New-York tribune., 1907-10-09
OLD GUARD TN A RAGE
Fierce and Furious Because Of C7tI-
cism Of .1rmOry Request.

IT is absurd 20 consider the OLD Guard as in
any true sense q military organization. Army
and Navy Journal
Highballs hu-tleG through tho air yesterday in
the place the garage occupied as training
quarters by the venerable Ola Guard. Belts nearly
burst and r1ustaches bristed Unul even wine
agents tremSled. the veterans Of many an en-
counter with the cohorts Of tie Ancient and Hon
durable Artillery Company of Boston. the Honour
able Artillery Companv OF London, the Albany Bur
gesses, The Putnam Pha,anH. the Philadelphia
Crays. and other :ar-famed trenoGermen whis-
pered each other the news. They were not
soldiers II was told b. foarEng lips into uncar-
mined ear- Aporictic -u.nb!incs greeted the
whispered word that w.,cn compared with c mill
tary organization. the Ola Guard was only bur
lesq1e Shades OF Leonidas and Joe Bush, Ahas
the Army and Nay Journal" that dared to say
such thing, Then through each glass the heaTy
brigade read tie words that set every
shake trembling:
We are Informed that . formal application has
been sent 10 the Mayor of New York City from
the Old Guard TO provide an armory for ii al the
expense Of the city II is hoped that such a propo-
sit.on may pexe- seriously be considered. and It
would certainly be outrage to spend public money
Epon an organization that is no part Of the
National Guard and is neither useful nor orna-
mental IL gives nan once d year "rlch aI9res
guests ample opportunity pay eXtravagant prices
other social functions It also manages to ring IN
as escort 10 high funcuonaries OCCASIONALLY in
military parades and usurpS = function that right
'rhe Old Guard has absoIlItelv no claim on the
city and Is simply organization for social pur-
poses When compared with a military organiza-
right 10 apply to the city to build an arnlory for
- have all the TARGET companies that parade
absurd 10 consider the Old Guard as in any true
sense Z military organization.
Major Charles \ Stadler was at home yesterday,
prostrated. Whether his illness preceded the read
ing Of this weeks journal, followed it, could
not be learned. He expects 10 be at his Office to-
day. however.
-'shiver my shako' he sent down word the
Old Guard assailedl Next they VIII say that
49, Hector and Lysander
And such great men as these"
were not heroes-were not real sOldiers-only the
Old Guard of their times. Great long suffering
Mars Here the nurse cut short the statement.
Undismayed by the storm within and without.
Captain Gross held the armory over the garage
without a tremor, galantly holding out against
the assaults the press upon that ancient instu-
ton Above him the framed motto of the legion:
THE Old Guard drinks but never treats
Not ornamental?" he demanded with indigna-
1ion. Gould any not sturdy trencher man and
a rollickng blade of sixty or thereabouts have
carried much gold lace last Memorial Day?
Could any youthful spark have carried such loads
as we did in so debonair and gallant style? Look
at our shakoes. what numbers of las-I mean pro-
visions they could hold? And they say are not
ornamental" And Captain Gross shook his head
in surprise at ungrateful city which could not
provide a building and land enough TO house the
gold lace the shaloes and the dozen real muskets
which comprise The Old Guard.
The Old Guard is just legitimate and real a
military body as the 18th Regiment" declared Cap
tain Gross. THE courts decided that two years
ago Now We don't want anything much. Just an
armory and the site from the city. Wed pay for
the rest Useful? OF course the regulars and those
other fellows jealous of our appearance. That's
the whole secret. Do YOU think we would have
gone down to jamestown like those Squadron
fellows with only yard and half Of gold lace
in a hundred men? Not much. And then this
paper says We are in the class with the
-, flEa
Target Company. Oh shame, shame on them
The Old Guard has got get out of its present
quarters because the lease runs out pretty soon
The Guard members say that ii is just liable
10 military service the fighting Steenth and
that the Guard will die before it surrenders its
hone of an arrnOry.