The record-union., 1894-02-17
GIRLS OUT FOR WAR.
They Organize a Brigade in New
Jersey Town.
They Wear Uniforms and Carry Guns
Like Real Soldiers of the Male
Sex-The First Drill.

If ever in need of valiant defenders
against an invading force, the town of
Bloomfield, n. j., will call upon its girls
to repulse the enemy. For the spirit Of
war has let fall his mantle over the fair
maids of that vicinity, and for this winter
Mars will occupy the place in their hearts
formerly given to terpsichore. Already
they have secured competent drill
master and are deep in the practice of
marches, countermarches, obliques and
other evolutions. In time they will have
uniforms and guns-not real guns that go
off when they're not supposed to be
loaded, but nice, innocent wooden guns,
whose capacity for manning is proper
tionate to the physical strength of the
gunner. Thus armed and equipped the
Bloomfield Brigade Of Beauty will go
forth to war, glorious prize to gain, for
they will challenge the boys cadet COM
pany to competitive drill before the eyes
of the assembled populace at fifty cents
per capita, the pr oceeds to go to some
charitable institution. Such is the pro-
gramme as now laid out.
The scheme OF getting up such a COM
pany was evolved from the brain Of Miss
Agnes Clark, who concluded that dancing
and parties were getting tame and that
something more novel must be invented
TO make life in Bloomfield worth living.
She went to her bosom friends, Miss Sut-
phen and Miss Nash, who exhausted
their vocabulary of endearing adjectives
upon the plan.
NOW, girls" said Miss Clark, who is
an eminently practical young lady, 1--WE
can't do it all at once. The first thing is
to get the girls to join. We can see about
the other things afterward."
"Oh, yes. and We'll learn all the fancy
drill steps," cried the others in breath.
"And learn to do Wheels" "And march
in crosses" And shoulder bayonets."
And 'tention, comp'ny." And Well
have real uniforms.'
''Real uniforms? Good gracious you
don't suppose we'd wear"
mo; OF course not, you goose" inter-
rupted Miss Clark. mot uniforms like
the boys. Long blue serge dresses. or
something like that, with shoulder things
and little cap"
"Oh, it'll be Just too lovely All the
girls will be wild to join"
And all the girls had a chance before
the plan was a day older, for the three
originators talked all their friends into q
fever of eagerness over the scheme.
There was a big meeting to start the
thing, and then came the question of a
drillmaster, which proved to be the rock
on which they split. One faction wanted
Colonel Baker, instructor in the Mont
clair Military Academy, while the other
and larger faction were set upon getting
Howard Thomas OF Glen Ridge, gradu-
ate Of the academy Of one years stand
ing.
There was hot fight between the op-
-
that the Colonel should be selected be-
cause OF his long experience, while their
opponents insisted tnat young Thomas
would have more time 10 devote to them.
Besides, they added, forcibly if illogic-
ally, he was so nice-lookiug and be
danced beautifully. Whether for these
or for other reasons, Mr.. Thomas was
elected drill-master by a big majority,
whereupon half dozen of the leaders on
and said they wouldn't belong; and they
thought the thing was going to be fail
ure anyhow.
After that they lay awake nights trying
to devise plans for making it failure,
Reports were spread that the company's
uniform would consist in lOw-cut dresses,
high-cut skirts. and scarlet stockings and
that the soldier maldens would parade
the streets clad in this garb. When the
company got up pink tea to raise money
for necessary expenses, the opposition
organized yellow tea to ruin The busi-
ness of their rivals. Then the warriors
gave candy sale, and the anti-military
party got up another. But the machina-
tions of the malcontents were unavailing,
for the company gathered strength, and
the youth and beauty of Bloomfield
hocked to its standard.
On the occasion of the first drill, held
last month in Skaggs' Pavilion, which
name has since been metamorphosed into
the more euphonious cognomen of 1.-The
Armory," twenty-four picked soldier
esses faced Captain Thomas. The young
officer made short address, in which he
stated that the discipline of the corps de-
pended solely upon the spirit manifested
by the ladies, as he had no authority to
Danish them to the dark cellar or to put
them on guard mount. Therefore he
hoped they would be as orderly as pos
sible; and they assured him chorally that
they would. Then the fun began. No
outsiders were present, but from what
the members OF the corps said afterward,
it was learned that matters progressed
slowly at first. The Captain marched out
in the middle Of the floor and cried, Fall
in - in loud voice.
Half of the girls who thought that they
knew what that meant huddled together
near the center of the room, while the
rest looked around in surprise and said
politely and interrogatively: 81 beg your
pardon"
"Fall in p' repeated Captain Thomas.
getting red in the face. "Come out and
toe this line"
Out tripped the twenty-four to toe the
line. They toed it so carefully-so very
carefully-and with such mathematical
exactitude that it took two minutes OF
shutting feet to get it just right. Then
the Captain called attention and some
girl who knew announced that he meant
them to stand up straight and look right
ahead. Then each girl gave an exposi-
ton of what she considered coming to at
tention was. Some stitfened up like ram
rods. Others stood up so straight that
they bent over backward. A forward
droop from the waist downward and
reflex droop from the waist up was the
attitude assumed by few. One looked
at the ceiling, a second at the floor and
most of them at their neighbors. Some
toed in and some tOed out, and some toed
both in and out The one point of una
nimity was in the disposition of the hands.
Twenty-three of the girls placidly folded
their hands in front Of them and the
tventy-fourth. who was strong-minded,
folded hers behind her.
Then they couldn't understand why
dark rings appeared under the Captains
eyes as he muttered a few words in sepul-
chral tones. Finally he got them arranged
on the line and gave the order, Forward,
march,"
Ten of the soldiers sauntered straighs
ahead in an incidental sort of way. Hals
of the remainder capered off obliquelys:
lifting their feet in the manner that kit
tens affect when walking in snow, while
the other half stared at each other and
giggled. The Captain tried again and
again and finally got them all started to-
gether. Then for two mortal hours a
lingering line of giggling girls went
wavering up and down the floor in a
manner that was truly heartrending.
At the expiration OF the two hours the
girls assured Captain Thomas that they