Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-05-31
Thn NATIONAL GUARD CAMP.
Preparations in Progress Now at Fort
Washington.

TAB NATIONAL GUARD CAMP.
Preparations In Progress Now at Fort
Washington.
ufYRoyruKSrs ALREADY MApK-THE FEET OIL
rHE oUAlp.nES TO zAvE ASPHALT TO wALI
sS-AnRAyeEnKSTs foR TIE COFFEE AM
vAIEn SUPPLY.
The silence OF Fort Washington will soon b,
broken by the men who will next week begir
the preparations for the National Guard cam D.
Tuesday force Of horny handed toilers viii
inaugurste the annual spring cleaning
on the reservation by commencing the
construction Of new road over
which the cavalry and artillery boys
will Lead or ride their horses to water. This
road will be down the ravine that partially d.
vides brigade headquarters from the first regi-
ment camp. At the foot OF the hill there is a
good pebbly beach. This road ought to be
welcomed by the infantry, for now the mounted
men will have no excuse for riding down the
main road to water, thus cutting
up the muddy highway so as TO make IL aim Ost
useless for the pedestrian.
Wednesday work will be commenced on the
rife range. Six electric targets will be put up
and are intended for regular use during the
encampment period. should anything occur
TO damage the self markers their places can in
stantly be taken by six Laidey or regulation
revolving targets.
Within the fort many alterations and i'm
provements are to be made. An additional
mess shed will be erected for the exclusive use
OF guard details, so that the regular meals and
the arrangements therefor may not be dis
turbed.
COFFEE WATER AND SUCH.
Lovers of coffee and soup will be delighted
70 know that their taste is to be catered TO on
an extensive scale. Six huge cauldrons-each
Of them with a capacity Of ninety gallons-has
been ordered and will within few days be
put in their respective places. The supply Of
liquids at meals will be fully equal to the de-
mand.
There will be no lack Of water. On the RAM
parts two enormous tanks are to be built and
these receptacles will be Kept full Of Potomac
VAR all the time. the water being forced up
through pipes by the United States fish COM
mission steam pump at the wharf. There was
Q pump there last year. and il endeav0red very
brsvely to keep the kitchen supplied, but there
were times when the job was too large for il.
This year there is new pump twice as pow
srful as its predecessor.
Last year the brigade got it's drinking water
out of company coolers but the plan did not
work well. One company would surrepti-
tiously steal ice from another and then twenty
or thirty iceless men would go wandering
around Win tnelr tongues hanging ont, DeSSiHg
for little water with which to quench their
thirst. Sometimes the would-be ice thieves
were discovered and then ensued a struggle in
which the invaders would cover their retreat
by upsetting the ''cooler."
The man who wants drinking water during
the coming encampment will find il at the
headquarters of his battalion. Gigantic cool
ers are now being made so that there Will be
plenty of water TO mix with and adulterate the
medicine which so many will take with them
from the city. These battalion coolers will be
kept constantly filed from q water cart, which
il TO be fair specimen Of perpetual motion.
SIDEWALK.
Where was the soldier or civilian last year
that did not wish either for wings or a sidewalk
less than six inches deep; off the roadway it
was sometimes better, sometimes worse. A
cheap and practice ally indestructible walk will
be ready for the visitors before July 81
puts in an appearance. Gen. Ordway puzzled
over the matter for quite long while before
he made the discovery that the District Com
missioners had on their official hands an enor-
NOUS quantity Of asphalt that was Of no value;
il was the old surface of Pennsylvania. The
Commissioners said TO the general that he
might take all he wanted and the general has
taken enough to lay a footway four feet wide
throughout the entire length Of the camp. 1t
will be q sort of coiorless mosaic, and not too
lively dry, and that il all to be expected Of any
side walk
Sidewalks and street lamps are closely related
to each other in the municipal family. There
will be street lamps in camp. A row of gaso-
line iIlumihators will follow the sidewalk from
the wharf to the furthest limits Of camp. There
will be no street cars this year.
plentiful supply Of horses and carts has
been contracted for This will obviate the ne
oessity Of having the entire quartermaster de-
IalI ,rrt,
land in search Of a team or two to haul mate
nal and stores.
SUPPER IN THE TENTS.
Gen. Ordwsy and his commssary officers are
sonsidering a suggestion offered by the former
few days ago. II is to distribute supper to
the brigade instead OF having the command
march down to the mess shods. To aecommo-
d tie the great crowd Of visitors dress parade
b IS to take place at $50 pm, and supper
must necessarily follow. Now. when the wives,
mothers, sisters and sweethearts of the boys
in blue visit camp the boys aforementioned
want 70 show them q little attention. Last
year a man either had to neglect his callers or
lose his supper. The general wants to have
this condition changed, 50 he Is endesvoring to
have matters SO arranged that the supper for
. company will be delivered on large trays to
each company commander. IL this is done the
sisters and cousins and aunts" can be prop
erly escorted to the wharf when the time comes
for them TO leave.
IMPROVEMENTS ALREADY MADE.
Gen. Ordway and Col. Long were down at
camp on Thursday for the purpose of planning
work for the force Of lsborers which will be
there next week. They found several improve
ments. The wharf has been entirely rebuilt,
sound squared timber having taken the
place Of the rotten logs. Every
thing that Colonel Mcdonald, the
United States fsh commissioner, could
do TO improve matters had been or was
being done. The guardsmen all around de-
clare the commissioner a trump. whatever that
il. The latest kindness was the proffer to Gen
Ordwsy Of the commissions steam launch for
use during the encampment. The President
approved Col. McDonsid's action. so if Gen.
Ordway wants to communicate with the city at
any hour OF the day night he will have
speedy craft At hand.
The Secretary Of War is also coming in for
q good deal of hearty commentator from the
National Guardsmen these days He has ap-
proved the acquisitions for material to COM
plete the equipment of the guard, the mess
outfit and such matters. He has been very
liberal and displays great interest in all mat
tiers pertaining TO the local military.