| OCR Text |
Show :' MAKING OF ROOKIES--BY ONE OF'THEMl J! - I r "Writin Feller" Goes 1 Through the Details of o Examination to Get First Hand i Impression of the Feelings of ; Uncle Sam's New Fighters for World Liberty. I By J. HIXON XINSELLA. fc y ULVANEY, Ortheris and Lea-pyj Lea-pyj royd lire privates in B Com pany of a line regiment, ami personal friends of mine " That is the way Mr. Kipling begins his tale of the "Three Musketeers" in his collection of stories under the title "Soldiers Three." E-.vell Ledford and William Levin are sergeants In a recruiting ompany at Jefferson Jef-ferson Barracks, Mo, Now thero Is no connection between that and Mr. Kipling's Kip-ling's yarn except that they are good friends of mine. I wanted to see the process of turninn: civilians into new soldiers, "John Soldiers," Sol-diers," as the older fellows call them, y I wanted to go through It, to seo how the "first 500.000" will be started out Y next Septcmbor. - f Accordingly, I went to Jefferson Bar- ' i racks to pass through the machinery' of ' enlistment, to take the physical examina- "r tlon and to be outfitted with clothes nnd i made ready for shipment to whatever j army post I might be consigned. In the process I met Lovln and Lcd- ford. Ledford might bo taken for little V ' Ortheris, the cockney. He might, but ho won't. For ho would not like It, and he's fat besides not too fat, but Just . ; stout, and short. Cockfioys are not fat: at least, OrtherlH was not. Lovln might be taken for Mulvaney. "the father in the craft, old In war, 2. scarred, resourceful." But Lovln la not I yet an Irish name, nor Is William Levin of Jefferson Barracks an Irishman. And there wore only two of them, for Loa-royd, Loa-royd, the heavy-footed Torkshlreman, was missing. So there Is no resemblance to the "Soldiers Three" except that the sergeants two were particular friends of mine. And they might not like It made public just how we grew friendly in my two days at the barracks. It might not be well to sa.v just how, at mess, SergL Led-ford Led-ford was willing to bot his month's salary sal-ary that we would be hearing of Pershing's Persh-ing's landing In France any time which actually was announced thrco days later. And it might not be officially wise to say many other things that developed among us in those two days For, as Mr. Kipling Kip-ling would say. "that is another story." In times of peace Jefforson Barracks is .1 dlgnlflodly busy place. Now it Is bustling bust-ling with ceaseless activity. A stcadv stream form the great Central West poms men Into the recruiting depot there. The barracks is one of five recruiting depots in Iho United States, and men coma through ll from Chicago. Little Hock. Minneapolis, and virtually all of the Central Cen-tral Department of tho army. A recruit's first day at tho barracks Is not a particularly busy one and for som not a pleasant one. Kindly and trusting officers spared me tho first day's process, which Is meroly the clicking in of the men at tho receiving barracks, the assignment assign-ment of them to sleeping quartora for the night, and tho administration of a bath. ' a .shave and haircut to every man. "whether ho needs It or not" Amusement for Applicant. After this initiation to tho army, the oppllcant for onllstmcnt is free for the dnj Books In the post library, baseball on the athletic field, while away the daytime, day-time, and in the evening the post picture i-hotv provides amusement for tho future M jso'dlc-r ut tho United States army. On tho flccgpd. .jnoinlng- iho. real writ I -. I of enlistment begins, and my first day in tho post was accorded the fiction of being officially the second for me. so that I might start at the physical examination and omit the introductory lavatlons, "whether I needed It or not." Reveille and mess concluded, the men arc assembled at 7 o'clock and formed In squads of fifty to go to the cxamlntlon barracks. A noncommissioned ofllcer la assigned to each squad and the squad taken lo the capacious examination barracks bar-racks to undergo the physical tests of tho army physicians and, if found acceptable, ac-ceptable, to become enlisted men. A man Is not enlisted until he reaches tho recruiting depot, although many are of the opinion that recruits may be enlisted en-listed at th various recruiting posts scattered in every town and city of the country. The work of tho little recruiting btatlon, with Its sergeant in charge, is merely preliminary. Acceptance does not come until the corps of one of the five recruiting depots approves a man. I took my place with a squad of fifty under tho direction of SergL Levin, wno