Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1898-06-16
MAKING SOLDIERS.
Trials Of Two Recruits from Names
Queen City.
Lieut.. Hubbard Busy Enlistinq Men for the lst
Maine from This Section.

| companies now at Chickamauea Park to
the full number, 1O6 men, was opened up.
yesterday morning in the Allen block
shortly after o'clock. Before it had
| been opened an hour so many had made
| applications that it looked as though the
| life of the recruiting office in this city
would be decidedly short, much less than
| the expected month.
| Long before the doors of the office in
the Alien block on Water street were
| opened the large crowd on the sidewalk
in front of the building, showed that
! something of an unusual nature was in
progress. There were all kinds of men in
| the crowd that was waiting in front of
| the building, but all there were for bust
ness. Not a single man of the % who
Were waiting to have their names en-
| rolled so that they might have the priv
ilege of eating hard tack, Were there for
any other purpose than to enlist.
Men of all sizes were in the crowd
from the man who has difficulty in find
ing trousers, the legs of which are much
too short, to the man who is always fuss
ing because he has to wear the waist
band of his trousers huggng him around
the region of his heart
Many had lunches Of patriotism stick
Ing out all over them. even their neckties
were made from the stars and stripes and
this man. fearful that his patriotism
would not be seem covered the buttonhole
in the lapcllc of his coat with Il small
"Old Glory" Others less demonstrativc
We're content to have small tricolorcd
threads running through their neckties.
There were Two young men who. al
though they made no show of the patriot
ism they feel, have gone through nearly
as much for the sake of having a chance
to enlist as they will for some time after
they have been drawing pay for lighting
insects at Chickamauga Park.
The oldest of tho young men will have
10 live ten years or more before he viii
be old enough to bc president Of the Uni
ted States and the youngest is Of the age
where ne daily looks in the glass ana
counts the black hairs that are beginning
to grow among the down on his upper
lip. Both are from Bangor ana ar
rived in this city several days ago.
There is everything III their appearance
to indicate that they come from the best
families. both in regard to their personal
appearance. clothing and conversation
The wrinkles in their clothing were
the only thing in which there was a shad-
ow of unkempt clothing
In conversation with Journal reporter
while in the recruiting office one of the
young men told the story that both had
come from Bangor short time ago with
the idea OF enlIstng. Both held good po-
sition% in that city, When they ar
rived in this city both had money enough
on their person to last them apparently !
for some time. The first night that they
We're in this city they spent ut the Hotel
North as they did the day following
While here they learned that the re-
cruitnE office would not he opened for
some sine. they came TO the conclusion
that the best thing they could 10 would |
hc to eeonomize. With this idea in mind !
they began to take their meals al a fash |
ionahle restaurant. soon they saw that
this too WAS making too great inroads on
their cash on hand ana they began to
take their meals at the lunch cart or in |
lunch rooms
Tuesday night they slept out Of doors !
not having money enough to pay for a
lodging. They went to the bakery yes I
terday moInins for their breakfast and
before dinner the younger had three
cents ana a mileage book containing /
enough to take him back to Bangor |
Tie Other was without money ana judg- /
ing from the loving manner in which the
Two young men passed their hands !
across the front Of their vests they were
eager to run across a friend who had a /
good boarding place
Both the young men passed the exami-
nations.
There is change in the plans Of Lieut..
Hubbard who at first intended doing the
examining. In conversation with Lieut..
Noyden he learned that he might be held /
liable for the transportation expenses of
the soldiers in case any were found unfit
for services. Telegraphing to headquar-
ters ho WAS instructed to employ A sur
Seoh ana Or. Martin was accordingly en-
ployed
IN" office had been opened but a short
time before young man over six feet
tail put in an appearance. He was from
the eastern part of the State. His weis hit
did not harmonic with his height ana he
was turned down. All day there was a
steady stream of men pouring into the
Office and among them was a corn doc
tor from Auburn who has travelled from
one corner of Maine to the other
The recruiting office as opened is one
of the barest places Imaginable. The only
thing in the office in the shape of furni
tnre is Il roll top desk and an office chair.
The manner of enlisting is similar to that
used when the members of the first reg
iment of the National Guard became
members of the 14th United States vol
untecrs. AS soon as a man makes his ap-
pearance in the office he gives his name
and occupation to the recruiting officer
The man is then taken to DIR. Martins
office where he is given a thorough ex-
animation for physical defects If he
passes he goes through the same form of
enlistment that has been given before
in the Journal. In case the man is a mi
nor his application must show that the
man has the, consent of his parents.
Before night something like a dozen
were examined and nearly all passed
The ma jOrit} of the men who are here to