The sun., 1896-10-18
THE ARMY'S EASY BERTHS.
POSTS THAT OFFICERS LIKE, AND
SOME THAT THEY DETEST.

| joys or the Artiiieryman'r Life at New
| York. Fort Monroe, and the Preaidio-
| Where society's Arms Are Open TO ON
| cers-fosts Where Desoiaintion Reigns.
| WAsHINGToN. Oct 1.-THE autumnal shift
| ing of regular army troops has begun. The
| shake-up this year is unexpectedly thorough
| and comprehensive. and the Joys and griefs Of
| the officers involved In tho transfers are cor
| respondingly great, q fact visible even to the
naked eye OF him who has the merest exoteric
| knowledge of the heights of happiness and tho
| depths of despair which this inevitable. aunu-
| ally recurring shifting season produces in the
| bosoms of United States army officers.
| Few private citizens possess knowledge so ex-
act and appreciative of the points of difference
| between New York and Arizona, California and
| Idaho. tho District OF Columbia and Wyoming.
| as the men with the shoulder straps. Acquired
| chiefly through experience by the older officers
| In tho service. and through hearsay by the young
| fellows fresh from West Point, this tremendous
| fund OF information as to the relative advRn-
| tages of existence in all parts OF tho coun-
| try 10 of no merely superficial character,
| based upon such negative and uncon-
| vincug details as climatic conditions and
natural surroundings. but is founded upon the
| snfIerings In exile and zest In eventual recall
OF army officers. Tho private citizen and
| the army officer may differ In minor details
| OF their respective viewpoints as to the in
habltabieness OF certain sections of the United
| States. but upon essential matters their juds-
| ment will generally be found to diverge very
slightly. 1t is not likely, for instance, that an
| insurance agent with New York headquarters
| would hail with any great degree OF delight nm
| order from the President OF his company trans
| ferring him to some spot on the Mojave Desert
| or the sage brush plains of Western Nebraska.
| The whole career OF an army officer Is composed
| OF such heartrcnding shifts which, officially,
| they for the most part endure uncom painingly.
| But many moan they make at mess.
Artllerymen espec ally those assigned to the
| heavy. or stationary batteries, have the best Of
their brothers In the other branches OF arms ia
| the matter OF choice assignments. The soldier
ing OF the officer in the heavy artillery branch
| OF the United states service is in truth of the
| supremest kid glo> ed order. and the wonder is
| not great that tho lads mt West Point struggle
| SO hard for honors in order to gain the chance
to enter it. The majority Of the heavy ARTILLERY
| posts are situated in or near the large cities
both coasts, and the isolation OF frontier SOL
| diering. which is the common lot OF the cavalry
| man and infantryman. or. as the enlisted men
] put 1t, the sabre sinner" and the dough boy
| forms scarcely any part OF the existence of the
| officers whose cape Innings are red.
! There is fairly even division OF opinion
| among the artillery officers to the respective
| merits OF New York harbor, Fort Monroe in Nir-
| ginia. and the Presidio Of San Francisco for
| their line of soldering. the posts named beng
| always first choice. The artlerymen devoted
to the chain OF posts In the vicinity OF New York
| are generally men with money and club tastes
| equal to the task OF disposus ot it. A. a regi
ment OF artillery is usually kept within
military department for fr IN eight to ten years
there being only five regiments OF artillery, all
| told and therefore less occasion for the frequent
exercise of the ntercnanging system. the officer
| att.chea To n hnt,erv stationed at one of IN,
| -, -. ,,t
| Ne" YORK hafoor posts oeco'heS pretty lh''-
ma,ely acquainted with his own especial chair
anu MS own p"' u'.' u. MS .'"' i.e
is exceedingly ilkeiy to develop into hFSt-
hscaoss o,s ~ m. donrin, mon n, ,hn co,ii.
| 70 ~. '0 ,.' - ,..I,. T.,
| Ions lie Is apt 10 become so coihpIeleIy IN
touch with the sights and sounds OF New York
| of,er his decade ot eristcnce within fc,y miles
of it that the universe ordinarily seems blank
| enough to him when the bombShel is exploded
Srsss 10 that he rG"Tt a be
| ferred to another regiment. The only thing
likely to m,ira,e the t,Hmny OF an l. artilLtry2nm
| York l. an or,lsr to proceed either to Fort Mon
roe s or 70 ,hs Preside: :aoo-,.,o ro., yo,
| roe is pretty well known to the thousands Of
people wnGG make a poln, Of Spreading wreA or
In between Old Point Comfort season. Perhaps
in no single military post in the cOurtry is the
| army officer with the red stripes on his trousers
| more in evidence than Mt For tMunroe. Old
| Point Comfort is the congreraring place In
| winter Tor wealthy southern people WHO have
| spent the summer at the Virginia springs, and
| during the balmier months of spring the walks
around the have been tmprerHabio rampar,-,
| pierced for nut-of-iate l5-inch smoothb res
| and Misunderstanding converted S-inch rifles. ara
| thronget every day with pretty girls from the
| Southland. four pr FIVE OF whom, usually neces.
constitute RS -I.lp the suite OF an invalid aunt
| on a quest for health. There IL not much in
| bar. heaye!" drill going on within the confines
OF the ramparts ~ Fort Monroe during this sea
| soil. but there Is a truly wonderful amount Of
| dancing and merry making from high noon to
| gray dawn. The young civilian, 10 matter
| how great his distinction or ample his purse.
has never yet been who has attained
| unusual popularity among the girls who fit
| through the Fort Monroe -cason, for III" nj
traciiveness of u comblnati"n of red and gilt.
when 1t serves for the ornanentatiOn OF II
strapping youth with n swaggcr and military
tile. Is a matter OF common observation. The
young artierymcn fortunate enough 10 catch
period Of service at Fort Monroe are not in
frequently equally fortunate in marrying