was given a word to sco that my ''enllat-ment" ''enllat-ment" was thorough We which is to say, the squad In which I was placed lined up outside the examination exami-nation barracks, and at the word from Scrgt. Levin marched Into the reception room of the banacks proper. Thero the command to strip was given. This done, we wcic told that we might check our valuables with a sergeant at one end of the room. One by one, as tho men finished removing remov-ing their clothing, they took their money and whatever Jewelry they had to tho checking 3ergeant. As each man tendered his property at the counter a corporal standing beside the desk painted a number num-ber on tho left breast of the applicant. This number accorded with the number under which the man's valuables were deposited and followed him all through tho examination as a means of Identification. Identifi-cation. No. 1 was allotted to me, and it followed fol-lowed me not only through the cntlro examination, but for two days afterwards. after-wards. Tho examining room Itself 13 a vast chamber, perhaps 150 foot In length and 75 in width. In a space in the center, railed off, aro the clorks of the depait-ment depait-ment and tho ofilcera In charge. Along tho walls of the room aro the desks allotted to tnu officers and men conducting conduct-ing the several parts of the examination. And In the aisle between Is the space where tho applicants file Card-Indexing the Men. A3 we entered, No. 1. at the head of tho line, and turned to circle around the room, wo camo to a series of five desks with clerks at each desk. To the first clerk I gave my name and tho placo and date of my birth. He made out a card for mc. writing down the Information I had given him. The card was passed on to the next desk. and. literally, so was I. An enlisted en-listed man measured my height and weight, which wcro duly recorded by the second clerk- A third pair of soldiers measured and set down upon the card the girth of m chest, normal and ex- XMZ&t, . (Wnr SERGEANT 1 ' ' were examined, a notation being made for every ono crowned: and my body inspected in-spected for scars The vaccination scar was checked on the original caid. and a new card made out, containing a chart of tho body, where other scars woro noted. At a. fifth desk, only recently installed, a clerk recorded tho number of my registration reg-istration certificate and the ward arid precinct where I had registered, June 5. This additional desk was Installed on June 6 On tho day before, registration day, tho barracks enlisted lu70 men .1 record for an army recruiting post all of whom were still in the post when 1 was examined From these Introductory desks I wont Into tho compartments provided for tho lsIon and hearing tests. MaJ. C. E. Frpe-man. Frpe-man. tho enlisting officer in charge of tho examination, ' accompanlod me through tho examination, and mado the yc and car tests with me. Standing across the compaitmcnt at a dlstanco of about 20 feet, ho whispered numbors which tho applicant Is expected to hear and repeat The lslon test tries tne Jghtgf -0fth.ye jjepftrAtely, jrcadlns a FOR PROPER FOOTWEAR lino of letters both forward and backward. back-ward. Aftor my sight and hearing organs wero tried, I moved on to tho compartment for the heart and lung tosts, -where Capt. It. S. Bryan applied his Instruments to my chest and back. Theso examinations finlbhod, I returned to tho open room for tho tests of my muscles and logs. I was obliged to hop a distance of 20 feet on oach foot, to rise and squat on my toeB, to flex th muscles of my legs, to roach forward and touch the floor without bonding bond-ing at tho knoe, and to havo my arms and fingers inspected for broken bones. This tost 1 applied to mako sure that bones onco fractured do not affect muscular muscu-lar action Not satisfied with tho whisper tests of hoarlng, Uncle Sam's doctors distend tho car and look down Into that organ a3 far as they can. 3Jy nostrils and throat were also dilated and soarchod for. or-ganlo or-ganlo trouble, and. finding none, tho doctors doc-tors passed mo on to Capt. F. N. Chilton of the regular army, for his final stamp of approval or disapproval As Capt Chl'tun approes of a man tho man crosses, tho room Xoij- hi cination and nrst typhoid Immunization. When these operations aro flnlshod tho oath of allcglanco is administered to the men in groups of ton or twolva at a time, and they aro then regularly onllsted men in need only of uniforms to have the appearance of soldlors. Having been excused, of course, from the final stop, I went out to the anteroom ante-room with the others to dress. Outside In tho