The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-01-19
SOLDIER BOYS
OF UNCLE SAM
Small in Numbers, But OF High
Grade.
~-,-----
aOW TO BECOME ONE
APPLICANTS MUST PASS a SEVERE
EXAMINATION.
All Must BE Citizens and the Major
ity Are of American Birth-Pro-
visions For Retired Privates.

Copyright. 1896. S. S. Mcclure. Limited.l
1t seems TO be the general belief, per-
haps because the United States army is
small in number that its file is made up
of rather inferior men. Probably this
idea was always wrong. Certainly it Is
today entirely unfounded, for the very
good reason that the standard by which
applicants for enlistment are measured
is higher in the United States than in
any other country in the world and the
BOYS who wear the blue are as fine specl-
mems of healthy and Intelligent manhood
as were ever mustered under nag.
When the industrial conditions are
such that every man who wishes to work
can feel sure OF steady ana well pad
employment the inducement to enlist is
not SO great as 1t is during seasons OF
business depression. For three years
past. however, work has been hard 10
get, and in consequence the ranks of the
army are today practically flied and re-
crultlng officers have been instructed to
take no applicants but those of excep-
llonal physical and mental Quallnca-
tons. a man. therefore, who can at his
time pass muster need not feel appre-
hensive as to his health. To each man
who expresses a desire to enlist are
shown the questions he must answer and
the examination he must undergo, he
fore he flies formal application, and
this unofficial preliminary scrutiny usu-
ally SuulCSS 10 drive away QOuDtS oil
their own soundness. Notwithstanding
this. not. more than . per cent of those
who formally Apply are accepted and
sworn into the service.
Only unmarried men between twenty.
one and thirty years of age are now ac
cepted and most men are at their best
physically during that period of life. Thai
only per cent. pass the examinations
/ indicates one of two things-either thai
the applicants are Door OF or hat the
scrutiny is very severe. Unquestionably
the latter is the true explanation, and
the writer makes this statement after
careful examination of The f.,cts. The
applicants are of a very good average
and the rejection of So per ent. Of their
number is due to the strict enforce
ment of the army regulations as to en-
listments.
HOW MEN GET INTO THE ARMY
When a man wants 20 enlist. he Us
ually has a talk with sergeant ~ ether
non-commissioned officer, and this vet
eran of the ranks finds out in short or
der whether it is worth the applicant
While to file an application If there be
a chance for him he is told to fiji out
. a blank in which he inserts ,luite com
plete information about himself such as
date and place of birth, nativity, and
residence of parens , height weight,
chest measurement. expiration ind in
spiration of lungs, nature of sickness
suffered in the past, habits as 10 the use
OF liquors, status AS 20 lmprts 1amen1 OF
arrests, attendance at school, and so On
Then he must supply Two references
preferably those Of ,:lergy'nen. school
teachers or. public officers. ''hese refer
ences, by the way, must ce genuine as
they are invariably investigated before
the applicant is accented.
1t is interesting to tote just here, trat
though army officers, as Il uie hold
army chaplains in tolerably poor es-
cloth generally and prefer that an ap-
ulicant should be recommended by a
/ dominic rather than by any other nan
The applicant his allowed to state