The Portland daily press., 1898-05-09
RECRUITS DESIRED.
State Will Pay Bounty of S22 Per
Man.

They Should Apply at Armory at Once
The Quotas Will Quickly Be Filled
Plenty of Good Men Il eady to Enlist.
"NOTICE-THE STATE OF MAINE
WILL PA [ TWENTY-FIVE DOLLARS
BOUNTY (S22) TO EACH MAN WHO
ENLISTS FOR SERVICE IN THE
VOLUNTEERS.
The above notice posted on the
doors of the armory Saturday
was surrounded by a crowd
of men and boys. Many of them looked
like farmers sons while there were
great many whose patriotism has been
destroying their utility rs dry goods
clerks and accountants and who long to
wear the soldiers blue and shoulder a
rifle for Uncle Sam for $3.50 per month.
The Portland captains will easily get re-
cruits enough here to fill their ranks up to
the 81 men required. Saturday afternoon
Captains Baker and Hogan were acting
as examining officers for their own COM
panies. In Major Collins office they sgsat
and as soon as any man was seen peering
q
one or the other of these officers would spy
him and order him to come into the
room. A first glance and a few prelimin-
airy questions which if they were salts
factory the man took the second degree.
How much do you weigh?
Answered in relation to his height and
if over 1876 pounds he was all right pro-
viding the scales in the room would prove
it,
"How tall are your
For some this was sticker. One man
got angry when he was measured in his
stocking feet and TO save his life could
not stretch up to five feet four inches.
he protested that he was all right, that
he could lick any man Of his weight or
size in the city and that he could stand
more grief than any man In the National
Guard. But this man was told that he
couldn't pass unless he could grow an
inch before Sunday.
"How am l to grow an inch?" the
fellow asked Indignantly.
why 90 as the Irishman did who
wanted to get on the police force Go get
some one to bat you over the head with a
club and make bump half an inch high
in the top Of your head and maybe you'll
get through"
1t really seemed too bad to reject this
man and both Capt. Baker and Capt.
Hogan expressed themselves at being very
sorry to lose him.
Another one came into the room. He
passed muster at first all right. Take
off your shoes" Off came the fellows
shoes and it was found he had hammer
toes.
You'll never get through with hammer
toes," said Capt. Baker, "Never in the
world, repeated Capt. Hogan.
I'm sorry for you, said Capt. Baker
and the boys face grew to be three feet
longer as he spoke.''
Hammer toes, what's them?" he
asked. 81 never heard of hammer toes
before. They don't bother me none. 1
can walk ten miles quicker than any man
in this ROOM
=" The only thing you can do is to get
that hammer toe cut off if you want to
get through" said Capt. Baker.
The boys face grew shade paler and
he left the room quickly and without
further remark. Perhaps he intended to
get the hammer toe amputated. Hammer
toes is the name given to toes which turn
downward at tie tips.
Another well formed and robust young
fellow passed this preliminary examina
ton all right and was complimented on
his we'll round figure and told that he
would probably get through all right.
"Now comes the rub" he remarked. ST
have been trying to get my people to al
low me to enlist into something for the
past month and they will not consent to
it. am going this time anyway"
So Captains Hogan and Baker passed
the afternoon and it was a very busy one
too. Down in the Office of the Light In.
fantry Capt. Dow was also beseiged by
recruits and had chance to take his pick
from some very good men.
Capt Baker, who is the senior company
commander in the state militia, will
probably be appointed major of the first
volunteer regiment. Capt. Baker has
been offered this position many times in
years past but has never accepted any of
the offers which have been made him.
He has always been satisfied to remain in
command of his company and allow some
enc else to do the horse back riding. But
Major Collins having been rejected Gov.
Powers will in all proba bility offer Capt.
Baker this appointment and for the bene-
lit OF the state he will accept it. But he
viii not cease to be Captain Baker of the
Portland Cadets though he does become
Major Baker OF the First Maine Volun-