Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-07-25

| n ~ active than it has been
| SG at the same time on
previous days. Gray
dawn showed q few
open tents, before which paced weary lot of
sentinels, whose principal protection against
| the excessive moisture was rubber blanket
| apiece.
The road from the wharf was a couple Of
inches deep in mud, and as soon as traffic COM
menced in the company streets the inner camp
grounds were but little better. The utmost
good humor prevailed although the men saw
| nothing before them but a day under wet
| canvas.
There was an odd-looking column when the
| regiments were formed for breakfast and the
march down to the mess sheds was more than
| ordinarily silent. The weather was not calcu-
| lated to make men hilarious.
BREAKFAST WITHOUT COFFEE.
Breakfast was something of a disappoint-
ment, for there was nc coffee. When the range
on which the coffee-boiler is was set in place it
was given for a foundation but one course of
brick. Through this the intense heat
speedily penetrated and as result
the wooden flooring was set on fire.
This first occurred yesterday, but it was tenn
porarily doctored up. This morning the con-
fiagration was more serious, and as a result the
meal was served without coffee. When it be-
came understood as to how the menu had been
shortened nobody growled; it was
be foreseen. Assistant Quartermaster General
Parmenter came forward soon after breakfast
with a substitute system, which will be put into
operation If the range is not ready for use this
afternoon. His proposition was one which
only an old soldier would have thought of. To-
night there will be coffee galore if it has to be
boiled in complexities over camp-fires
DRILLS OFF FOR THE DAY, BUT SHOOTING
GOES ON.
Toward noon the rain stopped, but the clouds
threatened to renew their showery proceed
ings, so it became generally understood that
drill of any and all descriptions was off for the
day. Inspector James Z. Bell, however,
insisted on rife practice and he had a number
of squads down at the range soon as
the rain ceased to fall The first fourth and
fifth battalions have had their ''go" at the
target and this afternoon orders are out for the
seventh and eighth to 90 down to the wharf and
show the inspector what they know about prac-
teal work with the Springfields.
The shooting. so far has been of a very low
grade indeed, and there are many theories as
to the whyfore. The range is 200 yards, and
the scores have been SO universally UNDER
ground that they will not be made public.
Most of the rifemen blame the target. A rifle
man always does that when his shooting is DOOR
Acting Inspector of Rifle Practice Bell said this
morning that the principle upon which the
Ullman electric target was made was all right,
but that the construction of the one in use at
the fort was somewhat faulty. The scores
| would naturally, he said, be lower than on the
| regulation target because when shot struck
on the line between 8 and and the
greater force of this missile fell on
plate the indicator would mark 8.
Under the old system the marksman would
have been allowed four. The target will be
a few chances at it-and the general impress
| sion seems to be that when properly constructed
it will be adopted by the government.
SATISFACTORY RESULTS OF THE ENCAMPMENT.
That camp life has been beneficial to the Dis
trict militia in at least military sense is no
| longer question for discussion. When the
troops arrived but few of them realized what
was before them. The first battalion
of the first regiment and the veteran
company of the third battalion were tolerably
well posted, but the great majority were en-
tirely green. Three days at Camp Ordway
have demonstrated very clearly that the mil
itiamen were anxious to learn the art of war SO
far as it could be taught under the present cir
| cumstances. Accommodating officer thinks he has
| accomplished great deal when his men show
a willingness to receive instruction, but when
the soldiers display an anxiety to learn then he
| has a command to be proud of. The voluntary
manner in which everything is done surprises
not few OF the observing visitors. They
see privates and non-commissioned officers
who are in very many instances the social
equals and perhaps superiors of the officers sa-
lutte as promptly and as properly would
regular soldier. Everything moves like clock
work and an hours walk through the encamp-
ment will hardly reveal single kicker"
HOW VISITORS WERE IMPRESSED.
To visitors the camp is really wonder-a
revelation. When the last Congress expired,
after giving the militia status but no appro-
priation, some few pessimists predicted the de-
crease of the District national guard as soon
as summer came. If the organization had
been commanded by some other officer
than Gen. Ordway that dismal pre-
diction might have become true.
but the general is, why-the general He saw
at once the danger that threatened. and although
many of his military friends thought it would
be better to postpone the camp until there was
| an appropriation to pay for it, he came to what
seems to be the wiser conclusion and decided to
have the camp. 1t was absolutely necessary.
To have gone through the summer without
such a demonstration would be to hold the
guard in suspense for whole year and in that
time it would undoubtedly lose ground The
camp had to be, even. as the general himself
expressed it, 'if it took the shirt off my back"
IN LOVE WITH THE CAMP.
| Measured by the mems own standard, the
camp is perfectly satisfactory Men who came
down to stay but three days have voluntarily.
| joyfully declared it to be their intention
| to stay until the flag comes down
on Monday morning. They are in love
with TIE camp and have developed an
| open affection for Gen. Ordway. For this con-
dition of affairs the general himself is to blame
| When reveille sounds he mounts his horse and
| rides through the camp to the fort and there
he remains until both regiments have eaten
| breakfast. His vision seems 20 know no limit
| and the most minute details are watched
| over with caref-lness and assiduity that are
really wonderful. When the men know that
| the genscal sees to it that they are properly
| fed before he breaks his own fast they
cannot help liking and admring him. At din
| ner time it is the same; the general leaves
| the parade ground as soon as the dress parade
is dismissed, drops his belts, sword and gloves.
and rides down to the fort again. He cannot
help being popular.
| WHISTLE SIGNALS FOR sKIRMIsH DRILLS
are a decided success. As Gen. Ordway says:
"Bugles or drums require trained musicians
A whistle can be blown by any one, can be
| heard at great distance and is
easily carrisd-hence it is conven-
| lent instrument for signals" Captain
Domer's company tried it yesterday and it
worked vsry smoothly. The system is good
one and very easy to learn. 1t was devised by
Lieut. Col Thomas +. Edmonds, who. during
the late war was lieutenant colonel
of the twenty-fourth Massachusetts, in
fantry (Gen- Ordway's old regmenD and is now
lieutenant colonel Of the first corps cadets,
Massachusetts, volunteer militia. The whistle
manual has been edited and reconstructed by