Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-05-14

Sucn enterprise VIII, some day, cause
him trouble.
To some of our patriotic volunteers
has come humiliation through the ex-
aiming board at Augusta, but If they
were disappointed ny failing to come
up to the rigid requirements Of the
service. they viii have the satisfaction
| Of knowing that their friends apprc-
ciate the spirit in which they respond
ed To the call 10 arms There are but
few men who can bear 10 be told by
the examining surgeon that they are
not physically competent. and some
perhaps. in the consciousness of
athletic development, ana the first
pang of rejection. who would like to
Try conclusions with the men who pro-
nounce them inferior. However these
young men know how their fathers felt
in the COS, when they, too. found
the portals of the army not so Access
sihlc as they had thought II seems
hard, doubtless, but the rules and regu-
lations in regard to admission to the
service are based on experience and
common sense. though in exceptional
cases they do not apparently apply. it
must be admitted. For instance, the
young man who can outrun or outleap
his companion applicant may be as
sumed to be his superior in the quail
ties of strength and endurance, which
are Of vital importance, but will have
to see the latter accepted. while he
himself is set aside for being under
weight or overweight, or because he
does not come Up to the required
height, or has 4 poor index finger
C'spiked" possibly in athletic contestsD
or for defective sight.
The examinations are rigid and the
recruit often learns that he has de-
fects which his own physician has not
discovered. or concealed from him. \
large percentage of men are ruptured
or afflicted with varcose veins. When
che sees Sc many specialists for dis
eases Of the eyes. as in this city, and
an hospital for that class of patients,
he is not surprised that defective eye
sight is a common ground for rejection
10y army surgeons. Many We're rejec
ted for poor teeth
Civil War to conceal defects from the
examining beard. When the 25th
Maine was being recruited, one com
pany was composed largely of Com
mercial street tPOrtland) business men
and clerks. AS they We're all acquaint
ed each tried hard to have his "chum'
go with him. This company was re-
cruited in Fox block. which stood OPP
poste the post office. 1t is recalled
how the near-sighted ones committed
to memory the names on the business
signs in that vicinity, so that they
could repeat them when tests of their
eyes were made; while short men put
lifts in their stockings to increase their
apparent height. These short men. by
the way. went through the hardships
of service better, in many instances, |
than their taller comrades. The staff
officers of one Maine Regiment ranged
in weight from 225 to 2t5 pounds each. |
1t is hardly necessary to add that they
soon left the service. Small size did
not prevent General Hyde of Bath,
from becoming one of the best officers
in the field.
Brunswick Telegraph: Governor
Powers is winning a good deal of APP
pause these days for back bone and
common sense. The men who have
tried to stampede him are just now be-
coming the laughing stock of the State.
And its very fortunate that Maine has
q man of that kind in the saddle else
the tax payers next year would have
a good deal of cause for grumblng
Bangor Commercials BY the way let's
stand by Company G. These boys
marched away to whatever lay before
them. They didn't know. They didn't
ask. They put on their uniforms and
went off to camp ready for any duty
set before them. If it SO happens that
their services are not now needed by
the country so much the better. This
gives the society of American Kickers
a good chance to get in some fine work
but | take it this is a good chance for
the respectable part of humanity to
show the stut. its made Of Let's give
the boys cheer when they come
marching home again.