UNIFORMS AND UNIFORMITY.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 71, 23 March 1912, Page 12

UNIFORMS AND UNIFORMITY.

Visitors to Russia are no longer regaled with the 6ight of freak (remarks a writer in a Home paper). When Frederick Leveson-Gower wont to Moscow in 1866 for the Coronation of Alexander, 11. he noticed "opposite our house, as the procession passed, a regimont called Paulovski, .all the men having turned-up noses, and therefor© resembling him. It seems it wus the fashion to compose regiments of men all having tho same features. Tho late Emperor told recruits off according to their looks. There is one regiment of men all marked with the smallpox. This Paulovski regiment did a thing which ftmused me. Just before the cortege came up they all blew their noses at the word of command. This was in order that none of them might sneeze "when Che Emperor passed, as their doing so would bring him bad luck." As to recruiting, a jolly expedient was adopted by an army c&ptahi in India. A powerfully-built man and good athlete, he found in an appeal to the spoiling in&tincfo of the Sikhs a way ot filling up his regiment. Arrived at a' district, Ijg would ' challenge al l and - sundry to wrestle for a stake which 'included enlistment if hie opponent lost. This plan not only won recruits, but recruits of the right sort, sinco only the fit and athletic ventured to try conclusions with the burly Englishman.