The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-01-16
THEY STAYED OUT
The First Troop Cavalry
i'm the Saddle
DRILLING IN WET WEATHER
With Their Boots Full of Water They
Took a Vote and Decided to
Face the Enemy.

Thirty sad, soggy, waterlogged soldiers,
with their tall cavalry boots full Of rain, sat
on steaming horses at the corner of Point
Lobos and First avenues yesterday after
noon.
They alternately dripped and consulted,
and then took vote On whether or not
they should go in out of the rain.
On the first ballot it was decided that
they couldn't get any wetter even if they
fell overheard, so the sad, soggy soldiers
rode on to the Cliff House with their feet
floating around in their boots and fired five
rounds of cartridges each at the thickly
falling rain drops.
Whether or not any of the rain drops
were injured does not appear, as no scores
Of the shoot were kept
1t was the First Troop of Cavalry, n. G.
c.. holding Its first mounted drill Of the
year.
There were only about thirty members
present, as many of those who would have
been there thought that on account OF the
juicy state of the weather there would be
no assembly and did not 90.
At 9 o'clock Chief Trumpeter Mosshead
sounded the call to '.fall in" and shortly
after the troop started up O'Farrell street
on its way to the Presidio. All wore tho
Many of the bold troopers grumbled be-
cause they had to carry the overcoats and
capes. But the captain commanded, and.
like true soldiers, they obeyed and took the
cares. Before they got back to the armory
they were sorry they had not taken UNI
brellas and tents, and also box-stalls for the
horses.
On the way out to the Preside the weather
was reasonably clear, but no sooner had the
troopers shucked their great coats and
started in TO cavort before the plug dropped
out of the big tank on high and the deluge was
upon them. 1t was steady downpour that
thawed out their collars and cuffs and
trlckled into their boots, filling them to the
brm.
Lunch was next in order. after which
each man was served with five rounds Of
cartridges, and with their overcoats but
toned up 10 keep out the weather the water
logged soldiers left for the Cliff House.
1t was while on this moist and sloppy eX-
pedition that the halt was called at Point
Lob0s and First avenues for consultation.
The troopers were in a truly wTetched
plight. Their clothes weighed them down,
and every time trooper tried to spur his
horse the pressure sent the water squirting
from his boot-tops high ia the air.
After beautiful ride along the sands
they fired off the cartridges. OF course,
when the shooting commenced several: of
the horses gave exhibitions of Waiting.
and few tried TO climb the fence, but
the troopers were too we'll trained to mind
a little thing like that, and no one was
thrown.
They returned by the way of the park
and practiced little mountaineering on
Strawberry Hill. after which they disband-
ed at the armory, every one soaked TO the
skin, but glad that they were alive.
One lsughable incident was that OF a re-
cruit WHO had been IN the troop but a short
time. Through accident or design-prob-
ably The latter-he had been given an old
horse that had probably been one of the
two to enter the ark on Mount Ararat. The
could. and was trained to kick when the
spurs were used.
This combination of new man and old
horse was left behind after lunch, and it
took delegation of a sergeant. corporal
and three priyates TO half drag, half shove
them into place in tbs ranks.