Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-07-03
SERVICE IN U. s. ARMY.
Former Evening Democrat Corre- spondent Relates His Experience.

The purpose of this brier writing is not an attempt to depict army life in it's details, for that might require a fair sized volume. The few things mentioned herein, however, may prove of some little interest to those having relatives and friends in the service or who have at times enter tained the notion of joining it them selves.
 In this free country where enlist ment is forced on no one and com paratayely- gfsw-enlisl, the, Agenegal public. does not SalWaxS. .sappear.t tQ, ,he clearly Informed as 10 the condition of life of Uncle Sam's trained pro- tective force.
 When the newly enlisted man ar rives at the recruiting station to await his assignment. he is likely to be deeply impressed by the radical change in the regime of living. Drills in lieu of work, bill of fare greatly simplified, crowded dormitories, none but unfamiliar faces to look upon, his sudden separation from the out side world, all this works a sort of revolution in him at first. But it is not long before he familiarizes him. self with his new surroundings and even gets to like them. The nature of man is wonderfully capable, in cases of necessity. of adapting itself to all most anything.
 After the recruit has been assign ed to company, troop or battery, as the case may be, he soon appreciates the fact that men who have already served for sometime are, as rule, much better to get along with than the soldier of only a few days, who has not yet been long enough under the beneficial training to be reform ed. One can not help admiring the al- most perfect order and discipline pre- vailing among soldiers, the prompt obedience to all commands, and the sense of brotherhood they have for one another. Some young people sometimes appear to imagine they have passed the age of obedience. Let them go to the army and they will soon find out there is no such an age.
 Naturally the army life has its own attractions, whereby many are reduced. When the cavalry, for in- stance. act as escort for imposing parades, with their showy uniforms and glittering arms and steeds ap- parently responsive to the occasion or make a splendid charge in a pub lie exhibition drill. no doubt many a young man spectator wishes he were a cavalryman. The prospect of going to different sections of the country and leading a camp life during sum. mer is also alIuring to some.
 How much freedom do they grant you in the army and how hard dc you have to work? people often ask When not on duty soldiers can al. ways get permission to be absent from the post between retreat and reveille, or about D. m to 6 a. m next day. Passes from Saturday nooT to Monday morning. during which | time there is no drill. are freell granted. Furloughs of two or thre' | weeks can also be had once or tvic' | during an enlistment. The Een ar' | by no means expected to confin' | themselves continually to the garri son grounds. Only that much of thu . AOTA0 Nu1Nu w NnIor AEHAAG IAAH ' for us. or at least as far as We ar'
 concerned. and it Is up 10 us to en 1 joy all of if ve can. That privileg'
 is not denied to the soldiers
 As fo the amount of labor ordinar fly done in the army it would scarce lv be truthful to say anyone va overworked. The soldiers all thinl they have enough to do. however. es peciaily in the mounted brsnehe where there fs the care of horses
 The bulk of the army Is chief,
 sfventuresome young men vho ar on their first enlistment and longinl
 10 have f. come to an end The ol | soldiers that re-enlist no doubt q i not wish 10 be burdened with th
 care of making a Livelihood and
 looking forward to q pension. dseF the army good enough hone to then meantime
 ! It is perhaps an unhezrd Of thin that an honest soldier ever sdrseen