The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-10-01

out-cf-door labor, no matter what La
borers in any employment are sent
these letters, any one that the recruit
ing party thinks will prove to be good
soldiers in the service of Uncle Sam.
The Spy reporter sought out the re-
cruiting officer during the past week.
The door of the office was inhospitabiy
shut and the gaudy sign on the outside
inviting all able bodied men to enlist
for the stupendous stipend of $3.50 per
month did not offer any attraction. The
reporter stood undecided not knowing
whether to turn into the Of
| fee of one of his friends who
had been lately admitted to
the bar and did not have rush of eli
ents or to go to the recruiting station.
He chose the latter because there is al
ways some one there with an interest
ling story to tell.
When he swung open the door the
inside of the office presented quite a
contrast to the outside and it would be
hard to find a more cheerful corner in
any part of the city that day. The fire
place was filled with logs, and the fire
burning cheerily as it cracked and siz,
zled before the shins of the group
gathered about in semi-circle 1t was
a crowd of choice spirits that convened
in the recruiting office that day to
keep out of the wet. The seat of honor
was supplied by Sergt Paul Gerber
| and his right hand man, Private Jas.
E. Chamberlain, who but a few short
months ago was filling the rocky soil
of his fathers farm in Hubbardston
and had no intention of entering the
| service of his country. A couple of
| newspaper men were among the party.
old Ben Bolt of more or less fame, he
having been one of the fighting umpty-
First Ohio regiment, who did valiant
service at Atlanta, Ca, during the war
with Spain. Augustus Barnes Yersaw.
whose only claim for glory was the
fact that he came from the same state
as Dewey, and Napoleon Lucier whose
ancestors fought for the first emperor
Of France. The Spy reporter, when he
Joined this crowd of notabes, was halt
ed in true military style, and demand
ed to state his business. He promptly
proclaimed himself friend of every
body there, and when asked what claim
he had for distinction he merely re,
piled that he was acquainted with a
veteran of the recent war, and almost
with one of its soldiers. The Spy
mans credentials being examined and
found to be all right, he was admitted
to the charmed circle.
Talks Of war and deeds of valor being
the theme of the conversation before
the last arrival, it still continued Sergt.
Gerber, who is somewhat of a student
of historical events as far as they were
connected with the military side of life,
was talking Of the means employed in
the olden days to get recruits. why"
he said, lin the old revolutionary days
they had the most original means of
getting recruits to join the then ragged
army of the United States or colonies.
The navy was the most popular and the
one where the most recruits were need
ed. The recruiting officers of one dis
trict would go out with band, which
would be followed by float on which
there would be a miniature ship. On the
improvised quarter deck the jolly jack
tars would be walking or rolling in true
sailor fashion and shivering their tim
bers, with an occasionally hitch in the
sea trousers.
Singing with the band, the jolly sail
ors would roar out a song that goes
something like this, 'All We who have
bad masters and can not get your due,
! Come, come, my merry boys, and join
with our ships crew" After the sing
| ing of this song, which would be re-
peated over and over again for the edi-
| fication of the crowd of patriots they
would line in behind and march off to
the recruiting office, where they would
be mustered in, with a good deal more
ceremonies than is detailed in these lat
ter days.
You must understand that in those
days the young men, or rather boys
were apprenticed out to some farmer
who usually worked them off their feet
for three or five years and then gave
them ice water if they required it
IOthers were apprenticed to different
trades and the masters of these boys
did as they saw At with them, treatine
them in many cases with a. good dea
of unnecessary roughness and failing
to provide them with decent food. AT.
ter while 1t was decreed that those
who desired to give up their services
for their country could do so and BY
that could break away from their hated
masters. Many apprentices took ad.
vantage Of this to cut loose from q
hard master and go aboard ship before
the mast. Then, when any of the mas
ters were called upon to make a sacri.
flee by serving their country. they otter
sent their apprentices in their stead
and what was much worse, would take
half of the youngsters pay while h.
was serving the army of the revolu-
ton or on board ship.
but those times were not in it will
the trying times of the civil war" salt
Augustus Barnes who had heard tn,
waybacks in old Vermont tell abou
the drafting during 81 and IS. "Wh,
we used to have up in Gooseberry Cor
ners draft every few days, and tn,
durndest times ever you see. Why
men who would have the most to SAY
on the conduct of the war and the one
that criticised the mostwould be the frs
to make holler about going. I beer
told that the old veterans that max,
the most noise nowadays about the wa,
they fit cut and slashed,' all through
the war, were just the ones that KICKED
up so when they were told they would
have to go to the front for a while, ant
give some other poor fellow a rest Nov
they are around telling of their glo
rious deeds, and but for them, tn,
war would still be waging. They al
want pensions and hug about camp
fires, and if word is said about any
man that deserves praise in the late
war; why, they will tell you a dozer
other drawer things that they accom-
plished themselves.
Just then "Rastus," the burly coor
that does all the heavy work arounC
the office, poked his head inside the
4 door. and everything available wa!
thrown at his devoted head. He ducket
out Of the way, but the storytelling
was over for the afternoon.
A CENTURY FROM NOW.
If you and 1 should wake from sleep
| century from now.
Back to the grave we'd want to creep
| A century from now.