The sun., 1908-03-08

KNICKERBOCKER GRAYS DRILL
WITH MARITAL POMP.
This Twice a Week IN the SeventhS
ArmOry-Nurse Girls Take the Bud-
ding Soldiers IIOme-SOme YOunS.
stcrs Badly In Need OF Discipline.


ArmOry-Nurse Girls Take the Bod
ding Soldiers HOme-SOme Young.
Stcrs Badly In Need OF Discipline.
To the music OF fife. drum and the like
the fearless Knickerbocker Grays went
through their evolutions and then broke
ranks. The soldier boys swarmed down
the steps Of the Seventh Regiment armory
and made for the entrance hall.
There most of them turned over their
guns and accoutrements to Nursie, who
stood patiently waiting with Master Harolds
coat or Master Ralph overshoes or some
thing Of the kind. in order TO wrap UP the
young hero 80 that on the way home a
young defender Of his country might not
take serious cold. In some cases the
prospective defender Of his native land
stepped from the sidewalk into an auto
mobile and was carried on.
That is a partial description Of the scene
in the armory that the visitor Of a Tuesday
or Friday gets used to. The Knicker-
booker Grays number about i7S in all.
They are the children of wealthy families
who live in the neighborhood, and they take
the drill as a means Of physical exercise
primarily.
Perhaps in the fulness OF time they will
sport the larger gray OF the Seventh Regi
ment itself as genuine heroes. But they
are not, as one visitor supposed. the children
or relatives Of members Of the Seventh.
The company has the approval Of the
regiment to the extent that the armory
may be used for the drill purposes Of the
Grays. AS one man explained. most Of the
hardy heroes of the Seventh aren't exactly
old enough to boast OF children varying in
ages from 8 to H. as the Grays are.
1t is an inspiring sight TO see the Grays
approaching the armory to engage in their
martial performances. In most cases the
gun. which is not a really. truly Spring.
field, Lee-Metford. Martini Henry or Krag-
Joruensen rife. but what would be brutally
called a toy gun by some folks, is entrusted
to the tender care of Nursie. II the lad is
OF musical turn and music finds its ex-
preston in drum or bugle. Nurse carries
that usually.
Tho hero in the colder winter days Is
warmly done up in his cloak. and oil that
shows Of his military gaTb is the small.
round gray cap which marks the company.
The rest of the uniform is gray jacket and
knickerbockers. Hence the name?
Or. POSSIBLY. the name comes from the
fact that the pride Of the KnickerboCker
families is here displayed. At any event
the soldiers gather in irregular formation
on the two afternoons mentioned in tho
winter weeks to do their little bit for home
defence.
Some of these young soldiers are a little
too much accustomed to having their own
way to submit to taking orders. In fact
come OF them occasionally are very in
subordinate.
An employee of the armory one day was
at the door when one soldier came in with
his female coadjutOr in home defence. The
soldier laddie removed his rIbbers and
threw them on the floor. Then he took
Of his coat and handed it TO Nursie. He
turned to the employee and said
Take those rubbers and put them away
with my coat
Then when the employee made. no move
to obey he stamped his foot angrily and
shrilled: Don't you hear me2 Why don't
you obey?'
The man very promptly told him that
he was an employee Of the armoTy end not
Of the boy and that he wasn't going TO do
what he wasn't expected to do. especially
when the request was made in that way.
Nurse added her voice to the lads and
the result was a letter of complaint from
the boys parents TO the commanding
officer Of the regiment The employee
still is working in the aTmOry.
OF course. not all the boys are az rude
as that. or there would be small chance Of
real discipline in the company. As a mat
ter of fact the lads get a chance to do some
good physical exercise, which might be
better for them If they didn't have to be
accompanied about by their nurses.
The incongruity OF the martial pursuit
and the female attendant apparently never
has struck either the parents or the persons
in the regiment who see them drill. It's a
good deal like that old Dickens story about
the bachelor viewing a small and red faced
nephew almost brand new.
"Why do they have such long clothesg"
he asked the nurse.
The idea! You wouldn't have them
wear short clothes. would you, the poor
little dears?" demanded the nurse in shock ed
tones.
Some one lSed why the lads had TO have
their guardians along when they went to
drill
"You wouldn't have them come here
without their nurses. would you?" was the
answer, New England fashion.
And 80 as long as Capt. Hoyt and Lieut.
Crockett continue to drill the KniokerbOcker
| Grays it is to he expected that the nurse
brigade will do it's evolutions outside the drill
floor waiting for the heroes who are being
trained in the art OF home defence in tho
Sevonths martial halls.
NEW RING ABOUT saturn.
EuInt ZoDe ntscOyered nv French AktrOnO.