The sun., 1903-06-03
A Wet Day in Boston.

Company was 265 years old, Monday.
Age has its penalties. Conservative as
this glorious institution is, its venerable
legs have just found a new path, 1t has
given up the old-time custom of hav-
ing parade and exercises at the church
in the forenoon, followed by dinner in
the early afternoon and then return to
Boston Common, where the hogshead
election takes place" The motto of the
Company is that sublime sentiment of
harder headed days: What do we do
before we eat? Drink! Tradition pre-
scribes that each member in good and
regular standing shall take as many
drinks on Ancients' Natal Day as the
Company is years old The Ancients are
not the men to shrink from any load OF
responsibility. They will battle bravely
against overpowering numbers. But
they feel the necessity OF economy Of
effort The glare of the sun in the streets
and on the Common after the dinner was
trying to the eyes grown dim with gaz-
ing on the Parker bar" as TENNYsoN
sang. So the order of ceremonies has
been changed. The parade, exercises
in the Old South and hogshead election
take place in the afternoon. The annual
banquet begins at P. NJ, and high tide
doesn't come before 4 A. NJ.
The salutary effects Of the new ar
rangement are thus set forth by the
TACITUs of the Boston Transcript:
"Contraryt to custom. the Ancents continued in
straight line"
Yet there will be regrets for the vanish
ing of the good old fashion. The straight
line is not the most beautiful thing in
nature or art. The pilgrim in Boston
loves the rambling, shambling, crooked,
fantastic old streets and alleys. AS all
antiuuarans know, these mark the paths
and trails of early Ancients. They were
he first surveyors. Their theodolites
came from Medford, jamaica, Santa
Cruz. They found in Boston a fine,
rolling country. Theyran roads through
it. not with the narrow pedantry Of the
mathematician, but with the imagination
of the poet and the artist Why should
the modern Ancients strive to set the
crooked straight? What praiser Of time
past will not deplore this new departure?
The Ancients should move in their old
easy fashion, in curves, circles, parab-
olas, elipses, in informal centrifugal
movements, in irregular tacks and biases.
in bold free, sudden loops and lurches,
in wild, flaming pinwhees of multicol-
ored uniform, in dips and flutters and
plunges of leg and feather.
But enough of regrets, The COWS that
used to he pastured in front Of the State
House by the Commonwealth Of Massa-
chusetts for the purpose Of contributing
their quota to the milk punch Of the
Ancients are to be seen no longer, save
on few blue Staffordshire plates and
platters. Now the curvilinear afternoon
formation has been given up. Thus
Time keeps swatting Genius. Still, re-
member this Not the cows, but the
Ancients, laid out Boston.
1t is pleasanter to dwell upon another
old custom that survives:
The old method of awakening the members was
carried out this morning by the drum corps In
Generals once, and Lieut.. THOMAS Turr. 1t was
about O'Clock when nine drummers. all Of whom
were members OF tho old First Regiment drum
CORDS under Major CLARK, started out. They began
In Dorchester and gradually worked their way in
town. where they visited the hotels. One OF the
first to he awakened by the reveille was former
Commander FRANK HUCKISs. and then the drum
mcrs made a visit to the home OF Capt. GEoRaR r.
nue. Next they awakened Capt. FRANK STONE in
his RoSbury home and, proceeding down Blue Hill
avenue stopped In front OF the home OF JOHN a. W.
SILVER. who Is 10 become sergeant al to day IS
election. Coming in town, they stopped at Parker
House where were qua artcrcd some OF the members.
Next they proceeded over Beacon Hill to Mount
Vernon street. where they stopped in front OF the
home OF Col. HENRY WALKER, who was In command
Of the Company when 1t made its famous visit to
Europe. few years ago. After awakening Col.
W,LkrR the drummcrS proceeded to the Amc rcan
House thence to the Quincy House and finally to
tho ba tracks at Fancuii Hall. Aterward the drum
mcrs had well earned breakfast"
The felicitously named Lieut.. TUTE
and his fellow artists had beautiful
and poetical task. There is something
OF the minneslnger ana tne trouDadOur
in these matin drummers; and BER-
TRAND DE Born would have loved to be
awakened as Col. HENRY WALKER was
As Mother GOOSE, believed in Boston to
be Bost on woman, sang:
Drummcrs. drummers drumncrS nine,
Under your easement. Captain mine:
Wake you and make you and take you
Cocktails nine. "
In his sermon to the Ancients the Rev
W. H. RIDER spoke justly and calmly of
the great peaceful victories won and to
be won by those ample legionaries
No even, OF recent years has been of greater
International significance than the visit OF the An.
Client and Honorable Artillery Company OF Boston
to the parent organization, the Honourable Artlllery
Company OF London. The enthusiasm aroused by