Gulf Coast breeze. [volume] (Crawfordville, Fla.) 1897-19??, 1897-11-12
RECRUITS FOR THE ARMY,
a VISIT TO THE RECRUITING OFFICE
IN NEW YORK.

cautions Taken To secure GOou "e"
Searching Physical Examination.
Hundreds of young men apply for
enlistment every week at the United
States Recruiting Office on Ninth
street. The universal impression
seems to be that il man is good for
nothing in any other walk of life he
will do for a soldier. This is wrong,
for in no service in the world is there
more rigid physical examination
than there is for the United States
army. Added to this, young man
must prove to the satisfaction OF the
recruiting officer that he is of good
moral character. The reason for such
precautions is that the applicants are
more numerous than the existing va
cancies in the ranks, and the military
authorities can afford to be ultra-fas-
tidious in the selection of Uncle Sam
boys in blue.
A visitor recently spent a morning
In the office and watched the stream
of men as they filed in and out--most-
ly out--for the corporal in charge
knows his business and transacts it
with judgment and despatch, sizing up
man in q moment.
1t was $50 o'clock when heavy,
numbering, uncertain footstep was
heard on the stairs, and young man
fairly well dressed lurched into the
room. Without waiting for him to
speak the old corporal said:
SEQ home and sleep it Olive want
no jags here, young fellow"
Without word the man turned and
stumbled downstairs again.
why did l turn him away?" asked
the corporal. "Would you employ
man in civil life who applied for
situation when he was drunk? It's
the same thing here. We have drunk
ards in the army, but they were sober
when they enlisted"
"But suppose he come in tomorrow
sober, would that make any differ
ence?'
"Not the slightest. To give you
some idea Of the choice we have, from
January to August of this year there
were ALSO applicants, or about 523
men every month. OF these, 142 only
were accepted, the rest having failed
in the physical examination or in
quiries made into their character prov
ing unsatisfactory"
"What is the nature of the physical
examinations"
THAT is extremely severe and
searching. When we think q man is
fit for the service we take him in the
back room and have him strip. The
recruiting officer then examines him.
His eyesight is tested, his teeth en-
amined and careful inspection made
of his whole body to SEQ that there
are no physical defects such as cross
or hammer toes. II he passes this
inspection he is allowed to remain in
the Office until the regular medical
examining officer arrives, when the
applicant undergoes a second and still
more searching inspection. II all is
satisfactory the recruit is sent away
with the next batch of recruits that
starts for the West. On arrival at his
regiment he may even the be reject.
ed on account of some defect which
may have been overlooked here. But
this seldom or never happens.
"As rule, are not the men who
enlist desperate men who, having
tried every other means of gaining q
livelihood, have no alternative, and
enlist in despair for something to
eat?"
''By no means. OF course we have
some of that class, but as n rule the
young fellows who join do so because
they want to see something more of
their own country than they would
otherwise have chance of doing, and
who are willing enough to give three
years of their lives to that end. Verv
many of these young menre.enlist for
a second term, and generally thew
make good soldiers. A few years of
is good thing for young
man."
"Do you have many cases of men
deserving after they have been sworn
in?"
''In the three years that have been
in charge here / have only had one
such case, and l didn't bother after
him further than to send description
of him to the police, and they would |
not be likely to trouble themselves, as
the reward for giving up a deserter
has been reduced from $50 to $40.
and that is not much of a temptation.
OF course, men desert from their req.
iments from various causes, but we
have nothing to do with that here
But, as / have already said, the Sc.
lection of men is so carefully mods
that we know pretty neary all about
a man 8 antecedents. Three men are
10 GO