The National tribune., 1907-09-19
BRAvEsr ACT SINCE THE WAR.

4 BRAvEST ACT SINCE THE WAR.
Every one in the G. A. r. knows and
admires Lafayette Post. No. 14O, New
York City. They are all comrades of
purest ray serene, and when Lafay-
cite Post turns out In full numbers and
natty uniforms for parade-and it al
ways does turn out strong. whether the
Encampment be in Saratoga or San
Francisco-the success of the parade is
assured. Lafayette Post alone is worth
going very far to see
! There is a fit about those uniforms
that speaks of Fifth Avenue; some
thing about the caps that reveals Stet-
son; a look of owning the earth only
learned on Broadway, and a jaunty SOL
dierliness of carriage that makes a
National Guardsman turn green with
envy and a Regular sigh to catch the
trick.
| Wherever Lafayette Post appears
there is always trouble explaining why,
with such soldiers in the Union Army.
the rebellion lasted as long as it did
While conforming much more closely
than many other large and wealthy
Posts to the strictly regulation Grand
Army uniform. Lafayette Post INDUCES
in the one-Shall we say Vanity"
no; pleasing addition, rather, of white
pantaloons. And such white panta-
looms. No SO cent affairs. marked down
from s1.50. No, sir; not on your Grand
Army badge They are real sartorial
creations-works of art by Breeches
Makers to Her Majesty, or similar high
toned and exclusive snips. They fit
each gallant veteran like his war rec
ord, and sit as becomingly as a nimbus
on the brow of saint. Their lauEder-
| ing is equal to their tailoring. Other
jealous, envious Posts. aspiring to white
pantaloons, have sought by craft and
guile to discover the gifted being who
launders Lafayette Posts pantaloons,
and gives them that op&lescent sheen,
that exquisite set" But the Post
guards that secret even better than it
does the National countersign, and no
one has yet found out.
1t has been alleged that Lafayette
Post borrows coin chests from the Sub
treasury, in which to transmit its white
pantaloons, carefully packed in tissue
paper, to its quarters at the National
Encampment. but this is probably
slanderous invention by some envious
Post unable to reach Lafayette's high
standard as to white pantaloons.
For more than 20 years of sunshiny
parade days; from Portland. Me-, to
San Francisco; from Washington to
Denver; from Indianapolis to Louisville,
Lafayette Posts white pantaloons
have been the modest pride of the Post,
the gonfalon of the Department of New
York, the outspoken admiration of the
ladies, the object of journalistic praise,
and the envy and despair of less for
tunate Posts
The crucial test came at last at Sara
toga, and every one admits that Lafay-
cite Post emerged like gold from the
burning. The morning of the parade
was dark and lowering, with occasional
spits of rain, but nothing could daunt
the seasoned veterans of Lafayette Post.
He who dallies is bastard.
And he who doubts is damned,
muttered they, as they bravely donned
their immaculate pantaloons, and
marched with solid full ranks out over
the muddy streets to the rendezvous.
Being the hosts the Department of
New York took the rear of the column.
The rain began to come down in sheets
as Lafayette Post marched unquailingly
past the assembled veterans to it's place
far on the left. Not an umbrella was
raised not waterproof donned. not a
man finched. not a man fell out,
Not man mutmured,
No one asked the reason why,
as they marched steadily on thru the
binding downpour. There may be
something more uncomfortable than
white pantaloons on a rainy day, but
we do not know what it Is. They
clung around the well-seasoned, but
still shapely, legs of the veteran Lafay-
etters like a ballet girls tights, and
their wet chilliness soaked to their
wearer's marrow. but not a comrade
left his place during the hours of wait
ing When the Posts turn came it
swung promptly into line, dressed its
ranks, and without once breaking step
marched the whole route, saluting as
it passed the reviewing stand, as If pam
falcons that felt like ice packs were its
customary parade gear. Every man
who had fallen in at the sound of
the bugle was in his place when the
parade was dismissed.
There was an absence of the usual
soldierly gibes and jests at the luckless.
Every one said that bringing those
immaculate white pantaloons out into
that storm was the very bravest thing
they had seen since the war
Great is Lafayette Post, and may its
white pantaloons CLEAN in a hundred
coming parades.
STATUE OF SIGEL.