The age-herald., 1898-05-12
GRANDEUR OF THE
 MOBILE RIFLES
pY ETHEL EDITH MARMADukE.

lack of interest displayed by Mobile people. and especially by its military organizations, in defense of the country against Spain. As has been noted by thousands of visitors who have gone to Mobile, 1t Is one of the most delightful of all the coast cities. The hospitality of the people there is without limit Their generosity knows no bounds. Some years ago it was one of my pleasures of life to visit occasionally at Mobile. was then younger in years than I am now, and the attention shown me by all the mil- tary heroes of Mobile could not but com mand the pride of any woman. attended two encampments. Many pleasant days were spent on the camp ground at Fras- catti and along the beautiful shell-road winding along the bay, penetrating the beautiful forests of magnollas. And how the Mobile military chieftians could make love to a strange grill They all knew Owen Meredlths Lucille by note.
 But had never read Mir Merediths beautiful production of love, would have | imagined Mobiles military boys the most original love-makers in history. They all quoted from Meredith alike. Some recited the lines more beautifully than others, yet 1t all had the same effect. I knew they did not mean word of it, but I permitted them | to keep on reciting day after day, evening after evening, whiie the weeks grew into | months and my visits came to an end. 1 When they were not reciting Lucille they
 were talking to me of military achieve | ments remember one handsome young | captain at the head of the Mobile Rifles. | tall stately statuesque warrior, who talked l to me for hours and hours. giving me the 1 most minute details of all drill movements. 1 If one of the members of that organization | had been so unfortunate as to have made l mis-step, destroying the symmetry Of the action to the extent of one-thousandth parr of an inch the eagle-eyes of this captivating military hero would have detected it, ana | from that he would have talked to me for | hours explaining how it had destroyed the | poetry of movement of the troops. The whole town became enthused upon the SUD- | ject of military. The enthusiasm hao touched and penetrated every mart of | industry. It was the chief topic Of con- versation at all social functions. No young lady of Mobile was regarded as equal to any emergency unless she was schooled in the arts taught by the drill master. It was often the subject of discourses from the pulpits Bankers would even forget their rates of exchange to talk military
 Brass buttons and the colors of the Mo- bile Rifles and the Lomax Rifles, Mobiles two crack military organizations, were con- spicuous everywhere To have heard the men of Mobile talk of military matters and the achievements of their local organiza- tions would have lead one to believe that in the event of war the tocsin would no sooner have ben sounded than the Mobile organi- zations would as in, one, leap of fury, dash to the front and completely annihilate any enemy that might present itself. At no | period in the history of the American re- l public had the military become so great a subject of conversation upon all occasions | and with all classes as once prevailed in the | beautiful little city by the gulf. Mobiles l companies at various times went abroad to 1 compete with other organizations for prizes l in drill contests. I remember one occasion 1 when the Mobile Rifles went to Nashville. | It was about 1883 or S4 The rifles won the l day. They returned with the prize ribbon l and the trophy of their conquest. The 1 news of their victory upon the drill field at l Nashville had preceded the return of the l conquering heroes. Upon the arrival of the | train from Nashville bearing the valiant | warriors the entire population of the city | seemed to have massed itself at the water l edge adacent to the railway station. Such 1 yelling! Such motley crowd of people! l Old men, old women, young men, young wo- l men, boys and girls-all in a pandemonium l of deliriumi There was no end to the en- l thusiasm. Napoleon returning from any of
 his victories was never given a more earn l est ovation. sr,7z.7
 l As the conquering heroes stepped from the
 train, clad in their gaudy uniforms, their l colors flying, the drums beating, a mighty yell went up sufficient in volume to disturb
 the earth in its revolutions. There are not l words sufficient in the English language to l properly describe the scenes of enthusiasm 1 and joy that were indulged in by patriot
 ic people in honor of the achievements of
 their great military heroes. There were no l scared veterans in the return. No men
 who had faced the bullets of the enemy. 1 It was the fioower beds of manhood re-
 turning from friendly contest. Imme-
 diately the wires were set to work pro-
 claiming to the world that Mobile would
 
 commercial progress, because it's favorite
 military organization had won the first
 prize at an interstate drill contest. This
 proclamation sent forth over the wires was
 a complete refutation of George Alfred
 Townsend's statement that the streets of
 Mobile at that time and previously had
 furnished excellent pasturage for the cows.
 There was among my girl friends, some
 of whom I was visiting a great spirit of
 rivalry as to who should be sponsor for the
 military organization on the occasion for
 drill prizes. There was an interstate drill
 at New Orleans when Mobiles crack rife
 team contested for the prize, but was de-
 feated by crowd of rank outsiders from
 some place in Iowa or Missouri. One of
 Mobiles fairest daughters was the beauti-
 ful sponsor upon this occasion with honor
 to herself and credit to the company. The
 tender flower was almost broken down bv