Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-07-24

/ glee OF the mounted men will be more marked
than ever, for they will have opportunities to
| ride past the infantry camps at full gallop.
scattering brilliant yellowish mud for twenty
or thirty feet on each side OF his steaming
| steed. few hours of rain will not, however, do
any material damage. There Is good deal OF
| dust on the neutrality-suspicious. and very
| destructive to fine clothing. 1t is possible to
keep ones cap and blouse fairly clean, but the
soil will spread itself all over the blue trousers
and cause the particularly neat soldier no end OF
| anguish. Generally, the rain is more welcome
| than the sunshine at this time and ii old Jup-
| liter Pluvius will only let up within reason
| able time there will be no grumbling. The
| sprinkling today has not interfered with any Of
| the drills. Rifle practice is the better for it,
a cloudy sky and little rain is all any rifeman
can expect far as meteorological condi-
tions are concerned.
A GREAT DAY FOR THE MILITIA.
Yesterday was the greatest day for the Ma
tional Guard of the United States, so far as
material welfare is concerned, that the volun-
teer forces of the country ever knew. The
local militia is always to be seen by those of
the nations Legislators who are interested
enough to keep their eyes open, but in a gen.
eral way the nations legislators pay but per-
functory attention to the needs of the citizen
soldier. Within the past two or three years
sentiment has changed very considerably on
this matter, but the average Congressman still
knows but little.of the soldierly qualities that
can be found in those are willing to give time
and spend money in preparing themselves for
a contingency that everybody sincerely hopes
will not arise. There are some Congressman
whose stock OF information as to the National
Guard was replenished to such an extent that
they will forever be ashamed of their past ig-
norance, and will endeavor by their good works
TO atone for many congressional misdeeds
most of which will, on investigation. prove to
have been of the anti-appropriative order
M
Gen. Ordway's command at Fort Washington
Yesterday realize that all OF the militiamen of
the United States are not up to the high stand
ard Of excellence which tho local bluecoats
have attained, but they do see what time and
money and perseverance, will accomplish, and
1t may be that they will hereafter become eio-
quent or more eloquent advocates of the svs-
tenn which finds its highest exemplars in the
men Of whom Washington cannot be otherwise
than proud. The idea of an ill-drilled, clumsy
thick-witted play soldier"-the man who
simply wanted to wear fancy uniform-has
been thoroughly knocked out by the soldiers at
Camp Washington. The peoples representa-
tives III Congress saw nearly 1900 men clad in
the severely plain but useful uniforms, pre-
clsely such as are worn by the regular army.
They saw an encampment that and is as
near perfection az anything of the kind can be-
They saw one OF the finest guard mounts ever
put up by soldiers; the exhibition drills they
witnessed were simply superb from military
District soldiers-the dress parade and the
assembling of the colors-was simply beyond
criticism.
THE DISTINGUISHED VISITORS.
The Congressman were not the only individ-
uals interested in the District National Guard
and in the encampment at Fort Washington.
The President of the United States was there
and so were great many other distinguished
gentlemen. or the Presidents official family
hpr
tary Rusk, Secretary Noble and Attorney Gen
eral Miller and Mr.. Z. W. Halford. The army
was represented by Gen. Schofeld. Col. Ernst,
Col. Haines, Capt. Taylor OF the ordnance
Office, Lieut.. Andrews, Capt Smith and Lieut..
Chase of the third artillery and a number of
Others Capt Meade and Lieut.. Dillingham;
were among those who represented the navy,
while Col Haywood and two other officers
represented the marine corps. The civilian
military had large delegation on the ground.
Maryland sent eleven officers, all in full uni
form; Iowa sent Gen. Davis, while Pennsylva-
MIA and New Hampshire also had delegates
present. The congressional representation
was very strong. Speaker Reed was one of the
most interested spectators of the ceremonies.
Senator Hawley chairman of the Senate COM
mttee on military affairs; Gen. ID. Il. Hender-
son. chairman of the House committee on the
militia; Chairman Cannon OF the House COM
mittee on appropriations, Representative
Cutcheon OF Michigan Representative Wheeler
VI Aldpaiui, I.eprebeHtatiNe bOrFoW, ana a
number OF others of the nations lawgivers
were in and around the headquarters building.
The three District Commissioners watched the
entire program from beginning to end.
Among the other 6. resent were Civil Service
Commissioner Lyman, A. n. Hanwill Gen.
Belknap. Hallet kilbourne, DIR. William Tin
dali, j. w. Vogeler, DR.. Smith Townsend, JAS.
NJ. Oyster, james Wiilet, Marshal Ransdcll,
Lieut.. Lucien Young, Lieut.. Brown, Capt. ALA
bagh j. A. Beardsiey, VIM. Gore, John @.
Swartz DIR, Sewers, Ii. II. Smith, Smith Munro,
L. A. Hiscamp.