Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-08-20

\
cA( there is more than =
W. little difference between
shooting in practice and match work. but rs the
twelve highest scores on last Thursdays cards
were made by men who have frequently entered
into serious competition with other expert rife
men it is not unreasonable to suppose that
equally satisfactory results might be looked for
under the most stringent match conditions. In
one thing only was Thursday practice deficient,
and a. tina, one thing is OF vital Importance
some stress may be laid upon it now. 1t was
the absence Of four Of the men detailed for duty
as members of the eighteen from which the
shooting twelve will ultimately be selected Dur
ing the preliminary contests absenteeism in
jured no one but the absentee; now it works to
the detriment Of the team. For the present
and until there is nothing more for the team TO
do there are no individuals upon its roll; each
man is one part in a finely formed and dehcate
machine and his failure TO appear upsets all cal
culation and spoils every attempt to keep com
plete comparative record upon which to base
final selection. There will be but three more
afternoons at the barracks range before the
team leaves for Sea Grit and on these occasions
it is expected that every rifIeman whose name
appeared in the special order designating the
team will be at the 200 yards firing point
promptly at 2 p. IA.
WILL MOVE JEksErwARD SEPTEMBER 1.
The start for Sea Grit is 70 be made on the
morning OF Thursday, September l, and it is
expected that before the afternoon is COM
pletely.gone the Districts representatives will
pe comfortably settled in camp and ready for
supper. Gen. Ordway has received COM
unication from Gen Spencer. in which the
Jersey inspector general Of rife practice says
that DO and every other true Jerseyman will be
delighted to see the Neutrality-suspicious. on the
lst, although the meeting is not open until the
following Monday. The intervening DAYS ought
to be OF considerable value to the ID. c. boys
Friday and Saturday can be devoted to a reason
able amount OF practice. combined with a fair
proportion of meals and a sufticlency Of ocean
bathing; Sunday will be DAY Of absolute rest
That ought to leave the competitors in excel
lent physical and mental condition for the ex-
ertons OF the week. All necessary arrange
menfs FOR the comfort Of the aggregation are
being attended to by Gen. Ordway and by the
team quartermaster, Capt Parmenter
1t is probable that several members Of the
guard who are not on any Of the teams will
proceed to Sea Girt in company with the rifle
men. The trip lisa pleasant one and by no
means expensive.
RoSoRs FOR THE EMMETT GUARD.
No local company has ever more creditably
represented the city of Washington abroad than
Guard. on its recent visit to Scranton. Wit
nesses who were wholly without prejudice declare
that although there were ample opportunities
for those who might have elected to misbehave
not even one man forgot for moment what
was due to himself and his command Scrap-
ton hospitality was wide open at all hours, and
| 1t would not have been at all surprising had
some OF the guests overstepped bounds. but the
| good record seems to have been unbroken.
Even the election of Capt. Walsh to be second
| in command in the Irish-American Military
| Onion failed to bring forth any demonstrations
OF which any one needed to be ashamed. The
company many friends are proud Of the SPLEEN
| did discipline OF the tactical work done there
was not but the best. The Scranton Times
said:
There we're upward of 1000 people present
when Capt. Walsh called his splendid company
| to attention. For nearly an hour he continued
| to put them through the many intricate and
exscting evolutions laid down in the regula-
| tons Of the National Guard. Every movement
was performed with clock-like regularity and
rapidity, and in no instance during the long
drill was single break made. The large con-
course Of spectators enthusiastically applauded
| the completion OF every movement It il no
exsggeration to say that it would be next to
! almost impossible to find in any country more
| efficient and well-drilled company Of soldiers
! than the Emmett Guards OF Washington. D. C.
Capt Walsh and his able lieutenants are
l
and the company respond to their every COM
| msnd with that same regularity and precision
as do the many intricate parts which compose
| the locomotive when the engineer opens or
closes the throttle valve. The initial visit Of
! this fine organization has been pleasing one,
in military circles especially, and their appear
| ance on some future occasion will be looked
forward to with pleasure
"ARE YoU GUILTY OR NOT GUILTY."
| hoov hal A. 4
| center and after very precise salute asks the
following pertinent question and offers the fol-
lowing comments under date of August 10:
| May ask, as an old soldier and as member
Of the National Guard Of the District, il the ae-
count given in your paper this afternoon il an
accurate account Of the manner in which the
third battalion, d. C. NJ. is putting In its time
| in camp. Surely not. 1 cannot think, with
Major Harrison In command that the third bat
talon has gone into camp merely for its men,
bers to enjoy themselves like q lot Of school
| boys, a. the article would indicate That a
| battalion Of militia from the District or from
| anywhere else should be permitted to indulge
| IN practical jokes on the major commanding
and other equally unmlitary proceedings, and
| communicate their doings to the public through
Q, Tor the time being, Newspaper correspondent.
| shows q laxness Of military discipline which
| should at once be remedied. II the annual en-
campment Of organizations Of militia il to be
| turned into picnic and froiic for the officers
and men, the sooner some steps are taken to
abolish the evil the better
In some respects "Old Soldier comes very
near to hitting prominently obtrusive and
most unsightly nail square on the head There
Is tendency toward a superabundsnce Of fun
at all minor encampments and in many In
stances. even during the past week or two, there
have been but few efforts to restrain the boyish
nature which would crop out. Complaints Of
lax discipline have come in from more than one
camp, but not Q word Of anything but COM
mendation had been said publicly Of the third
battalion until "Old Soldier came forward.