rccoptlon room again, tho men sign their enllstmont papers hoforo a proper officer, nnd the rosult 1b actually an enlisted man In tho army. As soon as tho papers ore signed tho soldier's finger prints aro taken on tho card where his scars wore recorded, and Uncle Sam has obtained tho final moans of identification for his men. As 1 was dressing, after tho last process, my fingers still somewhat smeared from the Ink necessary to. the taklug of my finger prints, a big, kindly looking Irishman Irish-man sitting next to me said In a respectful respect-ful whisper: "Did you make It?" "Yes," I replied, "Did you?" "I did," ho answered. "I made up my mind at 0 o'clock In the mornln' and by 2 that afternoon I was op my way here from Minneapolis. I would havo been BQr.0 dJs'iPP.PUlteo; it I had, g&t jjafified,' f When I had finished dressing, Sergt. Levin camo to me and conveyed the welcome wel-come tidings that wo would prosently go to lunch beg pardon, mess. On the way we stopped at tho recruiting barraoks, whero Lovln found Sergt. Lcdford, whom he Introduced to me. The three of uo went to mess together In the great dining hall of tho barracks, where soldlor and rookie mingle together at tho noonday meal. I was voted Into the aristocracy of tho noncommissioned officers, and ate at their taole a gorgeous meal of frankfurters, cabbage, soup and excellent bread. Aftor lunch Ledford took mo In chorgo to measure me for tho army uniform. To Ledford I was a "roportorlal feller," of whom he wanted to take (and did take) especial care. Back at Ledford's quarters, in tho building build-ing called the receiving barracks, men were being measured. Ordinarily, after the physical examination examina-tion has been mado and tho men aro sworn in. they are free for tho remainder of the day, and on tho following day aro measured for and supplied with clothing. However. Ledford declared ho would "strain a point" for mo and outfit mo tho same aftornoon When wo returned to Ledford's headquarters, head-quarters, tho building called the Receiving Receiv-ing Barracks, tho squads of fifty wore again being mobilized whero they would bo within easy roach of Ledford's call as their turn came. Reminded that I was No. 1, ho doclored another exception In my caeo, and took me right up with him to his company's room on tlie second floor. Dressing Them In. Stepping out on tho balrtiy, he summoned sum-moned the first squad fifty names, ordered or-dered them upstairs and had them line up on one Bido of the room. He put mo at tho hood of tho line and ordered each of us to remove his right shoo and stocking and our coats and vests "Now, men," epoko Ledford, "this man in uniform hero will try the army coat on you, and when ho finds ono to fit ho will tell you tho slzo. This other fellow here will try on tho hats and also glvo you tho size. Remember that coat and hat size. 'Bout half the men fergot It. Then you come up to tho box whoro I'm slttln.' put your right heel against tho back of tho stop on tho box and hold the other foo up. As soon as I get the slzo of your shoo go to tho tablo thero, repeat your hat and coat size, and tho man thoro will measure you for undorwear. Then take tho card he will give you and go to the other tablo, whero tho man there will toll you what to do. Tou aro subject to orders, now, and I want you to do as I say." But Ledford's deslro was a vain one, for not half remembered everything he said, and ho had to repeat constantly his Instructions In-structions The walls of the room, tho men In charge, evorythlng, was an attraction at-traction too great for us "rookleB." Private Arthur (Spider) Wells fitted me with a coat and hat and said somo unintelligible unin-telligible numbors to mo, which, like tho rest of tho civilians, I promptly forgot At a sign from Ledford I boardod tho box to havo my foot measured for the army shoo. The lengthwise dimension was taken upon a rule; and at tho same tlmo, Lodford ran a tape measuro around my foot at tho largo part Just In back of tho toos. He called tho slzo to Private For-guson For-guson at tho first tablo (and the slzo does not matter), and mado Bomo remaik about the navy losing two gunboats. To that I didn't pay much attention, for I know I would read It in tho evening papor anyway. As I stepped from tho box Prlvato Lee Murphy, a former Chicago newspaper man, slipped a tape measure around my waist, and Lodford spewed out a sorlce of numbers, which woro "A 10 D, a 11 stocking, a 11 breeches, a 6 drawers, a ii leggings, a 3 under." Clothing In the army goes by a number to each slzo, and a slzo Included both clrcumferenco and length. Ledford's Jargon