Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1899-11-24

| the seryice-Pay of the Men.
| The London correspondent of the
New York Press, writing under date
Of Now =. tells Low the men are re-
| cruited for the British army in the fol-
| lowing interesting manner: l got my
self up deliberately with the purpose
of enlisting. THAT red necktie is dis
| reputable enough" remarked judi
| cious friend while aiding me- but you
| ought to have a dirtier collar" The
hat was almost too new, but it was the
| only one l had, and l heSitated to de
! grade" it, as they say in Paris. Never
| theless, with a shrunken and faded
| tweed suit, bought month ago for $50
| from one of the alleged English tailors
1 of the Rue Scribe, 1 succeeded in ap-
| preaching 50 nearly the look of the dis
| inherited of the earth that the PORTER
/ of the Hotel NIetropole gave to me an
| embarrassed salute as L came down
| the stairs. He was not used to seeing
| q man fall so low in so short time.
From Northumberland avenue to the
| grille of the National gallery, in front
| of the Church of St. Martin, is only
| step, but through a great deal of mud.
/ The rain had stopped, and the recruit
| ing sergeants of the army of the queen
were at their post beside the colored
placards representing all the different
uniforms, all splendid and magnificent,
| among which the recruit may choose
at pleasure-that is to say, you may
| choose your uniform in theory. That
you do not always get it in fact is
something l learned later. Having
contemplated these pictures several
| minutes with an anxious and humili-
| ated look, l picked up the sergeant
| who looked best natured.
Sergeant, what would you say If
| told you / thought of engagingE He
cooked his head at me affably, his head
being surmounted by an elegant little
cap planted over one eye at an angle
of 40 degrees and covering only one
third of his cerebral hemisphere.
why not?" he replied. It's n thing
that is done every day" He pointed
temptingly to the pictured uniforms on
the placards. While having nothing in
common with the portraits of Sir
Joshua Reynolds and Gainsborough eX-
posed inside the building, they were
not without their charm.
There Won are" said the sergeant.
"The foot guards-red tunic, white belt,
dark pants with white welts and the
grenadier bonnet. You couldn't dream
of anything natter. Those bonnets
were at Waterloo and the Crimea.'
'HistOrical?' They are the regiments
of the queen" he answered. Here are
the fuSilecrs, almost the same costume
except that the bonnet is lower, as if
cut in the middle. That's another
dandy arm, all crack regiments, all the
officers gentlemen, belonging TO great
families. and all Of them with money
to throw away. or perhaps you would
rather go into the ordinary line in
fantry. still the same costume except
the pointed helmet. And here are the
riflemen. The costume is more Sc
we're" He showed to me bottle green
uniform, almost black.
Il recommend the rifemen," he sug-
gested. '-As for enlisting, you can't do
better than Join. 1t always agreed with
me-
Il thought 1 would prefer the hus-
sars." l ventured. The hussars are
dark green. with yellow branden-
bourgs; pants the same, with yellow
bands. OR the highlanders. Only l
am not a highlander" l admitted.
The sergeant smiled. III all the
chapel were To step out of the ranks,
they would make regiment or two
of themselves" he chuckled. But you
are not tall enough for the cavalry.
And then" he added fiatteringly, "a
gentleman like you to come down to
the stables. You couldn't do it, sir
Take my tip and join the rifles Then
confidentially, The doctor won't take
you for anything else because of your
height"
This gigantic sergeant was persua-
sive man and full of strategy. Chat
ting. he had led me to little aIleyway,
then through a door into a large, low
ceiled hall in the basement of the st.
George barracks. In there were a ia
bic, two chairs. another sergeant and a
company of postulants that would take
the fancy bread for general disreputa-
bleness. l perceived Immediately that
in the presence of these true dead
brokes my own damaged red necktie,
dirty collar and Paris made ''tweeds"
constituted only disguise. You cam
not successfully initiate the poor look.
l know Pennsylvania farmers. with
bank stock and broad acres. who go
just as dirty in clothes tit for scare
crows, yet they have not the poor look.
You can see that they always have eat
en- their fill. slept snug and taken their |
ease IS they understood il. The COM
pany of shilling takers bore the stamp
of London misery. From their infancy |
they had lived on half rations. Sever |
al were dressed almost correctly, pale |
faced. sunken checked, eyes eternally |
dilated by half hunger, poor clerks, |
poor counter Jumpers, the unhealthy |
and sad products of an insufficient pro-
fessional education that weakens the /
muscles while it multiplies duties to-
ward oneself and society, imposing the |
frock coat the celluloid collar and the /
gold headed umbrella at the cost of /
bread and tea lunches. Others had the