Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-11-17
Facts Concerning the Entry Of the
National Rifles.
GOING TO THE MEMPHIS DRILL
Strength ofthe Militia in the United
States.
EN- LISTED IN THE ARM Y

the National Rifles. Captain Oyster has
stated that his command is ready, or soon
will be, to enter the guard but further
than that he is silent, and he refuses to
talk on the subject until he has consulted
with Gen. Ordway. The latter also claims
to be ignorant as concerns any new facts
about the entry in question. and he is walt
ing to hear from Capt. Oyster. Thus the
matter stands.
Certain of the National Rifles are firmly
of the opinion that those members of the
command DESTROYS of becoming militianlen
will De unable to win over number OF fol-
lowers sufficient to reach the requisite total
Of forty, while there are others who claim
that fully half hundred of the present
Rifles are prepared TO sign enlistment pa
pers.
The announced intention of assigning the
I:ifles to the second battalion, and of trans
ferring companies Is and ID of that bat
talon to the third battalion. which, after
such transfer has taken place, Is to be
known as an organization Of ex-HtGh
School Cadets, and is to be commanded by
a person who has been connected with the
High School Cadets, has OccasiOned con-
siderable conjecture as to who is to be ap-
pointed TO command the youngsters. Ru-
NOR has 1T that Capt. Horton, who was at
one time High School Cadet, later cap
tain of company ID, fourth battalion, and
at present captain and. aid on the brigade
| staff, was rendered the position, but de-
clined.
First Battalion il booming.
The first battalion is enjoying a boom,
and Major Ross is wearing a perpetual
smile of contentment these days. The
membership of the first has jumped from
100 to over 10 In something less than two
weeks, and il is not likely that the threat
ened disarmament of one of the companies
Nx,in hn uyh
day shall have rolled around. Another
rumor i'm vivacious circulation is to the eff
feet that Capt. Ourand has been invited to
become inspector general, with rank of
major, on the brigade staff. Whether any
or all of the guesseS referred to are true,
Only the lapse of time can determine.
To Go to Memphis.
Capt w. H. Kyle, commanding the Chick
asaw Guards of Memphis, Tenn, in a COM
munication to The Star states that his
company has nothing whatever to do with
the management of the interstate drill to
be held in that city, beginning May 81 next.
1t is the veteran Chickasaws. members of
the drill team from 1874 to 1850, who, In
connection with the confederate veterans,
are to hold the drill. Capt Kyle's company
will engage in the competition.
Company A, sec ond battalion, has formal
ly decided to jaunt to Memphis and en-
deavor to secure a prize, if the commanding
general will grant the necessary permission.
The company will begin weekly drills i'm
mediately in preparation therefor. Each
member who attends drill is to be credited
with 30 cents while every absentee will be
fired 81 every time he remains away from
a drill Every man who attends every driii
will have his expenses paid by the COM
pany.
Frequent meetings are being held by the
members of company b. second battalion,
to discuss the prospects Of taking the trip.
The Sealy Rifles OF Galveston, who We're
mustered out of the Texas National Guard
socn after the Little Rock drill have re-
organized and will in all probability DE
heard from at Memphis.
strength Of the Militia of This Coun-
try.
Excluding the regular army, says the
last report Of the Secretary Of War, there
are in the states and territories more than
H. 600 men who are organized into regi-
ments and parts Of regiments, who could,
within a very few hours after the receipt
Of orders. be placed in the field. This
number includes 9,27S officers.
New York has the largest military force,
amounting rank and file. to over $4,000.
Pennsylvania follows next with $500 Of
ficers and men, with character for ef-
ficiency Of the very best. Ohio has over
5000; Massachusetts, $685. and South Caro-
lima, 5,oU.
Pennsylvania has the largest number of
men available for military service 1852.
Idaho has the smallest organized force.
only 232 officers and men, but Delaware
does not much excel her with $50.
In noticing the Secretarys report a New
York journal remarks:
THE war dogs of Europe might smile at
the idea of opposing their drilled and sea-
soned peace-footing troops with militia;
but experience has shown that militia be-
come veterans in a remarkably short time.
The military Immediately available In this
country is amply sufficient for present
needs while the force ultimately available
Is the largest in the world. An invasion OF
the United States would be an undertaking
fraught with more danger and uncertainty
than 1t was in ITO.
hysicnl Training of the Gunrdsmnn.
First Lieut. william T. Chantland of the
fourth regiment, Iowa National Guard.
speaking of the physical training of the
guardsman, says:
LET us attend to the physical develop
ment of the men. Let us have a gymna-
sum- simple, though it be, at every COM
pany post. Let systematic instruction be
furnished. Let uN have athletic contests
of all kinds between our companies, in
door contests in winter, outdoor field
sports at camp in summer, and Rugby foot
ball games in the fall. Now, this may
seem like formidable array Of recommen-
dations and one entirely impracticable on
account of time, but J. can assure you
that 1T does not occupy an extraordinary
or even a great amount of time-no more
than any man who expects to keep good
health by proper exercise should give to Ii.
And 1 sincerely believe it practicable. And
I think / can say, with some assurance,
that by the end of the present year its
practicability will have been proven in
our Iowa guard.
"And though the gymnasium Is the chief
means of the desired end, 1t Is to get much
Of the outdoor work that l would urge
upon our guardsmen who are clerks and
in door laborers. They stand In most need
of that
Combined Military Belt and Garment.
The army equipment board has recon-
mended the trial of the combined military
belt and garment, invented by Col. Edmund
Rice Of the fifth infantry. 1t is remark
ably ingenious In it's application as a gar
ment, and takes the weight of the car
tridges on the shoulders instead of the
waist 1t is composed Of two sheets of
waterproof material shaped into garments,
one a close-fltting tunic, and the other a
cape hanging from the shoulders. These
garments when not in use are compactly
folded into the shape Of belts, to be carried
around the waist over each shoulder, or
in any other way that a belt can be used.
To these belts are attached the cartridges,
the haversack and canteen. The combined
weight of the whole equipment is less than