The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-08-30
UNCLE SANS PICKED MEN.
Over Eighty Per Cent. of Army Recruit
ApplicAnta Arc Rejected.

AppucAnts ARC Re1ectoos
| Entering the United States army is
more difficult than having your life in
sured. If a man can successfully an-
swer the searching questions of the re.
cruiting officer and pass the surgeons
examination he may well be proud of
himself. And it is necessary TO have
superior men in the army, for more
than ordinary physical and mental
stamina are required to chase Apaches
over the thirsty deserts of Arizona,
trail bandits through the thorny
chaparral of Texas, fight the willy
Sioux in the biting cold of a Dakota
winter, and anon stand firm and silent
| before the taunts and missiles OF .
! bowling mob of strikers
Our army of twenty-five thousand men
requires about eight thousand recruits
annually to keep it up to full strength.
There have been great changes lately
in the method of obtaining these men,
and more are contemplated by Secre-
tary Lamont For many years ii was
the custom TO collect recruits enlisted
in the large cities at what are known
Is ''depots, located in New York har-
Dor, Columbus, Ohio. and ST. Louis
There they were kept under instrnc-
ton three or four months. when they
were forwarded in attachments Of
forty or fifty 10 regiments. The plan
resulted in keeping about fifteen
hundred men constantly out OF the
ranks. a very serious loss. considering
the smallness of the army as 4 whole.
When the regiments began TO move
east they were made TO recruit for
themselves, and the system proved a
success from the outset a better class
of men were secured. and they Joined
their companies az once. Over half
the recruits enlisted last year were OBJ
tanned IN this way. The depo.s have
been discontinued as such, and garri-
soned with regiments brought from
the frontier. Only small detschments
of recruits are now kept az each, and
these are sent west Just as quickly as
enough are assem- bled TO make /: worth
while. In addition 20 all this, the
number of recruiting stations IN the
large cities is being reduced as fast as
possible, half dozen having been div
continued during the las; year
There are some thirty o. these sta
tons now. Three are in Chicago. two
in New York. one each in Phiiztel-
phia, St Louis. Cincin 7ati aud St
Paul, and the remainder II cities OF
large size throughout the country.
Every one Is IN charge Of an officer.
who is assisted by a picked party OF
a -
Outside the stars and stripes float
gracefully over the door. while a trim
orderly PAGES 20 and fro. his belt
marvel of polish, and his gloves Of inn
rnaculzte white II il his duty 20 an
swer questions and exclude any person
who may be objectionable In2.ce are
the Office, the examination room. and
the quarters for The party and such re-
eruits g. are waiting transportation
form the moment they enlist. ard from
thu; moment also are pad and cared
forby the government
AZ every station a stream OF zppss-
eauts good. bad and indifferent l. con-
.,antIy coming aud going. Bat t5oee
who are in the sllgn.es; degree irtoTt-
Gated. or who present any pnysscai dis
Qualification never pet pss. the or
derby. That individual has tae Seea
glance Of a detective lie hzs zen
hundreds o. men cone ADD 20 IA tie
array. and has rery see5rz'e idea 81
The kind tina, are w1otcd
Once before the recruiting ossoer the
candidate IS ss1ced = long s:Eing %
questions. the answers 20 which are re-
corded sad signed by nszn- ThEa record
l. ;siea Ii .hc war csFzrtrrrat. and. X
~ aBy Subsequent time TIC man -
proved 20 have rset deception 20 ob-
tain e...s.&ess &c - SssS = ssSkf