The Banner-Democrat. [volume] (Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La.) 1892-current, 1898-01-01
RECRUITS FOR THE ARMY.
A VISIT TO THE RECRUITING OFFICE
IN NEW YORK.

There Are Many More Applicants for En-
Iistment Than Places to Be Fiiled-Pre-
cautions Taken to Secure Good Men
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 if man is good for
nothing in any other walk of life he
will do for 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
q man in q moment.
1t was $50 o'clock when heavy,
numbering, uncertain footstep was
heard on the stairs, and young man
fairly we'll dressed lurched into the
room. Without waiting for him to
speak the old corporal said:
go home and sleep it olive want
no jags here, young fellow"
Without word the man turned and
stumbled downstairs again.
''Why did turn him away?" asked
the corporal. "Would you employ a
man in civil life who applied for a
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 comes in tomorrow
sober, would that make any differ
snce?'
''Not the slightest To give you
some idea of the choice we have, from
January to August of this year there
we're ALSO applicants, or about 523
men every month Of these, 142 only
we're accepted, the rest having failed
IN the physical examination or in
suiries made into their character prov
ing unsatisfactory"
''What is the nature of the physical
sxamination?"
''That is extremely severe and
searching. When we think man is
ct 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 ex-
amined and careful inspection made
Of his whole body to see that there
are no physical defects such as cross
Or hammer toes. If he passes this
inspection he is allowed to remain in
The Office until the regular medical
examining officer arrives, when the
applicant undergoes second and still
more searching inspection. If 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 thea be reject
I'D 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 a
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 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. Very
many of these young men re-enlist for
4 second term, and generally they
make good soldiers. A few years OF
soldering is good thing for young
man."
'eDo you have many cases of men
DESERVING after they have been sworn
in?"
'In the three years that 1 have been
in charge here 1 have only had one
such case, and I didn't bother after
nim 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 temptation.
Of course, men desert from their reg
iments from various causes, but we
have nothing to do with that here.
But, as I have already said, the Sc
lection of men is so carefully made
that we know pretty nearly all about
= mans antecedents. Three men are
going to San Francisco today, and we
have two men awaiting a decision
from the adiutant general as to wheth-
er they are to be received or not on
account of a slight physical disability,
on account of which the medical ex-
amining officer declines to take the
responsibility of passing them"
'What are the chances of promo
;ion?"
eff a man is steady and intelligent
ne is just as sure to rise as he is in
any other walk of life. Some men,
Of course, for some reason, rise more