The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-05-23
HAzING THE NEW RECRUIT.
Varied FORMS OF MISERY FOUND
IN THE ARMY AND NhVY.

A6htNeIoNt nlAg uo ~ hUlth v II ~
OF a recruits service in tho army, as well as In
the navy, is a procession of unhappy days. The
batting Of recruits is worse in the army than In
the navy. From the very day that n man holds
up his hand In a recruiting Office and casts Off
his civil raimcnt for tho Government straights
of the new soldier he is made to servo rs the
buffoon Of tho older men on recruiting duty. The
soldiers on recruiting service in cities are al
ways mon who have been In tho army for
twenty years or more, and that period Il OF service
In the army does not have the effect OF softening n
soldiers feelings toward recruits. So these old
recruiting soldiers lie back on their hunks,
smoking their pipes, and Bolcmnly relate unto
tho recruits straining car amazing tales OF tho
things that arc In store for him when he arrives
ut the post. II the recruit Is a pretty likely
young fellow the old recruiting soldiers get at
hin, by figuring how long n time must elapse be.
fore he captures the shoulder straps.
II think no ought to be ablo to make a rom
mission In about two years. don't you ." asks
one OF tho old bucks OF another, pretending not
TO know that the recruit is within cnrshot.
We'll, no." is the reply. hardly that; cx-
aminations arc pretty strict now, and I don't bc.
iieve he'll make IL under two years and six
months Whcrcat tho recruit, OF In another
corne: Of the room. feels the stirring Jingle OF
anticipation.
II the recruit happens TO DO OF Is somewhat
common material. into whose mentality the
wedge OF flattery would not ft, the old "swad-
dies" ignoring his presence. figure on how long
he can %contrivc to remain ont of :hc guardhouso
when ho gets TO his post.
Lets sce,' says one Ut hen contcinriatively
in n tone that the recruit cant help but hear:
" that fellow, by his Looks. will probably get,
'bob.tailed and six months in tho mill besides
before he's been in tho outfit n year" Where.
upon the recruit under discussion giances 70
ward tho door apprchensively, and mcdiiatcs
quitting Immediately.
But IL is when he arrives al his posi- that the
/ army recruit begins to realize that by conpari-
son life had no bitterness for him as a civilian.
It depends altogether upor his gameness how
long he is 10 bear the brunt OF his squad rooms
bilarity. Something less than u year ago IA
young recruit from New York city. quite an in
telligent man. arrived at a Wyoming regimentai
post on a pay day, when a pretty fair percentage
OF the soldiers were making merry at the cun-
teen. The oid-timers took the rookie in hand
and treated him generously for the purpose of
having fun with him. He did not present
himself at first as a particular easy thing,
but when a drunken sergeant told him that
II was the duty of the latest arriving
recruit TO fire Off the parade ground morn
ing and evening gun promptly at midnight, TO
notify the commanding officer that "all's WE'LL"
lousness and took the bait. Carrying the thing
through, the sergeant got a charge OF powder
loaded the gun and attached the friction primer
and lanyard, all in readiness for firing. Then
up some more. and gave him further instruc.
tions on how to fire the cannon. There certain
s y %f Sr q Dss the se" intensit wh OF TN, ihe n hSDn OF ad ahat
The whole guard with the officer Of the guard
s sna the ! uG,,sss Of the day M.n sur 70 the
side Of I'VE minutes every man of the
posts seven companies was on the parade
guard. Ali that the recruit, would reply to his
the gun. BY whomi He stood mute. They
took him to the .guardhouse. kept him there u
threatened him with a general
In vain. They could not get it out of him..
and the recruit was released. Every man in the
whole outfit would have fought to the death for
This recruit. however. was a. game man, and
would not haye been bothered much for that
s re make even Rim la th popn insideS Mos had 9ea mot sa Ssso@a
themselves further into thes misery. Sns Of tss
sergeant for his butter ration" Every man
when the first sergeant first boots, him out of
the orderly room and then brings him back to
phool OF himself" tho recruit can only point to
the whole outfit, and it is not practicable to pun
cruit on all of his wild quests. Soldiers teasing
2 rookie appreciate the fact that in union
Al Fort Reno there is a First Lieutenant
famous IN and out OF the army as an athlete.
mitts arrived at Fort, Reno n few months ago.
The old-timers sized him up. solemnlys felt of
his muscle, looked at each other significantly,
watched him box the gymnasium punching bag
for a while, and then told him Of this First Lieu
lieutenant Was fond OF having little friendly
bouts with the gloves, ana particularly liked TO
soldiers. il, being impossible for him. on ac-
count Of his rank, to challenge a soldier:
time to make such a challenge was just
after evening retreat. when the First Lieu
take tho first sergeant report. That iUnp" EVEN y
Ing, Just after the nrst sergeant dismissed the
S Sss psi%St ih9R a ssassa' th "nq recruit sns h'r wa hisa's sp ao
him. tapped him on the shoulder. and said:
ri hey ofifer; let put en- on for a little go!"
expression Of amazement, which quickly turned
into 9 grin when he saw who the man was and
Some other time. my man." he said. and
There are a Thousand other methods by which
the peSruit bT may bfs be and is rendered MS Re LIZ Ike y unto to-; a
an, application to the Captain Of his company
asking for his Communicating Of Estions; He
an hour, with the Captain. ANOTHER recruit is
informed that the prisoners in the guardhouse
Cleaned and in order until, they. Tho recruits
learn how to attend to their weapons properly.
The recruit thereupon takes his gun to the
guardhousef for attention. and is lifted clear of
the ground by the sergeant OF the guard. Then
the recruit is told that for the first two months
the other men at ~reyeille In the morning
and may remain in his BUNK. he finds
his wrathful top sergeant appears and
hauls him out on all fours. Ho is Told that on
inspection morning he Is supposed to clear out
and keep out Of sight until inspection OF quar-
ters is over. When a detail of the guard. with
fixed bayonets, hales him out of his hiding place
his eyes are great with wonder. His attention
is called to the fact that recruits are supposed to
report at the messr0om for their meals half an
hour before mess call goes. Ho so reports. and
his oars are RECALLED with a stream of ~piratical
English Sor II may be- some other languagol froin
not oil happen to one man, but not infrequcntly
q good many OF them do.
On board a ship OF the navy the opportunities |
to bedeyil n blue-jacket recruit are even more !
manifold than they are In a barracks, but owing |
TO the comparatively restricted space the thing |
Is somewhat moro danRerous. nnd Is therefore |