Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-05-21
figure of merit of the company. The ad-

any state militia, and as q matter of fact
we do what is required of us better than
any of the states, but the figures given to
the world do not by any means indicate the
good work done.
1t is, of course, understood that scores
made in the gallery or on the range at other
times during the whole year december l
to November 3O) and duly certified to shall
be credited to the man making them.
Pennsylvania Rife Practice.
The order regulating rifle practice in the
National Guard of Pennsylvania this year
has been made public, and 1t Is exceeding
strict, SO much so that some of the COM
panies in the guard will be lucky to escape
disarmament. In part the order says: THE
current season for rifle practice opened May
1 and closes October 81. Practice will be
required of every officer and enlisted man,
and no Communication for rifle range will be
allowed any company that does not qualify
its entire membership. All officers are re-
queSted to impress upon their men the inn
portance of rifle practice and to urge them
TO strive for excellence in craftsmanship.
Every soldier of Pennsylvania must be-
come marksman, for no soldier is effect
i've unless he Is able to qualify. If any COM
pany in the infantry or cavalry arm of the
service fails to qualify as marksmen its en-
tire membership, unless satisfactory rea-
sons are shown for such failure, shall be
considered so lacking in discipline as to
warrant its disarmament
Company officers should recognize their
responsibility in overseeing not only the
construction OF the range as to availability
and safety, but also the conduct of the men
while al practice. No one should be allowed
to fire over the range who has not been in
structed carefully in aiming and position
and made familiar with the rifle. Officers
should be proficient in the use of the rifle,
and each company should detail a compe-
tent instructor. Men should be able to ad-
just elevation and windage before going to
CHI hn
how to blacken their sights and be instruct
ed, but not coached too much, and should
be made to acquire the necessary knowledge
for themselves and to depend upon their
own skill.
Men who have not previously qualified
as marksmen will be brought upon the
range to classify and must always be ac-
companied by a proficient instructor, and
never allowed to fire over the range unless
so accompanied. Every man who has never
before qualified will be required to shoot a
the three ranges, 100, POO and 500 yards and
Will be allowed five shotS-and no more in
one entry-at each range, beginning always
at 100 yards. and never firing at the longer
range until he has made at least thirteen
points in five shots at the range below. TO
be classified, thirteen points or more must
have been made at each of the three dis
tances. Any classified man may enter for
qualification. For qualifying five consecu-
tive shots are allowed at 200 yards and five
at 800 yards. Re-entries are allowed until
score of twenty-five or more is once made
the shooter is qualified for the year If it
be under forty-tive he is a marksman; II
forty-fve or more, then he is a sharpshoot-
er. Re-entrieS for higher qualifying scores
are prohibited.
1T is understood that the soldier may
practice from time to time during the sea-
frequently as the ammunition al
lowed him may admit Of But when he
proposes 10 qualify he must declare his in
tention of SO doing before he fires the first
shot on his score, and the score thus made
provided ii be twenty-five or over. must
stand his qualifying score. If the score
Is less than forty-five he is a marksman: If
forty-five or over then sharpshooter. as
above stated"
Various experiments with the new rifles
which have recently taken place in Germany
have demonstrated in a very conclusive
manner that another war would practically
be enc of humiliation. A French writer, in
an article which he devotes to the subject
says that the battlefield would, at the ter
mination of the engagement, be covered
with two or three hundred thousand corpses
all crushed and broken. and would be moth
ing but a vast charnel house. No one would
be left to bury the dead. and pestilence
would In its turn sweep away the country
people. Pointing the moral, he adds that
the man-emperor, king or president of a
republic-who, under these conditions, would
expose the human race to such fate. would
be the greatest criminal that the world had
ever seen; yet when the question OF dis
armament Is DrOdCneu II uOeS not seem 10
meet with much approval in certain quar-
ters. 1t Is, however, tolerably plain that
the horrors and the butchery which a war
would entail are becoming more and more
recognized. and that the terrible vista thus
opened out is exercising a SOLDERING effect on
those who We're formerly wont to discuss
various eventualities with a light heart
Work in New Jersey.
New Jerseys rife shooting guardsmen are
more wide awake than ever and are prepar-
ing for most interesting meeting at Sea
Grt during the Coming fall. Information
received from Gen. b. w. Spencer, the state
inspector general of rifle practice. is to the
effect that the meeting will commence on
September 3 and end on the Sth, and that a
very attractive program will be presented.
Heretofore there have not been enough indi-
vidual prizes to tempt those who We're not
team men to journey from afar for the pur-
pose OF participating in the competitions.
but this year the individual prizes will be
quite plentiful. and as a result there will
be much ore of shooting.
The First Rehearsal.
The Second Regiment Glee Club will be-
gin its musical work next week, at a meet
ing to be held in regimental headquarters
on Thursday evening at $50 o'clock An
excellent piano has been provided for ac-
compartment. and this is the first prac-
tice night full attendance is desired.
Snap shots.
Special orders No. 30, from headquarters
announce that Quartermaster Sergeant
Morris E. Sabin. fourth battalion. is ap-
pointed an inspector of rife practice, with
the rank of acting first lieutenant from
May II, 1894 He will be obeyed and re-
spected accordingly. Also that Acting
First Lieutenant Morris Z, Sabin. fourth
battalion inspector of rifle practice, will
report to the commanding officer, fourth
battalion, for duty.
Those members of the guard who have
not as yet completed their gallery scores
for the past season will have until the
end of the present month to do so. The
gallery is open every week day for prac-
tice from 10 a. m. until p. m.
A match between teams representing the
engineer corps and the second battalion
is scheduled to be shot at the gallery this
evening.
A meeting of the Fencibes' committee on
entertainment was held Sunday afternoon
and considerable progress made in pre-
limina:y arrangements for the benefit on
June Is. An admirable program will be
presented which is expected to compare
favorably with anything of similar nature
ever before attempted.
Test Case to BE Made.