Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1901-08-05
THE ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS"
Latest Device to Secure Volunteers
for the English Army.

l trust that a short sketch of this
latest method for obtaining recruits
may not be without interest. 1t Was
so evident that the pessimism OF
many persons as to the army being a
suitable career sprang from ignorance
that it occurred to the writer that
this ignorance might be dispelled II
animated photography were employed
to show the actual life of a soldier.
The War officer authorities testified
their willingness to forward the
scheme in every way and gave the
needful letters of introduction and
authority in order that photographs
might be secured.
Starting with the raw material at
ST. Georges barracks and proceeding
to Hounslow, Aldershot and other
depots, a large number of photo
graphs we're secured, showing our
soldiers both at work and at play, III
the gymnasium and in the reading
room, reclining at ease surrounded by
their pets or engaged in those sterner
exercises which would stand them IN
good stead in the grim earnest Of war.
Left, however, to the mere civilian,
even these pictures would have
probably been incoherent and
scrappy, and once again the ex-
perience of those in authority proved
of the utmost value. Various pre-
liminary shows were given, and at
each Of these General Borrett, in
spector-general of recruiting, attend
ed, and, although much pressed with
his own peculiar work, gave many
valuable suggestions and detailed a
sequence in the order of the pictures
which rendered what would otherwise
have been but a pretty picture show
into a well-ordered and thought-out
life of a soldier
The "recruitograph'' was ready to
go on tour. After consultation with
the colonies commanding the districts
it was decided to take Satffordshire
and Worcestershire for the initial
visit, and one cold night in March.
the snow hurrying down as though to
grace our opening venture, to an
audience composed of hard-headed
Midlanders, with much fear and
trembling as to our reception. we
gave our first public performance
It was a success. From the chilly
applause that greeted us as strangers
the enthusiasm gradually grew, until,
as one traced the career of the raw
recruit, his physical drill and gym
fTsno q
member of the infantry, now as an
engineer engaged in escalading or at
redoubt exercise, or again as mounted
infantry, and saw him engaged in
trench digging; or, suddenly chang
ing the scene, we come upon him in
dulging in camp sports or in prepar-
ing his breakfast-we found our
audience gradually becoming more
and more interested.
Then we assumed our recruit had
elected to join the cavalry, and a
splendid gallop past was greeted with
rousing cheers. Various types of
cavalrymen were thrown upon the
jumping and racing were shown to
the audience; and then, introduced
by a picture of General Gordon, the
royal artillery were depicted in
various exercises, and members of
the Army Service Corps were intro
duced and endued with life by the
animated pictures.
Our volunteers and colonial troops
we're shown, always to the accompani-
ment of the heartiest cheers, and
then, other titles being merged into
that of Soldiers of the King" we
saw them all "out on active service
wiping something off a slate" and
wound up with an appeal to those
present who could so do to join the
army.
In all we gave 25 lectures during
the initial tour. Lichf1eld, Burton-on-