Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1884-10-25
LOCAL MATTERS.

u
Club at p. m. at their rooms, on Fairfax
street
LOCAL MATTERS
For the Middle Atlantic States, generally
fair weather, except preceded in extreme
northern portion by light local rains with
occasional SHOWS, and partly cloudy wealth
er: southwest to northwest winds becom-
ing variable, stationary temperature IN
southern portion, lower temperature anu
higher barometer in northern portion. tor
Sunday, continued cool and generally fair
weather is indicated.
THEA.L.I. las stated in the telegraphlc
column in yesterdays GAZETTE, the a. j.
|. took the S4QO prize at the Richmond
Fair. This was the only company that en-.
tered the list, the others having Witnessed
their proficiency. The judges decided that
the company would have to make 80 out OF
100 to win The prize. The company was
REQUIRED to 90 through the fifty. one move
men,s in thirty minutes. They began at
ten minutes past IL O'Clock and flushed in
twanty-nine and half minutes, and scored
y2 out of 100. The various movements
were executed with promptness and precl-
sion. and it was conceded by military men
present that this company is one of the bess
drilled in the State.
The Company returned home last night
and were met at the depot by their friends,
bearing torches and headed by brass band
who gave them a royal reception. Ihey
marched to there armory amid a shower OF
fire works and their received the congratu.
!ations of many citizens. 1t was not learned
till a late hour that the company was TO re-
turn last night, but as soon as 1t was known,
their friends began making arrangements
lor their reception and If they had ha'
weeks to prepare they could not have gwen
them a more brilliant or heartier one.
The fire works which lit their line OF march
were beautiful and Illuminated the whole
c;ty After breaking ranks at their armory,
nv invitation of Mr.. Louis Brill, jr., the
company proceeded TO the Opera House
restaurant where they were handsomely
and most Hospitality entertained. Here a
pleasant time was spent in teastlng, speech
making. &C., and at late hour the company
dsbanded.
In an interview with our reporter day,
Can't Mushbach stately at he regretted TO
note the prevalent sentiment in this city,
that the Alexandria and Washington com.
nanies had been in some way cheated out OF
The first days prizes. The fact is that they
Iost them. not because of inferior drilling or
of unfair practice on the part OF the mana
yers or the Judges, but because of misun-
Outstanding of the meaning of the rules gov
erning the contest. The judges were ap.
narentIy capable and unbiased, and their
scoring of the movements was in the main
correct. the only serious mistake they made
was in the cage Of Company g., OF Richmond,
which executed the command to lire lying
down." with their pieces at carry, aud. II
is reported that two Of the judges, not
noticing the error, scored it as out OF a pos
sible 10. while the other judge very properly
marked it zero. Capt. Mush bach, and Capt.
Ross, of the W. i. l., construed the pro-
cramme to mean that the company which IN
80 minutes executed most perfectly and with
tactical promptness the greatest number OF
movements in the order prescribed, Wouln
win the first prize, but II appears tnal
crowdng the entire 81 movements ID tne
space of so minutes, though none of them
were done well, was the main thing TO De
ACCOMPLISHED, and was of more Importance
than even absolute perfection in less num-
Der of movements done with reasonable
rapidity. The Richmond captains knew
this and hence the result. No company
on earth can do itself justice in attempting
to execute legerdemain programme such
as this in such time. The captain VINO
attempts it must 60 through it at break.
neck speed, begin another movement almost
before another one is completed, ana trust
TO luck as to the alignment OF his men ana
the condition Of the ground and the matter
of space at the time the movement IS order
ed 1t was conceded by number OF the
military men present and spectators that
the SO movements of the A. l.. |. on the hrst
day were superior to the same 50 move
ments of the other companies, one OF the
Judges scoring them as making 81 out OF a
possible $50, but the construction gwen 10
the rules was such that if the A. l.. l. had
scored 10 Oh every one of the 80 movements,
or $50. or perfection itself, it had to oe
divided by 81, thus giving an average OF
624-51 out of a possible 10, while if another
company went through so movements anu
scored but on each, they would get an
average OF 6.44-5l out of possible 10, and
thus company that was perfect IN nothing
would beat the company that was perfect
in everything it did On the second day,
lust before the $500 com petition commenced,
the other companies which had entered for
it. backed out, and left the A. l.. !. as the
only entry. and General WlrEham, lres'-
dent of the state Fair, agreed 10 give the
300 to them if they would beat ootn tune
and so out possible 100. Iae aie9anarla q
BOYS went il on those terms, anu nnlsheu
the entire programme in %! minutes anu
made IS out of possible IOo, "hicn tney
could have done on the first DAY mao :, Tue
rules been clearly understood. Inc walker
Light Guard, which won the 81 wy on tne
fist day, did it on SO out of possible lOo
All the Alexandria boys speak in the high
est terms of the courteous treatment tney
nno.;,,.a :, p;obn,ond p.rticularlv from the