The Washington critic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1889-1889, 1889-04-09
DEPARTMENT GUARDS.
The Companies That Have been Re
Gently Organized.

Gently Organized.
The clerks and other employees Of the De-
partment OF the Interior and General Post
Office Department, having formed them
selves into military organization and
Joined the National Guard OF the District
Of Columbia, will henceforth be known as
Company A Of the Departmental Battalion.
They assembled at their armory, corner of
Eighth and + streets northwest, last evening,
for drill and other purposes. After dlsposing
ofsome preliminary mattersrelating TO com
pany Affairs they formed for drill The
company numbers seventy-ilve men and is
Differed as follows: j. w. II. Williams,
Postofiice Department, captain; Thomas X.
shepard, Patent Office, first lieutenant;
w. +. McMurray, Postofllce Department,
second lieutenant; j. II. Moore, Sixth Au-
ditor's ONCE, first sergeant These gentle
men are all veterans and served with dis
tinctlon In the late war, having smelt pow
der and felt the tickling sensation Of the
sabre. Captain Williams and Lieutenant
Shepard are both born soldiers and strict
disciplinarians, the latter especially; he has
keen, military eye which none OF his men
can escape.
The drill last night certainly gave evil
dence Of much hard work on the part of
the officers for the short time the organiza
ton has been In existence, and speaks we'll
for the corps In its rapidly attained effici-
ency In drill evolutions aud foot move
ments. with the experience Of the OH
GERS and the maintenance Of strict dis
cipline the company will undoubtedly, In
the near future, become a paragon Of ex-
cellence IN all that pertains to flrstclass
military organization, and, at the same time,
reflect high credit on the National Guard
OF the District, to which II Is attached
The company on Friday night last gave q
Seventh and L streets northwest The hall
was crowded, many OF the elder clerks and
officials Of the Interior and. Postofilce De-
partmeDts being present.
An old comrade, Mr.. Charles Hapsburn,
assisted by Second Sergeant Keech OF Com
pany A, enhanced the campfire to such an
extent in the skillful and unique manner
in which the burning logs were arranged
and the camp Kettle was suspended, to-
gether with the elaborate decorations of
the hail. that II won the admiration Of all
the old veterans present, who unanimously
pronounced II the best arranged Camp
lire" they ever saw. The exercises of the
evening consisted OF recitations, singing,
music, &C. An attractive feature OF the
evening was the fine violinist performance
Of that youthful prodigy, Harry. Durant.
aitci pounNilul supply VI Coitc1 Boih
and beans (which the soldier learned to
appreciate SO we'll during the war; and
other refreshments, the camp, at 10 o'clock,
broke up, the guests leaving with happy
impressions OF the enjoyment DERIVED from
the occasion.
The Interior and Postofice Department
clerks have certainly set good example to
their fellow-clerks In the other Executive
Departments. Each Department should
have a military organization, and be at once
mustered into the National Guard TO aid in
the protection Of their respective Depart
ments and the important archives therein
stored In the event Of a rising Of the turbu-
lent and Anarchist element, which are the
bane of all large and wealthy cities.
The employees Of the Treasury Depart
ment have organized the Treasury Guards.
They now muster about sixty mon. They are
now busily engaged in preparing for their
trip to New York with the Postoffice
Guards to take part In the Centennial pa
rade. They win take about twenty men
and the Postoffice Guards eight files Of four
| They have their headquarters at the Marion
Rifles Armory, corner of Twelfth and Z
streets, and last night held a very creditable
| drill.