Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-06-02
MILITARY NOTES.
What the omcers Propose to do

What the Omcer5 Propose to do to iH-
crease Attendance at Weekly Drills.
As the RECORD UNION has frequently
stated, the enlisted men of the National
Guard must be brought to feel that they
derive some personal benefit from being
active members of the force, in order to in
sure their regular attendance at the weekly
drills, and our local companies are no ex-
ception to this rule. 1t is useless to en-
deayor to enthuse men in these "a piping
times of peace" by telling them that as
patriotic citizens they owe their services to
| the State and Nation. They know that the
country is at peace with the world. and
| likely to remain so for some time, and the
! PRO spect of local riot is very remote.
| Many of the officers here who take an act
| i've interest in military affairs realize This,
and have been seeking for some plan that
would awaken the interest of the members
of our local companies, and also of the
young clerks, mechanics and professional
men who are eligible for membership, so
that they can join the National Guard. and
in addition to the benefits derived from the
drill and discipline, feel that they were be-
ing repaid IN some personal way for the
time spent IN the StaIe service, which is
only about one hour per week. in the even
AAtS W hCA II tOCS llOL Win IuelI
business. and an occasional parade on hol-
days. Captain T. B. Hall has been par
ticularly active in endeavoring TO create an
interest and secure a full attendance at
weekly drills, and it is certain that Cap
talns Cook, Seymour, Eisenmenger and
Wlseman will second his efforts, since ii all
tends to build UP the regiment and brigade.
or course Colonies Guthrie and Mckee and
Major Neary, and the brigade and reg
mental stalls will assist in every possible
manner The project now in contempla-
llon, and which will be brought before the
Board of Officers next Monday evening.is to
establish gymnasium in the gun room of
Inc aTmory Tor the use of active military
men only, every night in the week. 1t
Is proposed TO have everything
there usually found in first
class establishment of its kind.
including bells, spring boards, hori
zontal bars, boxing, fencing, ETC., and to
have shower-baths attached where the men
can refresh themselves after exercising
either at drill or IN the gymnasium. 1t is
also intended TO have a competent man in
attendance who will lead in all the games
and keep everything in order. This il is
hoped Will, If carried out properly and on
high plane, interest all so much that thew
will want to avail themselves of its privi-
leges, and, IN order to do so, fully resolve
to attend to their duties in the drill-room
one hour each week, and never failing nm
less for good cause. Captain Hall has al
ready started subscription list in order to
raise the necessary funds to begin with. All
officers will be called upon 10 subscribe,
and after the start is made the companies
should be able to keep it going out of their
quarterly allowance. 1t is of vital i'm.
portance that something be done to create
new interest and secure the attendance of
every man at drills, so that each Captain
Will have fifty or Whereabouts at every
| meeting, and we know of nothing better
| than the plan proposed to accomplish this
much-to- be-desired result
The parade on Memorial Day was very
creditable. Each company turned out
| fairly well in numbers, marched and con-
Quoted themselves well, if we except few
| members of Company A, of whom it is
said that they are more addicted to crack
| ing jokes and "skylarking" generally
when on parade, than attending to their
! marching and keeping steady in the ranks.
| II their own officers cannot control them,
Colonel Guthrie should put those in charge
VINO can. 100 much praise cannot be given
to the Grand Marshal, Major Hubbard. for
! his promptness IN starting the parade. 1t
IS nothing more than we would expect,
though. from this old soldier. The march
| ing statutes were very promptly given, also,
by the various bodies, and hence no time
was lost. Many compliments were given
to the brigade staff for its handsome ap-
pearance. Three of them were unavoid-
ably absent-Major Weinstock, Colonel
Gardner and Captain Long-the latter, we
learn, being knocked OUT of time by his
| charger. Major Birdsall came from
Auburn to be present, and Lieutenant
Plant, of Colonel Guthries staff, came from
Davisville. The Colonel, by the way, has
new war-horse, which promises to be
terror.
July 4th Captain Cook will mount his
battery, no doubt and it will be a feature
of the procession.
J We hear some growing on the part of
the Captains of companies on account of
the amount of work required of them in
the way of making out unnecessary reports,
quarterly returns of property, etc. 1t does
| seem as II the annual muster should be suf-
hclent for property returns, as Captains are
under bonds. Their work should be SIM
| plitied as much as possible, since they are
not paid officers, and have their bread and
butter to earn outside of military lines.
Adjutant- Orion is having the
various blanks changed and simplifed-a
work much needed. He has also made
requisition on the Genera al Government for
enough of the McKeever cartridge-boxes.
belts and bayonet-scabbards TO equip the
| entire National Guard. He expects TO hear
! from it in q week or so.