The Colfax chronicle., 1891-12-19
UNCLE SANS ARMY.
The Sort OF Men Who Arc Required 70,
the Service.


the Service.
To keep the ranks of Uncle Sans Ii
tie army of twenty-five thousand me
fiiled it is necessary to maintain recruit
ing stations in the principal cities {
the country where men may enlist. Th
ranks are being constantly thinned b
death, desertion, and the expiration O
the term of enlistment. While a bount
is paid to those who re-enlist at the eS
piration of their term of service, fiy,
years is as long as most of those wht
serve in the ranks care to remain in tn,
army. The novelty has ais worn off il
that time.
OF the private soldiers of the United
States army only one-third are native.
OF America or even citizens of the coun
try. One-third are natives of Great
Britain and the other third is made up
OF representatives of every civilized
nation in the world. OF the third cred.
tied to Great Britain two out of every
three are natives of Ireland of the
other nations represented the Germans
lead in point of numbers. There are
also Frenchmen, Austrians, Spaniards.
Russians, Poles, Italians, Egyptians.
natives OF the South American Repub-
lies and the West Indies. The only
race not accepted is the Chinese. True.
no chinese have ever offered their serv-
ices 70 Uncle Sam, but if they did they
would be declined with thanks. A few
Arabs have applied at the recruiting
ONCE, but none of them were able to
pass the examination. There are fewer
Italians than any other foreign nation
Atty represented in the army.
The German recruits make the best
soldiers say the officers of the army.
Iney are clean, obey orders like a
trained machine, and rarely make
trouble of any kind. Most of those who
enlist have served in the German armv
nve years, and they soon learn the
United States tactics and are then vet
eran soldiers They usually remain in
training quarters on David's Island only
. snort time until they are ready to be |
assigned to duty with some regiment in |
service. Nearly all foreigners who en-
list have served in the regular army or
the militia of their own country.
While the Germans are the best sol.
diers In the country. nearly all the for.
eigners are better than the Americans
in point of discipline. Very few FOREIGN.
born soldiers desert To them the no.
sit'on is a soft berth, end the pay OF
thirteen dollars per month is more
than they ever earned Ut hard work in
their own country. They know there
rs little probability of war, and they are
content to remain in the army. Some
OF them re-enlist when their term of
service expires.
Only two and one half per cent of
the men who apply at the recruiting
ONCE on Park row are able to pass the
necessary examination. A corporal is
stationed at the door of the stairway
leading up to the Office from the street
ana ne first subjects the applicants to
series OF questions before they are al
lowed to go upstairs. The corporal
turns away one-half of those who an.
ply. An average of four hundred men
per month call at the Office with the in.
'entlon OF becoming soldiers Only two
hundred OF them get by the corporal at
ne outer door, and only twenty of the
,ther two hundred succeed in passing
he final examinations.
Uncle Sam is very particular about
ne kind of men he makes soldiers of
irst of all the applicant must be be- s
ween twenty-one and forty-five years =
age. He must be able to read and !.
rite the English language fairly we'll :
nd must have at least common school
nncation 1t a foreigner and he has
srved in the army in his own country. =. -
must have an honorable discharge. :.
III applicants, foreign and native born. !. ~
lust De able to prove by some reputa- =
le citizen of the United States that W
icy are men OF good character and ~
abits While foreigner is not re. ~
aired to become q naturalized citizen.
must be able to prove that he has "
sided in the country long enough to
'tablish a good character. No man 1e
idicted to drink is accepted
II the applicant possesses all these re- su
iirements he is then passed TO the en-
edicat examiners, who subject him to ca
most thorough physical and medical
animation. The recruit must bo Tn
althy, without tendency to disease pc
any kind, and he must also be a we'll. TO
rmed and developed man, A man
no can successfully pass the physical SCI
needs only little training gil
become good all-round athlete. an
The applicant who passes all the ex. wa
linations is at once sent over to .is
vid's Island in the sound, where no po
ns a uniform and shoulders musket. op
is instructed in army tactics and es'
sulations daily until he is able In 90 nel
'ough a drill with precision. The au.
'e necessary to teach a new man is
m four to six months As soon as wa
recruits are sufficiently well drilled oh'
y are assigned to the different reo;. the
nts and sent away in small squads to
point where their command ia sta. sar
'ed. There are usually from four ass
idred to six hundred recruits on the ano
md, but an emergency will reduce ms
number very rapidly. Dur;rg the Mu