Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-09-30
THE NATIONAL GUARD
Sharpshooters and Marksmen Pre-
pairing for the Competitions
PROMISE OF A GOOD MEETING
Gov. Werts Will Accompany the
Jersey RiAemen Hither.
OTHER INTERESTING NEWS.

1
National Guard have there been SO many
opportunities for rifle practice as were given
members Of the District National Guard
| during the season now almost at It's close
ana yet quite a large proportion Of the
| membership has just awakened to the fact
| that they permitted several important op-
| portunlties to pass by unimproved Con-
seQuent upon this carelessness Is a lower
ing or the company. battalion, regimental
ana brigade figure Of merit, and what Is OF
more consequence to many of the defaulters
| the department Of quite a number of good
snots from participation in the annual COM
petitions which take place week after next
Believing that those who were faithful
should receive more consideration than those
who were not. the authorities decided that
no man who had failed to complete his Of
ncial practice In the gallery and on the
| range should be permitted to participate in
| the matches-either as an individual or as
| the member Of team. The fairness and
soandnsss OF that policy has never been
seriously questioned and although in its
workings IT will lessen the number Of en-
trieS Tor this year. the chances are that
good VIII follow in future seasons. The
program for the shoot is especially attrac-
1--WE, and while some Of the men who might
nave been dangerous competitors are barred
out through their own lack of interest,
tnere Will nevertheless be a sufficient num-
Der IN the field to keep everybody guessing
Entries will close this evening, the last one
aaihitted having to be in the hands Of the
adJutant general at his Office when the
CLOCK strikes five. In past years there has
been more or less of real or pretended mis-
understanding as to the time when entries
closed; this year the regulation has been
stated so plainly and SO frequently that no
one VIII be able to blame any one but him.
sell II his entry is not in.
weeks ago as to whether the National
Guard' match would be shot, for 1t seemed
quite unlikely that the medals donated a
year ago by the first and second regiments
and the engineer corps would be duplicated
TINS season. They will not be, but the
match will be shot. nevertheless for The
evening News Newspaper Company has
donated a gold medal to be competed for
under terms laid down for the National
Guard match.
While no definite arrangements have been
made II Is generally understood that Capt
Lancaster. commanding the light battery Of
third artillery. now stationed at Washing
ton Barracks. will perform the duties Of
range on1cer not only throughout the an
nual competitions but also during the pro-
gress OF the match which Is to take place
between the team of six sharpshooters from
New Jersey and six Of the best rihemen In
the District National Guard
Ii VIII BE "a Lively and a Lovely Time
The Washington match promises
to be one Of the most Interesting COMPETE
tons Of the season. Gen. Spencer has gone
all over his sandy realm with a fne-tooth
comb seeking half a dozen men who have
In them the ability to break the Districts
victorious and wonderful record for the
season of 1888. and IL he has not found them
his failure is due to the fact that they do
not exist. When the Jerseymen come-if
present intentions are carried out in all
their fullness-they will be part of an in
vading force. the like Of which Washington
has not known for some time probably not
since the British burned the Capitol. Gov
We-ts and his staff with a choice selection
of state officials. have promised to be OF the
party, and every effort will be made to
give each visitor the impression that the
city of Washington was created expressly
for the purpose Of affording him a jolly
good time. Col. FELTON,, assistant quarter
master general, will be the advance guard
and may be looked for any day. but the
main body is not going to arrive before the
evening of Thursday the 18th or the MORN
ing of Friday the 18th. 1t Is quite probable
that the governor. attended by his retinue
will make formal call upon the President
during the morning, and II Is reasonably
certain that the Jersey rif1emen will prac-
tice during the afternoon on the range at
the barracks. Friday evening will be set
apart for an interesting series Of ceremo-
MES. All the winners of prizes In the COM
petitions of Monday. Tuesday and Wednes-
day will be present in the Center market
armory drill hall, and SO will be all OF the
officers and enlisted men who have eve-
been members of any brigade team from
the year 1890 down to the present These
latter will receive the official brigade-team
medals. the issuing Of which was decided
upon some months ago, and at that time
announced in The Star. Then here Will
probably be an exhibition drill by one or
two companies as to show the gentle
men from New Jersey that troops OF the
District National Guard can drill as well as
they can shoot. The occasion promises to
be one OF more than ordinary o:llnahcy
On Saturday the match will take place. and
on Saturday evening there will be ban
quet Minor details have not as yet been
arranged nor will they be for two o. three
not easily be forgotten by National Guards
men.
Will Shoot for Glory.
The team of six which will represent the
District in its friendly fight With New Jer-
sew will practice next Wednesday, COM
menciug at :3Oo'clock. Nine members of
the brigade team have been ordered to re-
port on the range at that time. without
uniform They are Capt. lanes z. Bell.
Lieut. James Stewart. Corporal Appieby,
Capt. w. l.. Cash. Lieut.. &. u. Laird. Fri
yate s. l. Scott, Sergeant G. w. Dckey,
Lieut.. s. W. Rotramel, and Private Garlic
ton.
Notice to Indi vidual Contestants.
On Thursday, Friday and Saturday Of
next week the range will be open, COM
mencing at l 80 o'clock, each day for pre-
liuinary practice by those whose entries
for the matches have been received and
accepted. On Thursday firing will COM
mepce at 200 yards precisely at 80 At
go the 200 yards range will be closed and
that at 500 yards opened. An hour later
practice at 500 yards will commence, and
at 4:3O the targets at 600 vads will be Open
ed. On Friday the program will be re-
yersed, firing commencing at Geo yards and
working down to 200 yar:ls with one hour at
each range. On Saturday Thursdays pro
gram will be repeated.
A New Third battalion.
The vacancy left in the first regiment by
the transfer of the third battalion to be the
fifth battalion is practically filled and 1t
has been done by making the :hird sept
rate company the nucleus IF the new third
battalion All the details have not yet
been arranged, but they will be within a
few days, and 1t Is quite probable that a
complete battalion organization will be in
existence before the month of October re-
tires into history. Special orders were is
sued from brigade headquarters Wedn esday
last making the third separate company A
third battalion. The second paragraph OF
pany of infantry organized September 16,
under authority given to the commanding
officer of the third separate company, and
of which Second Lieut.. John +. Fitzgerald
was elected captain, is assigned to be COM
many B. third battalion"
Other officers of company Il are First
Lieut. Lawrence Y. Spann and Second