The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1890-11-08
By S. b. Pn1LLIrs. seeietary. IAA 0AoD'
IN ARMY RECRUITING STATION.
a Branch OF tho Service To Re
Opened In Portland.

6Tanch OF the Service To Bo
Opened In Portland.
A recruiting station Of the United States
army Is to be opened la this city within
few days, having been removed here from
Augusta where the supply Of available men
seems to have given out. 1t will be remem-
bered that there was a station here three
years ago in charge Of Captain @. @. Cuslck
OF the 22d Infantry who made himself very
popular during his stay. and who secured
some good recruits. The station at that
time was removed to Providence, r. l., as
the policy Of the government has always
been to move them about frequently. Capt.
Cusick's recruits turned out so we'll however
In their career Of arms that another station
was opened at Augusta In the hopes Of secur-
ing more OF the stalwart sons Of Maine for
Uncle Sans service. The sapply was not
fully up to the expectation, however. hence
this latest change.
There are many sides to the question
whether soldiers life is a desirable one for
young man. 1t is claimed that the pay Is
small, the drills and parades taxing to the
strength, the eternal hanging around" de-
trlmental TO the men, and the unchrlstian
conduct Of some Of the officers positively un-
bearable. In reply to this 1t may be said
tsat the pay although small being Sl3
month for first enlistment is positively GER
tain to come. No soldier Is put off from
week to w6eS or paid in promises. He does
not get much but what he gets Is good
government money. Then too his every
want Is supplied in addition to his pay. He
has quarters, food, fuel, clothing, medica
attendance II he happens to fall in need Of
Ii, transportation, and II he desires it instruc-
tionfrom the post chaplain in common Eng
lish branches, all "free gratis for nothing"
The drills and parades are not more severe
nor half so severe in fact as some Of the
ordinary occupations Of life, and they come
at stated periods with suitable intervals for
rest between. A soldier who Is injured
morally or physically by the leisure time
found in garrison would be the kind of man
in civil life who would drift into vice and
crime and prison. The regulations are no
more severe than those in force In many
manufacturing establishments and IL a man
behaves himself he will never feel them.
Regarding alleged oppression Of officers OUT
side of the line of duty not much need be
said. Within the past year two officers have
been severely punished by courts martial for
requiring enlisted men to perform menial
service and other officers know that like
fate awaits them for like offence.
1t Is Of course not expected that successful
professional men or prosperous merchants
Will enlist In the army In times Of peace.
The class Of men the government desires to
secure by its recruiting system is the best
class for its service. The large class Of
vigorous, intelligent young men who In the
modern fashion do not feel bound to any
particular trade or calling, but who frequent
ly change about from place to place or trade
to trade furnishes many soldiers.
To such as these the service Is especially
commended. In the first place 1t provides
what Is so greatly desired, steady job. En-
listments are for five years with provision
for re-inlistment for one term or for con-
tlnual service ifthe soldier so desires, after
trial Of the life. On the other hand new
law provides for the other side and allows a
recruit to buy his release after a few months
trial II he finds he cannot get along.
The value of experience Is recognized in
the line Of the army a 3 well as In the affairs
of civil life, and soldiers who re-enlist have
increased pay and privileges aad hopes OF
promotion. All non-eommissioned officers
naturally come from the ranks Of the priv
ates on the merit system, and the rise does
not stop with the grade Of orderly sergeant.
By law, three-fouTths Of the vacancies ex-
istlDg in the ranks of the second lIeutenants
of the army are filled by appointment Of
West Point cadets, and one-fourth by promo
tions from the list Of first sergeants found
qualified by examination for such promotion.
There are thus, IL win be seen, chances for
recruits who may be enlisted at the Port
land recrnilias ssesiss =rssss e - ttxf ros,
tsons in the army II they so desire. The re-
cent Adjutant General Of the Army, r. G.
Drum, was such man. He rose from the
ranks TO the most responsible position in the
army.
The recruit who applies for enlistment
must pass satisfactory physical examin-
alton. He must be a strong. well-made man,
free from disease and deformlty, especially
Of sight and hearing. He must be morally
sound also and free from bad habits. Ac-
cepted by the surgeon he Is provided with a
uniform and quartered at the station under
the eye Of the officer and his squad perhaps
learning the rudlments Of his duties, until
few companions are secured. They are then
sent off to David's Island, New York, where
they are again examined and put into drill
school. Here they remain for several months
constantly under the eye Of the officers,
learning the manual Of arms and other
necessary things. III their courage Is still
good and they have done fairly well they are
assigned to regiments and cease to become
recruits. In assignments to different
branches Of the service the smaller men are
picked out for the cavalry and the heavier
ones go to the artillery or infantry or en-
gineer battalion. Once with his regiment
the soldier becomes a part Of 1t fighting In-
dlans on the plains or doing garrison duty in
some fort on the sea-coast or whatever he
may be called to do. At the end Of his five
years term he can retire from the service or
re-enlist. II he retires his accounts with the
government are squared up and the money
which Is kept back to his credit from his pay
and allowances is paid to him In a lump
sum, oftentimes quite an amount. II he re-
enlists the credit Is carried on and the pay
increased so that when after faithful service
for thirty years even private soldier Is
placed on the retired list for life with two
thirds pay, his allowances and balance kept
back amount to quite handsome sum. III
by industry and faithful performance OF
duty he has earned promotion, Of cou-se, his
savings will be more. 1t must be remember
ed however that when non-commlssioned
officer becomes lieutenant he ceases to be
under the paternal care Of the government.
His salary takes sudden bound, but his
clothing and equipment are hence forward
najd for out of It. He still has quarters,
medical attendance and transportation fur
nished him by the government together with
other allowance, but he clothes himself.
The station Is In charge Of Second
Lieutenant Charles g. Morton Of the 9th In
fantry, who Is a Maine man although ap-
pointed from Massachusetts.
Industrial Notes.
Messrs. Taylor and Hurd. the lessees OF
the wooden mill at East Dover, who have
been making necessary repairs on the wall
and machinery, have nearly finished, and
will commence work as soon as the wool and
other stock arrives.
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