The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1898-05-12
our SOLDIER BOYS.
They Were Mustered Into the u. S.
Army Sunday Company M,
18th Mimi. Vol.
The Boys Have the Right Kind Of Stuff
In Them and are Showing
Up in Fine Shape.

sl Up in Fine Shape.
s CAMP 4 RAMSEY, May g., 1898. The
Princeton boys are now full-hedge u.
S. soldiers, the ceremony which made
them such occurring at 7:45 last Sun
day#evening..
| Il Since my last letter the time has
been fully occupied in getting out mus
ter and pay rolls, recruiting and drill
ing, the men being kept as busy with
1.-The latter as the officers were with the
other work mentioned. The stuff of
which they, are made has already been
shown and those who were born with
THAT peculiar temperament which
makes work distasteful we're pretty
well marked before muster and care
fully Weeded out No man can drill
for six hours a day without showing
Whatshis disposition really is, no mat
ter how successfully NE may hide his
failing in other occupations.
The hurly burly of organization has
made battalion drill impossible, for I'M
til Sunday night no one knew his OK
act status aud the officers had no time
to spend outside their own companies.
Now its different and the massing Of
troops will receive full attention.
, The Princeton company is on par
physically with any company in the
brigade and is far ahead of most of
them: Company NJ was examined
much more thoroughly Sunday morn
ing than those who received the at
tention of the surgeons in the after
noon. From $50 until noon there was
a string of half nude men standing in
line waiting the decision of the two
men of medicine and your correspond
ent frequently heard EXPLANATIONS Of
admiration as some Of our thoroughly
hardened farmer boys or lumber jacks
display their muscular developments.
Those who we're of our own boys were
thrown out on account of injuries they
had received at some former time, for
nonelseemed to be diseased.
1t was during the examination that
the true spirit of the recruits was
shown. There we're some as able
bodied men as one can find in a days
search, who, when the crucial test
came, magnifed all irregularities Of
their frames and gave the surgeons an
exaggerated history of every sickness
which had touched them since the in
fantile days when their mothers
treated them for collie. Others who
possessed less flesh and muscle would
come forward to the test with a grim
determination to pass if possible, and
if during the examination the surgeon
happened to carelessly let fall II word
which the subject deemed an indica-
tion of a doubt as to his fitness, he
would plead to be accepted. The lat
ter kind will be heard from later,
while the first mentioned, whose sand
was really ''quick sand' are better off
at home where their friends can help
take care of them and listen to- the
tales Of what they would have done
had they been able to go.
Sunday afternoon was spent in Sc
Letting the company from those ac-
cepted by the surgeons and in choosing
the mon CONS" When this task was
finally completed and an alphabetical
list made the boys fell in and were
marched to headquarters. Capt. Pat
terson called the roll and as he did so
the boys answered to their names and
under the guidance of the lieutenants
formed in line for muster in front of
the mastering officer. When this was
done and the officer had verified the
members, ETC., the boys uncovered,
raised their right hand and took the
irrevocable oath. Company M was the
only company in the brigade to make
the response without instructions and
when they shouted in grand chorus at
the conclusion, IT do!' the assembled
multitude cheered them to the echo.
Company M was unfortunate in one
particular. 1t was too bad that their
examination and muster should occur
on the day set for a visit by their
friends, but the boys knew their duty
and did it regardless of their feelings.
They were disappointed in the morn
ing by the non-arrival of the Eastern,
for twenty men went down to the
tracks as a baggage detail to assist
their friends to camp and after an
hour Of waiting were obliged to return
and prepare for the surgi-
cal test. The Princeton contingent,
however, found their way. to quarters
and when the boys came home they