The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1879-01-30
A Flag that Refused to Go up.

During the last grand "review" OF
her troops by the queen OF England, at
Aldcrshott, the big flag refused to go up
the staff, to the great modification OF
the managers. A similar misadyenture
at Nottingham, at muster of the troops
of the Inflated Charles l., was thought
to have a sinister omen. Victoria. how
ever, has none OF the superstition of $40
years ago. Colonel T. W. Hipginson,
who was present, writes to the Woman's s
journal this lively account of the see ne
at Aldershott:
Two soldiers had long stood ready at
the flagstaff to hoist the great standard; I;
and, when the queen was seen, the sig
nal for IFS raising was given. Up it
went, tapping in the strong wind; but
so clumsi1y was it done that the flag was
wrapped round the staff, and not half of
1t blew out freely.
The men twitched and tugged in
vain; there was no time to mend the
matter by lowering and rehoisting, and
her majesty trotted by, apparently not
noticing the mishap, but nodding and
smiling good.naturedly to some Of the
ladies who sat in favored positions.
When she had gone past, and had
turned to drive along the line of troops
opposite lis, there was subdued MUIR
muir of CLOVER the flag and try it
again )" an officer stepped forward and
gave orders, and down it came. Then
1T began to go up once more, this time
blowing out clearly, till it had reached
half-mast and stopped. There was a
general groan again twitching and
pulling were tried in vain the halyard
was plainly chock ed in the block.
| At last soldier advanced to climb
the flagstaff; subdued cheers greeted
him; the queen was now far away, trot-
ting down the long line of soldiers !;
there was plenty of time.
Up and mp he went, and when he
stopped half way up to rest, the cheer
ing grew more outspoken. But more
than half way up he never got, and the
cheering died into a muffled groan,
when the poor fellow with sheepish
smile slid slowly downward, quite ex-
hausted. and the flag was still at half
mast, and the queen was still trotting
on.
Then, after pause and hurried con.
sultation, came forward cavalry. .map,
and great was the relief when on strip
ping off his coat he showed the tattooed
arm of soldier.
Bless him |" gasped lady near me.
"There's but just time" growled her
husband.
Up went the bold dragoon, not stop
ping even to take off his heavy boots.
No applause met him till he had passed
the point where his predecessor had
stopped then all seemed to take breath,
and the murmur of triumph swelled.
But as he went higher he went omin-
ously slower, and ten feet from the top,
utterly powerless to climb an inch
farther, he stuck helpless, an object of
dismay to twenty thousand people.
Stretching out his tired arm. bending
and unbending it as il TO say, "If you
only knew how feel," the poor victim
OF powerless patriotism slid slowly down,
and there was the queen in full sight,
and rapidly approaching.
The commander of her advanced guard
had just reached the flag g-staff as the
poor cavalryman skunk back among his
mates. "Pull down that flag T. shouted
he, or somebody. Down it came, and
her majesty, the queen of England and
empress of India. reviewed her sixteen
thousand picked troops without flag
over her head.
But SO far as she was concerned, this
annoying test only brought ont her finer
qualities. Her expression was, as all
said, unusually bright and cheerful that
day she cast one light glance at the
empty flag -staff, and from that moment
seemed to ignore the whole matter.