Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-05-17
LIFE IN UNCLE SANS ARMY.
1t Is Hopeless Sort Of Career With
Precious Little Fun in 1t.

"Why on earth any man should wish 70 go
into the United States army is more than can
imagine" said an officer in the service to a
STAR reporter the other day. 1T seems to me
that young man could hardly choose a career
In life more entirely without rewards. Let me
give you an example of the sort Of existence
we must be content most of the time with lead
ing: My company is at present stationed at an
isolated and dreary post on the upper Missis-
sippi; it has literally been forgotten by the
War Department and is likely to remain So
There is nobody anywhere about that lonely
region to associate with and only once q year
Is there a relief of the monotony. when the
government supply ship comes up the river
to land stores and ammunition for q twelve
month. 1t Is a one company post which
means that there are only three extraordinarily
enough, as you are probably aware to make up
a game of poker. The life. in short, is a sort
OF dry rot condition. under which ennui be-
comes chronic and alcohol is almost the only
available resort for the creation of an arti-
fetal cheerfulness. You can imagine how for
tunate l think myself to be stationed in WASH
ington, through an accident, on detached duty"
ALCOHOL IN THE ARMY.
SIS there not good deal Of drinking done
by army officers?"
Undoubtedly; and il is very natural that such
lonely frontier posts but drink and play cards?
They feel the need of some excitement and
there are scarce any other resources at hand
But the consumption of alcohol in the army is
as nothing compared 10 old times. The officers
VINO drink hard nowadays are mostly of the
oluer set who were in service before the war.
In those times it was the fashion in the army
70 drink hard, play high and be generally
rather reckless and wicked. The pace was set
oy me rich young southern officers, who took
up the profession of arms not for a livelihood
Dut because IT was tho proper occupation for
gentlemen. Many of them would give their
salaries to their servants. They kept fast horses
anu led fast lives generally. Poorer men had
10 follow suit, and ruin, from cards or drink, or
both, was not infrequent. Things have altered
since those days. J venture to say that there
are more total abstainers in my regiment than
are to be found among an equal number of
civilians picked ut random"
HIS VOICE For WAR.
where does the fun of being an army officer
come in? Presumably there are certain COM
pensations?"
There isn't any fun. Gen. Crook spent
twenty years i'll the service without obtaining a
single leave OF absence. An army officer may
get leave, but he is not entitled to 1t. If he
marrles he will probably have to take his wife
out into the wlids, to live in barracks and share
MS own isolation from nearly everything that
makes life desirable. When he is old enough
TO have fairly survived the capacity for enjoy
meht he Is retired on two-thirds pay. OF course
IN what have said / have been referring to
what may be called the army proper. that is
the cavalry and infantry. The artillery officers
are scattered about on the coast usually near
large cities AS for the engineers their work is
practically that OF civilians. What l sigh for is
war; II that would only come there would be
show for u.s."
-, And yet, notwithstanding all you say.
rNI1a ~ .,f,-<
to become army officers"
Certainly. There is a glamor about the
notion OF being a soldier that is very at
tractlye. Besides, the pay at the start is suffi-
clenty good to be an inducement, where edu-
Gated young gentlemen are so plentiful and
employment Is SO scarce. young man who
gets
AN APPOINTMENT FROM CIVIL. LIFE
jumps right into a commission as second lieu
tenant and STA month. In all respects his
advantages are equal to those enjoyed by the
fellow who has been graduated from West
Point after years of study and creditable be-
haVior. The latter, upon graduation. is like
wise appointed a second lieutenant at an equal
remuneration. That seems unjust to West
Pointers. You say Well, rather. They can't
be expected to like it, but they have nothing
to do but to take their medicine There are
always more vacancies made every wear
in the list of officers, by deaths.
designations and retirements. than can
be filled by the cadets, and the
extra number are recruited from civil life For
a civilian to obtain such an appointment is
simply matter of influence He gets an order
for examination; then it is merely a question
OF passing on some easy common school ques-
tions. and he slides into the army Promotions
are painfully slow, but pay-though never more
than enough to barely live upon--steadily in
creases from year to year and is always a sure
thing Tor liie so long as a man doesn't grossly
mlsbehave himself. That is something. of
course, and it must also be considered that an
army officers commission gives social position
to many man who would not possess it other
wise. Tony notion. the navy is far more de-
slrable service than the army. Men have a bet
ter time, they enjoy the advantages of travel,
shore duty is apt to be easy. vacations are fire.
quent. and although the girl in the opera NAV
sing, All, que jaime les miiitaresr / am con-
WINGED that the naval officer is the masher par
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