal gar
rison duty. target shooting, into science
of remarkable accuracy. The pleasure
of the practice and the spirit of emula-
ton aroused combine to make them the
most skilled marksmen in the world.
THEY BEAT THE woRLS.
The rifle used is the ordinary Spring
field service pattern, "A breech loader,
carrying seventy grains of powder and
4 500 grains of lead. common service sights
/ that never get out of order.
Our little army may be deficient in
many ways, but in the matter of rifle
/ shooting to hit and with the object of
/ hitting to kill (the business nj which the
soldier is presumed to be particularly
efficiently, it certainly stands first in the
world. Another great advantage, al
though not IA pleasant one, has been con
tinuous and almost everlasting stations
on the remote frontier Surrounded with
large and small game, what wonder that
men, whose business it is to kill, always
seized every opportunity for hunting?
To he perfectly fair, our marksmen are
80 far in advance of the best European
soldiers, that SO far as execution is con
cerned. the latter would have no show
whatever when pitted against our own
regulars. European armies, though
armed with a longer range gun, yet lack
practice and accuracy.
They are trained to volley shooting in
stead of individual aim, and the result is
that fully half of the men fire at random
into the air. Uncle Sans man has to
depend upon himself. European nations
nurse their dislike of each other and their
military training partakes of it, They
pay more attention to Matching up new
schemes to hurt each other than hitting
the bulls eye. They are able to pierce,
times without number, Il target in the
shape of an efligy of a French soldier,
but would miss at every shot an Amer
can target. Neither the French, Ger
mans, Belgians nor Russians have the
skill of the Americans in sighting their
guns or in handling their pieces.
Routine duty on the frontier is about
as follows: The soldier gets S13 per
month straight pay, rations, clothing,
and a certain allowance which is paid
him on the date of his discharge; an in
crease for each years service or re-en-
listmcnt; additional remuneration if pro
noted corporal, sergeant or artiiicer;
extra pay if worked AS carpenter,
plastercr or mechanic, and lots of other
perquisites too small to mention. Guard
duty is the hardest in the service, and
to this the soldier is eligible about one
day in six.