Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-07
Washington High School Cadets
Anxious for School to Begin.
A CORPS OF HIGH CHARACTER
History of the Organization Of
Which Washington is So Proud.
PROSPECTS OF THE NEW YEAR

vacation, with a surprising degree of eager
ness. Strange as 1t may seem. 1t is. never
theless, true. Those referred to are the
young men who will compose. during the
coming school year. the regiment of Wash
ington High School Cadets. 1t is an honor
to be connected with such a famous organi-
zation, and the great majority OF the boys
fully appreciate that fact.
The desire OF a number Of the young SOL
diers for an early reorganization of the
regiment is augmented by the knowledge
that they are among the list Of eligibles
who will wear shoulder straps instead of
chevrons. and carry glistening swords in
place of rifles Then there are those who
heretofore have worn plain coat sleeves.
During the coming year corporals' and per-
maps sergeants chevrcns will distinguish
them from the privates Again, there are
those who will taste for the first time the
joys of High School life as first years.
Ihey anticipate with pleasure and sup
four-year course of military drill.
An Additional Company Expected,
Both old cadets and recruits will be glad
to know that an effort is to be made this
year to increase the number of companies
composing the regiment from nine to ten
IL is proposed to have three companies at
the Eastern High School instead Of two.
Thls viii make regiment of two five-com-
pany battalions. The company at the
Western High School is to be transferred
from the second battalion, and will. in con-
junction with the four companies at the
Central High School. be known as the first
battalion The second battalion will consist
OF the three companies at the Eastern High
Schooi ana the two companies at the Bust
ness High School.
The colonel of the regiment will be a
Central High School boy, but il is thought
that this year the lieutenant colonel will
be appointed from the Eastern High School.
one major Will come from the Central High
school. and the probability is that the other
Will be Business High School youth. AS
II Is not known as yet what former pupils
Will not return to school, IL is an impos-
sIolnty 70 predict with any degree OF GER
talnty who will wear the shoulder straps
The regiment for the coming year is 10 be
organized on Monday afternoon, October 1.
and Will Immediately settle down to steady
Work. The examination in tactics OF can
oidates Tor commission is booked to occur
about October 10. and IL will be seyeral
announced. "
Major Burton r. Ross and Mr. Luther H
Reichelderfer will, Of course. serve as mill.
tary instructors Of the cadets
Excellence of the Orga nixat ion,
No organization connected with The Hirb
School system OF Washington has brought
half SO much fame to 1t as the High School
Cadet Corps. This organization has. BY
hard and conscientious work. acquired a
Fame Tor itself which will be handed down
from mouth to mouth for ages to CONC.
Inc eiuhens OF washington and the stu
gents ana alu mi Of tic Washington High
SCHOOLS are pre-eminently proud Of the
best drilled body of boys in the country. !"
The High School is able to turn out at
the end Of eath school year a body of
well-drilled. proficient young soldiers who
may be expected to hold their own against
the finest drillers hailing from any OF the
other military schools Of the United States
~ may safely be said that the WASHINGTON
High School Cadets nave proved themselves
the equal Of any with whom they have
ever come in contact In almost every
case where this organization. the regulars
cadets have taken the shine of of every
thing else. This was the case at the ma
tional encampment several years ago; IL
was observed at the parades in honor OF
the patent centennial. Aside from this.
the drill by companies each year for the
prize nag demonstrates conclusively that
every individual member of the corps is
proficient in the use Of the rife.
Favorably known Everywhere.
To certain extent the boys have &C.
quired a national reputation. Through the
High School Cadets March they have
become known In every city and town in
the land. At Cornell University the very
fact that one has belonged to the cadets is
sufficient to secure an excellent appoint
ment at some time during the freshman
year. The members of the corps are eager
ly welcomed to the military colleges OF the
country.
The fall of 1882 witnessed the organiza-
tion of this well-trafned body of soldiers by
the principal of the school. Mr.. Paul Two
companies were formed in that year. under
the command of Captains Smith and Ayers
After much difficulty enough old German
rluskets wire procured to suffice one conf
pany. hence the two companies were
Obliged to alternate In using them. When
one company had the guns the other went
through the foot movements. and vice
versa. However discouraging this state of
affairs might have been the ardor OF the
boys was not daunted. Two full uniformed
oompanies were formed the next year, and
one hundred Springfield Cadet rifles were
borrowed from the government for their
use. W. II. Shoales was appointed maj r
in command. and the battalion made such
remarkable progress that the next year,
when Major Sohon was appointed. an ad-
ditional loan Of fifty rifles was secured
and a battalion Of four companies was or
ganized.
The limited number OF rifles secured
greatly prevented the development Of the
battalion, as far as size was concerned,
but the great competition now necessarily
produced by the rush for places led to a
much greater uniformity of individual fit
ness. In 1850 twenty-five more rifles were
obtained and every gun was assigned.
Continued Progress Of the Corps.
In 1856 the battalion was in good running
order and that year made marvellous pro-
gress under Major La Fetra. Since then,
during the successive commands Of Majors
Stewart, Fishback, Barien and Lawyer,
Lieut.. Coils. Moore and Reichelderfer and
Coils. Reichel1erfer and Skinner. the corps
has achieved a reputation for steadiness
and soliierly bearing. OF which any body
Of veterans in the country might well be
proud.
With the advent OF the school year OF
1S90-1S91, and of the branch schools a
larger organization than ever before was
necessary. so that the Business and Capitol
Hill schools might be represented Ac-
cordingly, the battalion was enlarged to
six companies. under the command OF a
lieutenant colonel New guns ana ac-
couterments were procured in sufficiently
large numbers to accommodate all appli-
cants. Since then the Western school has
come into existence. and with II another
company. while las. year the Eastern and
Business schools each furnished two COM
panies, instead Of one, making in an a
regiment of nine companies, under the
command Of a colonel.
The first public appearance of the cadets
was In 1889. when a picked company par
tfcipated in the @. A. r. parade. The pres
ent custom OF an annual exhibition drill
was instituted in 1854 and has been main
tained ever since. The custom of having
q company competitive drill each wear on