was the army number for the various garmonts I would se.cnulro, When my sizes had been taken and re corded on tho card, Lodford declarod-jl recere, and Murphy, Lodford, Fergusoif and I retired to Ledford's private rooxrfc fl where Ledford was hont for a pleasant few minutes at a most delightful llttftrH "tea." Upon our return to the other roon( Ledford was confronted by a man vrhifH wanted to be measured. An Insistent "Reject." The man's name, on Impossible- Po&Stt H name, which ncod not be mentioned, t6 H cause the poor follow -was a rejoct, wa) not to bo found on Ledfor&'B list. AndrthH follow did not know he had been T64 H "Ah was going to dlnnor," the mas H said, slowly, "and ah see all men combi&H In here, so I come, too." H Ledford suspected immediately that""th H fellow was a reject, and asked him what H the doctors had done to him. IH "Oh, they done overything," tho Pole re4 H sponded. H "Did they put something In this ara jH and scratch the otJier one?4 asked LecU "No," he answered, "but Ah got a nurrCf IB Ledford was satisfied. If the man wail i not vaccinated or Inoculated for typhwgH ho had not been accepted, and so he WQSH sont to tho proper office to be given hijffH ticket baok to Chicago. H The measuring of tho other went. t H then, and in fifteen minutes tho fifty htar H been measured for their uniforms unci H o Ui or clothing. From Ledford's shop ? H filed downstairs and were given sackstafr H hold our clothing. We followed a cofiT H poral to the quartermaster's house, &ru$ H wore supplied with tho articles specific' on tho cards. These articles woro a pahj' H of army trousers or breeches, a cottoJS olive-drab service coat, four suits of xtnn derwear, six pairs of stockings, a polr-Olf l shoos, two olive-drab shirts and hat. Th& total value of these articles, according! to the prices placed upon the clothlne H card, Is $1-1.86. A "recruit's kit" was lx$ jH eluded, with being charged to the soldieK This "recruit's kit" Is a real frlond of H tho newly-made soldier. It Is like an ln& H splratlon to keep clean and a practical moans of working out tho actuality oil IH that Inspiration. In It are a houeowlfey H which Is a kit of needles, pins, threads H buttons and tho necessary utensils fo lH sowing, soap, wblakbroom, two towels, fip jH razor (old style), a hair brush and comb& H and tooth brush and paste. H Capt. Collins informed me that the dltf H ferenco botween the regular and the voK iH unteer troops lies In the foot that th regulars have boon taught to be clea$ H under camp conditions, while tho volunV H teors have not. "If tho old saying about! cleanliness being next to godliness is trafe! IH anywhere," Capt. Collins said, "it Is espe H daily so In the army " jH Having received our supplies from thd l quartermaster, we marched back to thei l recoiving barracks and Into a big room orj H the first floor As wo entered wo wero dl" H vlded Into two lines along either sldo ol the room, each man halting at a bo H about 3 feet square and 2 feet deop. H Almost before wo had got to our place3 H a private at the end of the room began a lH steady stream of racuous commands. H "Empty your sacks now Into thosd boxes in front of you. Empty tho sacks, I said, you over there near tho window. And, overy man tako off his civilian clotheg and put them In the box In front of you Hurry up, thero; take your clothes off oJ you. Then put on your uniform and rai l main at your places until I tell you what to H "Hurry up, there. I never saw Buch. $ elow bunch as you follows. You hav$ H taken twice as long as any other crowd Slay in your places. I said." And so on the same How of commands and lmprecaw H tlons, and, as I found out later, given the same way to over squad. H Aftor wo had dressed In our khaki unf j forms wo were told by Cupt. Robert I14 H Collins, the commissioned officer in charge) H of tho department, to keep our civilian H clothing, but that if we wished to soil It he was authorized to pay us a nominal H sum for it. I was not interested by such: an announcement, but many were, and, H proceeded to sell their garmonts, despitej fM repeated admonitions from Capt. Collins H and SergL Leo to keep them, H "Why don't you keep your stuff?" Caphr H Collins asked one of tho men, "and send it home?' H "Because I've got no home to send If to," the man replied, "but I think I havd got a good home for the next four j cars2 H Whon tho minor clothing transaction had all been made, tho squad was agairl H formed In a line, checked up outside and H assigned to tho barracks which wore t3 H be their home until they were consigned H .to our permanent regiment or, soot M |
