Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-04-13

career for the ambitious and has
enough education in algebra. geome-
try. trigonometry and surveying to
justify hope of passing the examina-
ton for q second lieutenant's commits
sion after two years of service.
A young colored man came in with n
breezy self confidence that fairly cha 4
the atmosphere. II heard YOU was
wantin' collo'd men fo' the army" he
announced in broad Negro accent. and
with look that took the whole room
INTO his confidence. land | lust
thought I'd drop i'm and see what"
Nance? snapped the sergeant.
My name is Abraham Lincoln
Johnson and was"
Age"
And / was twenty-fou years old on
the nineteenth day of last November.
was
'Occupation?"
I'm furnace man. worked
eight years for old Tom Perkins over
IN chelsea. and he said | was the best
inside man that ever made fire"
The sergeant was not large enough
an audience for him: he turned to take
in the whole room. Then went to
WORK Tor l5lll jackson and
Never mind Bill jackson" roars
the sergeant sit down and keep
quiet till the doctor comes
Tho doctor came in with 4 rlap-dash
that filed the room with life. Into
the examination room" he commard-
ed. Quick now, Step lively. strip
Everything off,"
In ten minutes z quarter of the group
We're barred ny the eycsight test
Their disappointment was ve"y ,vi-
dent. They slipped on their clothes
and slipped qv tly out with heavy
hearts. Then Ne doctor took "a Kind
of 4 telephone hing" out of his poe
ket. skip ror,." he commanded. The
applicant lookct foolish. as if uncertain
whether the doctor were hazing HIM
skip rope" he ;cpeated. Think I'm
doing this for fun r.
The candidate went awkwar.liv
through the motions Of skipping rope.
and then the doctor applied his
stethoscope to tho rapidly beating
heart. This instrument barred another
quarter of the candidates. OF the re-
mainder n more thorough examination
was made. AS the doctor touched and
pinched and measured and looked. he
kept up q running commentary on the
candidates ancestry. occupation,
habits and mode of life. AZ the candi-
date. often blushing. admitted point
after point of the Impeachment. he
doubtless arrived at the firm convic-
ton that the doctor was Z mind
reader: as a matter of fact It was only
an Illustration Of how much Of s'her
lock Holmes IS possible to skilled
and experienced observer of mems
physical characteristics.
One was barred for defective tee III
you must have at least your four
molars. else you will not be permitted
to try your teeth on Uncle Sans
bareback: another was rejected he
cause his chest was not big enough in
proportion to his height-he would
have satisfied Falstaff's notion. Give
me this man: he presents no mark
! to the enemy; the foemen may with rs
| great aim level at the edge of PEN
knife" but Uncle Sam likes men with
plenty of room to breathe in. OF the
! fifteen who waited the doctor. three
got as far as being vaccinated. ms
| is rather better than the usual proper
| ton, for at one Boston station in i90o
of 26Sa who applied only Adj were choS-
en-.
! After the examination came the all
! important physical chart. The doctor
went over every inch of the candi-
dates body with utmost care; on
card bca ring the outline of man
divided into squares he marked IN itS
proper place every scar, every tattoo
mark. every birthmark and every inoic.
however small. with its dimensions
and exact location. Ii is an absolute
IL perfect Identification card. Massa-
chusetts might as we'll try to pass TOY
| Rhode Island on the map as Tor Il
soldier to attempt to pose as some enc
other than the man reproduced on ms
card. At Washington is Il surgeon
who does nothing all day long nut
shuttle these cards about group item
and compare them with the new oae'
always coming in. If 4 deserter fro NJ
tie army or one diSh0norabiy dlS-
charged. or one with any motive what
ever decides to rc-enter the army vi
der an assumed name. it is TINS caro-
that leads to his undoing. for me
surgeon at Washington well KNOWS
that no two men on earth. OF the SAINT
height. and the same color OF eyes ana
hair. have each a scar one ana 'th
eight inches long two inches above the
right eyebrow. and also each mole z
bolf-inch in diamater four inches be-
low the right knee.
The examination complete ana the car
didate accented. the sergeant gets out III
. blank and begins to ask Guestiong-name
of the recruits parents. whether living o.
dead their address. names of brother
and sisters. and ALWAYS that omino,i !,
. transformations to notify in case ot-wei'
in case anything happens. Then there
the final act The recruit swearS solemn
" to bear true faith and allegiance U
, | these United States and defend then
honestly and faithfully against all enc
mics whatsoever and is told to come II
the morning prepared to take the ira.i
for San Francisco.
| Before this is done. one OF the acceptc:
shuffles up toward the desk. II knew IT,
! growls the sergeant. annoyed TO lose al
unusually good man.
"Ain't you goin to take my chum?
asks the recruit.
! No He's got bad heart" says IN
"ergeant. Don't you want to go wlthou
, him.? >.
p We'll. seem as how we started out to
gether. | guess we might as well SUCK
out together.
THAT thing happens every day. COZ
mcnts the sergeant. 'Once when W,
recruiting for the TwcntysiXth sew
| friends came in. and because / rcJec'c
al Cto homo -