The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-06-21
THE CENTENNIAL.
Facts and Incidents On and About the
Grounds. IT.

OA~~So ~o~A~OAAAAA~SA
Grounds, I espied a member of the
Centennial guard, whose face indicat-
ed that he could answer civil ques.
ton in a polite way, and fell into con:
versation with him upon the organiza-
ton Of the body to which he belonged.
Finding me really in quest of bottom
facts, he referred me to the COM
handing officers. Col. Clay and Major
Alberger. The former was absent from
his office, but the handsome Major
was found at home, and from him I
CLEANED many interesting facts.
This guard does the police duty on
the grounds of the Exhibition, and, as
near as may be under the civil law, is
organized in true military style. Per-
haps an idea of it's magnitude and i'm
portance can be obtained from the
statement that it consists of one COL
onel, one major. seven captains, fifteen
lieutenants, and one Thousand and fif-
ty-three non-commissioned officers and
privates. It embraces about thirty
experienced American detectives, and,
in addition to that, has connected with
it corps of detectives supplied by the
English French and Italian govern
ments. Over three hundred men are
on duty all the time, changing off by
reliefs as is done in the army on guard
duty. This may be a singular COM
mentary upon the people who visit the
Exhibition, but it is found to be quite
necessary, and SO efficient is this force
and so watchful, that of the hundreds
of instances where thefts have taken
place and been reported, 50 far they
have failed but in two instances to re-
cover the stolen property. Among the
privates are many men of education
and refinement, and all are intelligent
and well-behaved. One of the pri-
Yates speaks thirty-two languages and
formerly held the rank of Major Gen.
eral in the Cuban army.
OF course many laughable incidents
come under the observation of this
force. While Major Alberger was re-
cruiting his men, it was suggested to
him that a drummer would be good
thing to have in camp, and he accord
ingly sent his men among the candi-
dates awaiting examination to get one.
A jolly-lOoking fellow was brought in
to the room, and replied to the Majors
question that he had been a drummer
for the last five years.
'Do you thoroughly understand
drumming?' asked the major.
"Why, certainly I do!' replied the
man.
''Where and under what circum-
stances have you been drumming for
the last five years :" added the Major.
"Oh!" replied the man, through
the Western States. I have been drum
ming for large dry goods house -
As that was not the exact kind of
drummer he wanted, the man had to
take a position as private.
One very well dressed and respecta-
BILE looking woman, with year-old
infant in her arms, entered the gate
one day, and walking up to one of the
guards, handed him the baby, asking
him to hold it for her few minutes
till she came back. He held it, and
kept on holding it, and would have
held it till this time, presume, if it
had not been sent to some asylum by
his commanding officer.
The detective part of the force is
constantly on the lookout for thieves
and pick-pockets, many of whom are
well known to all the experienced de.
tectives. Not long since, a lady had
her gold watch cut and stolen in the
Main Building, and did not notice it
until one of the guards called attention
to the hanging piece of chain. As was
his duty. the guard Immediately re-
ported the case to Head Quarters, and
the detectives were stationed at the
various gates or turnstiles to catch the
thief. In less than an hour one of
them saw notorious pick.pocket pass
ing out, whom he tapped on the shout
der, saying: "Here, give me that
watch with the piece of chain hanging
to it, Without a word the thief
handed over the watch. He was then
taken before the Philadelphia ellis
Honor. and, with the aid of the Cen.
tennial "Bijah,' obtained board at
public expense for three years. ~-s-~~.
Apropos of the police court, two no.
torious Italian pick-pockets were seen
by one of the guard attempting to pick
a lady's pocket and were arrested.
when they protested their innocence
in very good English. The next
morning before the magistrate they
could neither understand nor speak a
word of English, and two more stupid
looking men than they. appeared to be,
during the examination, could not be
found. The judge seemed to think
that the evidence was not very strong
against them, and that a mistake had
been made in arresting couple of un-
fortunate foreigners who did not i'm
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