The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-25
MARINE CORPS STATION
OFFICE BEING MAINTAINED IN NEW
TON CLAYPOOL BUILDING.
The navy Department Turns Its Eff
forts to the Interior of the
United States.

The continued maintenance of the re-
cruiting office OF the United States marine
corps in the Newton Claypool Building in
this city established last September by
Capt Hiram /. Bearss. is evidence that the
authorities in Washington regard Indiana
as a good field for recruiting. Captain
Bearss is an Indiana man. native of
Peru. and naturally had faith in the ca
pacity of Indiana men to make good sea
soldiers Such capacity Captain Bearss had
proved in his own person, in the campaign
of Samar. where the marines. under Major
Waller. served with great distinction as
part of General Smiths command. Cap
tain Bearss is now on duty at the navy
yard in New York. but the recruiting sta
ton at indianapolis is kept up under another
officer. 1t ferns. with the offices at Chi
cago and Milwaukee, the westernmost re-
cruiting district of the corps. this side of
the Pacific coast.
The Navy Department. in recruiting the
marine corps and other branches of the
naval service has displayed. ever since the
Spanish war. a marked desire to obtain
men from the interior. 1t is said that
these men soon learn their duties aboard
ship, and are apt TO be superior in char
acter and physique TO those obtained in
the seaport cities. This is particularly i'm
portant regards the marines, who,
vilile they must become handy about a
ship. require less technical knowledge of
eailoring than the Seamen. This is dis
finction little known in this vicinity. ex-
cept TO the students of naval affairs. In
fact until the night of the marines at
Guantanamo In 1898, the defense OF the Legal
tons at Picking by the marines. and the
Samar campaign, brought this corps into
separate prominence probably few people
IN the interior knew of its existence. Yet
no large naval vessel in our service ever
puts TO sea without its complement of
marines. Moreover. there are battalions of
marines kept constantly In readiness, both
IN the Pacific and Atlantic, for service as
landing parties wherever force may be
needed promptly 10 protect American in
terests- For this service the marine is
particularly adapted. being trained both
as arulleryman and infantryman, and In
the service of small boats The marine
knows how TO make himself comfortable
on a man-0 war. and IS Injured to the sea.
He is always ready for transportation or
service on naval vessel, while, at the
same time, he has received the drill and
Instruction necessary for efficient work on
land. There Is hardly a single naval battle
IN American history in which the marines
have rot participated. On the other hand
marines have frequently been detached for
service with the army The marines
served under Paul Jones. Perry. Nc
Donough. Farragut. Porter. and lately,
with Sampson. Schley and Dewey. They
also participated in the battle in the de-
tense OF Washington in 1874 in the defense
Of New Orleans in the storming OF Chapul-
tepec Ia the Mexican war. in the assault
OF Fort Fisher. and in numerous engage
ments ashore in Cuba, the Philippines and
China. IN recent years. In short. there is
o. the service which offers such
great variety o. activity in time OF war
An attractive feature Of the marine corps
Is the chance IL af1ords 20 its personnel OF
visiting almost every large seaport in the
world. Although in the course of one en-
Hstment the marine may not attain so ex-
tended an experience, old man in the
corps Is practically certain TO have seen as
great variety OF countries and peoples
as the average professional globe trotter.