New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-11-29
Thousands Greet 1913
Guardsmen from Ferry
TO Armory
FIFTH AVE. SHINES
WITH FLAG WELCOME
Flies Shrill Defiance to
million Greasers," Which
Marchers Back Up

The old-fashioned citizen who used
I to sniff and mutter something about
I HUH Dudesl" whenever the 18th Regi-
ment was mentioned was observed
shortly after noon yesterday in Fifth
Avenue. His hat was Off, and he was
making himself distinctly audible above
the blare of two bands and the shrill
and rumble Of fife and drum corps.
Ten hundred and seventy-three lean
and bronred men, who looked as II they
could cause a great deal Of trouble
for any ten hundred and seventy-three
wild cats who attempted to block then
way-trouble even to the point Of
hurry call for the S. P. c. A.-were
swinging up the avenue.
Step Out to Field Music
The brass bands sppertained TO a
large body Of civilians, marching with
a remarkable degree Of military pre-
cision for all their assorted attire. who
led the way north. IL was TO the field
music that the men IN khaki kept step.
To ears accustomed to the peculiar eff
fects obtainable by the skilled fifer the
melody Of "The Jolly Soph" was distin-
guishable.
For that tune the 7th has It's own
words. They 90 like this:
Because we act like gentlemen and dress up
on parade,
They say that we are Johnny boys and that
we are afraid.
But let million Greasers out who really
want 70 night
And wen prove 10 you when we get through
That we can trim tnsm right.
But there wasn't any dressing up on
parade for the 7th as in company front
it swept past the Union League Club
and the stand ia which were Governor
Whitman and the rest Of the reviewing
officials. The snowy gray uniforms lay
very far behind-as far as from New
York TO McAllen, Tex, and back again.
No Glitter-Just Strength
The silk stocking was a woollen sock.
Campaign hats, ingrained with alkali
dust and baked into fantastic shapes by
the Texas sun, adorned the heads above
which pompoms used to bob. The
former shiny patent leather harness
was blanket roll that didn't shine at
ala blanket roll heavy with burden
of dog tent and mess kit and extra
Z-width shoes.
Except around the reviewing stand
there wasn't any great outbreak Of
boisterous enthusiasm to welcome the
7th home. The crowd which turned out
-.
large as that whose yells sped the regi-
ment-the first unit Of the state Ma
tional Guard division 10 receive march
ing orders-on its way to the border.
But the mood Of the spectators was
different.
Five months ago, as the 7th started
South, half equipped and wholly unfit
FOR the gruelling of campaign in sum-
mer Mexico il had seemed almost GER
tain that there would be fighting. The
men themselves expected no less. Their
going was a sort of parade. Their step
was buoyant. Through a rosy glow they
could see Pancho Villa in fight and
Carrsnza dismounted from his high
diplomatic horse.
Duty Left No Illusions
In the minds Of those who saw the
7th of was the same picture.
The men who came back had no more
Illusions. They had done their duty,
not by battling, but BY fitting them
selves for battle If an ounce of the
( thousands Of pounds Of loose flesh they
took away was left, it did not show.
AS they quick-stepped through Twenty
/ third Street from the Pennsylvania
/ ferry and up Fifth Avenue to the ar
mory they were not militiamen on pa
/ rsde; they were trained soldiers going
somewhere and bent on getting there in
! the shortest possible time, as soldiers
are taught to do.
They we're soldiers, too. with serious
things to think about. In immediate
| prospect were the thousands Of mothers
and wives and sweethearts gathered at
: the armory, the loved ones who had
done an equally hard tour of watchful
waiting at home.
Many Face Big Problems
For great many OF the men in the