The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-02-24

lead to terrace above terrace, on which
are seen stone dwellings, gardens and
little church buildings and shrines of
Spanish or Moorish origin. On each side
Of these stairways or ramps" are long
blocks Of old buildings of stone, where
dwell the laboring class of 'scorps."
Around the time-stained arched door
ways Of these habitations, through which
one can look beyond into small, dark
courts, are groups Of women and chill
dren Of compilations that vary all the
way from nut brown to the proverbial
saddle color, gossipinR, chaffering with
fruit and vegetable dealers from Spain,
or squatting on the pavement and en-
gagged in knitting or basket weaving.
To the right and left are well paved pas
sageS that lead to and past the more
elegant habitations of the weather. in
habitants Of Gibraltar. The steps of
these ramps are built with a broad, low
tread that makes them remarkably easy
of ascent. They are instinct with active
life and moving, picturesque figures.
Well-dressed citizens, tourists, errand
boys, priests and sure-footed mules and
donkeys are seen passing up these ramps
till they are lost in the aerial perspective
Of the higher slopes, while others, singly
or in groups, are coming down, to be
merged into ana swallowed UP by the
denSely thronged waterproof street.
AS you proceed to your lodgings and
wend your way to the window that over
looks this street, you hear the distant
sounds OF a military band. You look
down, and as the music rises and swells
on the fresh morning air, you are con-
scious Of q most remarkable transforma-
ton scene being shifted repidly into
place below you. Wagons, ambulances,
20 rr.fa nd ri dfcoY inf
the side lanes and up the stairways, as
If seeking refuge behind the wings on
the stage Of a theater. Into the cleared
space comes marching on a grand, quick
ly moving column Of British troops. The
officers and men are wearing the kahki
uniform, indicative Of their destination,
the drill ground. The confused and in
finite variety Of hues that marked the
crowd Of variously clad figures, which a
moment ago filled the street, has van
ished, as If by magic, and the street is
now filled with a broad stream of a light
brown color, glistening with bayonet
points and overlooking the thoroughfare
from curb to walk 1t is a living, NOV
ing mass of humanity, drilled and dis
ciplined to perfection most effectual1y to
destroy human life You may be i'm
pressed, fascinated by the beauty Of the
scene as the grand column swings along,
undulating to the rhythm Of the soul
stirring music, but there steals over you
that feeling Of sadness that comes to
one who looks upon a great body Of
armed men marching swiftly but silent
ly onward as If bent with irresistible i'm
pulse and power, on some mysterious
and dreadful mission of destruction, sure
in the end to be fatal to others and to
themselves
And now, in closing this letter already,
perhaps, TOO long, let a word or two
more be said about these soldiers. They
deservedly attract more attention than
any other OF the many objects of interest
found in Gibraltar, individually, without
being at all stiff or mechanical, they are
well set up and have soldierly bear
ing that EFFORTS the praise of the most
Indifferent onlooker, while the almost in
credible rapidity with which they execute
commands for even the simplest motions
Of the drill wins at once the WarmeSt
admiration Of the soldier
The writer of these lines has seen sold
ferS. in many lands, but he has seen none
who equal these in the snap, the grace
and apparently hearty enthusiasm with
which they execute the various move
ments incident to company and other for
nation. There is not TO be seen slouchy
soldier or a single one who did not seem
proud of his neat and attractive uniform
or unconscious of the pride his country
men had in him and his comrades.
But to see these men collectively, com
bined into battalions and on the march.
whether to the music of band. drum
corps or the screeching bagpipes, Is
sight to be long remembered. Their
marching Is simply faultless and inspir-
ing. AS you look upon that magnificent
column stories Of other days and other
lands crowd the memory. You remember
that on the standards they bear so proud
ly are the names Of battlefields in the
old world, and in the new, around which
cluster the most interesting historic as
sociations-battlefields wherein these
regiments have fought-battlefelds each
name of which has become immortal be-
cause 1t localized a story of the endur-
ance, the steadiness and the bravery of
soldiers Of old England.
LOOMS L. Langdon,
Colonel United States Army.
Gibraltar, Jan. Is. 1901.