The Advocate and news., 1898-05-04
Recruits Were
Too Numerous.
Several Hundred Topeka Men VIII
Have to Walt for Another 80,
Call TO Arms.
MILITIA WAS TREATED FAIRLY


The Topeka recruiting Office was
opened Friday. Several companies have
been enlisted during the past few weeks
and all wanted to get In on the first call.
AS there were not less than 500 OF them,
and as the county could only get eighty
four men, with probably twenty extras,
there were many dlsappOintmentS
Company M Of the militia was given
the preference OF It's seVenty-two men
Hfty-eight were accepted. Captain Pc
terson's company was at the old court
house before daylight. At 1880 Com
pany M filed into the building, which Is
its headquarters, and prepared for the
long wait until the recruiting officers
arrived.
When they came the militiamen were
given the first chance.
The recruiting officers were Maj James
Graham, Assistant Adjutant General
Boyd and Surgeons c. M. England and
John M. Rafter. They began work as
II 1t was no new business for them,
The members Of the company were called
In alphabetical order The rules govern
ing recruiting officers given by Lieu
tenant Smith, United States recruiting
officer, were as follows:
1T Is the duty Of the recruiting Of
ficer to be present at the examination
Of the recruit by the medical officer when
one Is provided for this purpose. When
there ls no medical officer the recruiting
oificer will personally make tne exami-
nation.
I'm passing recruit the medical Of
flcer Is to examine him stripped to see
that he has the free use Of all his limos;
that his chest Is ample; that his hearing
vision and speech are perfect that he
has no tumors or liberated or extern
slyely cicatrized legs; no rupture or
chronic cutaneous affection; that he has
not received any confusion or wound Of
the head that may impair his faculties;
that he is not drunkard; Is not sub
+. ject to convulsions; and has no infec-
tious disorders, nor any other that may
unfit him for military service
I'm accepting recruits at rendezvous
Tripler's manual gives the required
standard OF qualifications, and Is also
the standard for inspection after the re-
crults arrive at the depot; except that the
following instructions will govern in ex-
amlning the eye:
''NO recruit shall be enlisted who can
not see well, at 600 yards distance, g
black center three feet in diameter on
white ground. The test will be made
by means OF cards prepared under the
direction of the director general OF the
army The black spots ON the cards will
be circular, four-tenths Of an inch in
diameter, and the recruits must be able
to count them with facility at twenty
feet distance"
AS each man entered the room he was
ordered TO strip of his clothing and then
told to hop across the room on one foot
and back on the other. Then the sur
geons listen to see IL his heart and lungs
are working properly Then the candi-
date for enlistment Is given paper to
read. He reads 1t out loud and any i'm
perfections in speech are noted. While
reading with both eyes he Is commanded
to shut his right eye and continue read
Ing with his left, then to close his left
eye and continue reading with his right
eye.
Then he must read medium-slzed type
across the room. The height Of each
man Is taken, his weight and age. While
the officers are talking to the ones who
are being examined they note how well
the candidate hears. His chest expan-
sion Is taken and he Is made to touch