Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-11
RECRUITS IN DEMAND
Every Effort to Secure More Men for
the British Army.
TAKING THE ! QUEENS SHILLING
Types Of Men Who Are EnIisting
in London These Days
S E d Il CTTN + : T. r G. E A n II S
S ED L CTIV SERG E A n Is

| Special Correspondence of The Evening Star.
LONDON. October 2S, 1899.
| [ got myself up deliberately with the
| purpose of enlisting. That red necktie is
! dsreputabe enough" remarked judicious
| friend while aiding me. but you ought to
have dirtier collar The hat was almost
| too new. but it was the only one l had.
| and | hesitated to degrade" it. as they
| say in Paris. Nevertheless with shrunken
| and faded tweed suit. bought d month ago
| tor so from of the alleged English
| tallors of the Rue Scribe, l succeeded in
| approaching nearly the look of the dis
inherited of the earth that the porter of the
| Hotel Meropole gave to me embar-
! raised salute as 1 came down the stairs.
| He was not used to seeing man fall so
| low in so short a time.
From Northumberland avenue to the
| grille of the National Gallery, in front of
| the Church Of st. Martin, is only a step, but
] through great deal of mud. The rain had
| stopped. and the recruiting sergeants of the
| army OF the queen were at their post beside
| inc cotored placardS representing all the
| different unitormS-al splendid and mag
nihcent-arnong which the recruit may
| choose at pleasure. That is to say, you
| may choose your uniform in theory. That
you 90 not always get it, in fact is some
| thing learned later.
| Having contemplated these pictures sew
| eTal minutes with an anxious and huml-
| lated look. | picked up the sergeant who
| looked bcst-natured
| Sergeant, what would you say If l told
you L thought of engaging?'
| lie cooked his head at affably his
head being surmounted by an elegant little
| cap planted over one eye al angle of
forty degrees, and covering only one-t third
! Of his cerebral hemisphere.
| Why not" he replied It's a thing
| that is done every day"
lie 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.
Tempting Uniforms.
There you 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 We're at Waterloo
and the Crmean'
'Hst0rical?''
They are the regiments of the queen"
be answered" Here are the fusiieers al
most the same costume, except that the
bonnet is lower. if cut in the middle
That's another dandy arm, all crack regi-
mcntS, all the officers gentlemen. belonging
to great families, ana all of them with
money to throw away. or perhaps you
would rather go into the ordinary line in
lduliS, sun Jne same costume, except the
pointed helmet. and here are the rifemen.
The costume is still more severe
He showed TO me b0ttle-Sreen uniform,
almost black.
Il recommend the rif1emen," he suggest
ed. AS for enlisting, you can't do better
than join. 1t always agreed with me-
Il thought | would prefer the hussars,"
| Ventured
The hussars are dark groom with yaIIn,v
brandenbourgs. pants the sane with yeiiow
bands
or the Hishlanders Only am mot q
HjgbI.Dder'' ! 3,}y9jttnJ
The sergeant smiled ..ff OH rho t;;ob
| landcrs who were horn in [yhitrcbaneI ware
| to stpn out of no r.nI,s ,ha,, ,,.,,i3 ,,,,I,o
a rre,i,oaut or tv,n If tJan,ga,I,,, ~, tI
hid ,.Emt y,o,, arr, ,,t IN ,,,el' 60. -
cayaIrv Ana tbeI " he oId3 49, ~ M
! -, ,,,s, 49,, ia ~, ' ia ms >
IN. stahIes' Won co,,lJt AZ ~ t, 49,, w.
NV fjn ana iai,, ,J ,;f1,sr. w IT, S'i "Ne
Tbni ,nttj,InntiII,i. ,.,i,,,., 1+ ,,,.+
.i, , en-, ~ '"rt"i won
baibt ''' '''s '''i''7 ''@e' '''' use ~ your
~'7'' c.,
This gigantic sergeant was persuasive
man and full of strategy. Chatting, he had
| led me to a little alIcyway then through a
aoor into . larger l,,,-c,ill,l hal, j., tha
''' iit' ''' %, ~" ''IlVu IAN III me
'''''o''1 VI Wv, ''' 50 VA i"'NS' III
'''i'' Two 'A"iiS, aho lher
,'i' an a 't''''iS Vi puS tui'"lS 'tiat
SiSra1,,taheness ,,srcii nv, sSi,tl Ia
| that in the presence of these true dad,
brokes my own damaged red neckte, dirty
cpliai ana iaF!S-Hlaoe tWeedS constituted
nitata the moor look l,n, pl,,i,iS
| mia farmers, with bank stock and broad
acres, who go just dirty, in clothes fit
for scarecroWs. Yet they have not the
| poor look. You can see that they always
| have eaten their fill, slept snug, and taken
| their ease as they understood it. The COM
| panE of shilling takers bore the stamp of
! had lived on half rations. Several were
dressed almost correctly, pale-faCed, sunk
en-cheeked, eyes eternalIy dilated by half
munger; poor clerks poor counter Jumpers,
| the unhealthy and sad products Of an in
sufficient professional education that weak
| ems the muscles Whlle 1t muluples duties
Toward "nfseH ahu society. imposing the