The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1879-07-18
"HAY.FOOTl STRAw-FO I"

Many boys and girls may have heard
these words applied in derisive way to
raw recruits who were making a beginning
in their mil itsry education by learning to
march ; but few young people-or old ones,
either-know how the terms originated.
During the war of 1912, there was great
deal of drilling and training among the
miitia-men all over the country, especially
in the larger cities and towns, where the
principa recruiting stations were situated.
In New York City, much Of the drilling of
newly enlisted men was done in what is now
City Hall Park, in front of q tavern which
stood where the Sun newspaper building lis
located. Many of these would-be soldiers
were'from the country, and these, of course,
knew nothing at all about marching in mil.
itary fashion. They could walk far enough
some of them, and work as hard and bear as
much fatigue as any soldier in regular
army but they walked as they please, and
had no ideas about such things as excepting
STEP" 1t is even said that there were iel-
lows among them who did not know their
right foot from their left, and who were
therefore continually getting themselves and
their companions into disorder by mixing
up their legs,-that is, moving out their
right leg when the officer who was drilling
them called out Left" and the other leg
when he called out "Right." If they could
have put both legs forward at once, it is
probable that they swould sometimes have
done 80.
To make these men understand exactly
which leg was meant when the officer gave
his orders, a curious plan was devised.
Around the right leg of each man, just
below the knee, was tied a whisp of hay,
while whisp of straw was tied around the
left leg. Now, these country fellows knew
very we'll the'diflerence between hay and
straw, and so, when they were ranged in
line and the officer gave the word to march,
and called out, "Hay-iootl strsw-foot !
hayfo straw-toot," each one of them un.
derstood exactly which was the foot he must
put forward.
1t sometimes happened, however, that
man would be so busy Observing his con =
panions, s,-and perhaps making fun, at the
same time, of their attempts to walk like
soldiers,-that he would forget his own bus.
iness, and put forward his "straw-foot,"
when hay foot was called for.
1t must have been funny to see these raw
recruts-here country ostler in high boots
and striped shirt there farmer in his shirt
sleeves and broad straw hat then, perhaps,
a village doctor or school l-master, with his
high beaver hat and his spectacles, with a
tall boy near in CAP and short jacket-all
marching side by side, with hands down by
their sides, thumbs turned out, eyes fixed
on the officer as he stepped backward be-
fore them, and all keeping time to the mon.
otonous call of "Hay-foot! straw-footl
hay-fo straw.foot !"
The regular soldiers who may lave been
drilling at the same time probably smiled,
if they did not dare to laugh, at these queer.
looking men with their hay and straw bound
legs but the mothers and fathers and sis
ters of the recruits, if any them chanced
to come to town to see their sons or brothers
drill, doubtless thought the affair fine mil.
itary display, and that jeremiah or Calet
would be general yet, if the war lasted
long enough.-,S. Nicholas for July.