The morning call., 1894-06-23
CUP CONTESTANTS
Scramble for the Dimond
Trophy.
ALL COMPANIES AFTER 1T.
Sham Battles Galore on Historic
Triple Hill.
WEIRD WORK OF VIGILANTES.
Colonel SuIlivan's Regiment Shows
Great Proficiency in Drill and
Target Practice.
WEIRD WORK OF vIdILANTEs.

SANTA CRUZ. June 22.-Time is flying
fast a Camp Dimond, and the members
OF the First Infantry are making the
most of the couple.Of days which remain
of their outing.
Important things are happening. The
Dimond cup competition wakes more Wig
orous than ever. the inspectors are becom-
ing more severe, and the presence of
numerous dignitaries at headquarters has
caused general brushing up among the
men. Drill and instruction and entertain
ment are being crowded into the days
programme in surprising quantity.
Every one realizes that the hundred
tents and the flags and pretty awnings
grouped so picturesquelY on the famous
Triple Hill battle-ground must soon come
down and be packed into Quartermaster
Cuffs big boxes. The desire seems gen.
eral to make Camp Dimond memorable in
First Infantry annals. and what a week of
successful field service will not do in that
direction Lieutenant Cuffs vigilantes will
doubtless accomplish. These terrorzing
: individuals, who operate secretly in the
night, have contriyed to make their pres
ence and their purpose generally felt along
Officers row. A batch of lieutenants have
been Initiated into the mysteries of the
ancient order. and the initiation business
is quite as brisk as ever, with the promise
of an increase before the tents at Dimond
fall.
The contest for General Dimond's
trophy becomes more interesting every
day. Several company commanders are
rin 1ry
eating the cup appropriately when they
win it. The cadets are not fully deter
mined yet whether it shall be placed In
the center of their company quarters or
over the gunrack. Captain Cook Of Com
pany B has room on the shelf for the
major-generaps goblet, but it has not peen
definitely decided who shall engrave it..
Captain Woodruff of the senior company
in The "natiOnaP corps is rather uncer-
tain about the chances of slowing it away
in the trOphy-case at tile Ellis street
armOry. but then the building is large and
possibly there is room for one more cup
There are Tumors rife in the company
streets that the trophy lies between CON-
panies B and F. but this is easily accounted
for.
The cup is in the headquarters tent and
the headquarters tent is located on the
main avenue with the tents of B on one
side and those of on the other. Lieu
tenant Cuff and his crowd are running
the company captains merry race and
there is danger that for general efficiency
regardless of the kind of work the cup
might go TO the vigilantes. Lieutenants
Hosmer aud Dohrmann are counted strong
witnesses of the high standard maintained
by the vigilance committee and their tes-
timony will be offered in case of a tie. The
only unfortunate circumstance in the vigi-
lance committees fight is the fact that the
Dimond cup has not been intended for
efficiency in their peculiar line of opera
ton.
There were a number of visitors at the
camp quite early this morning to witness
the battalion drills in extended order
under the supervision of Lieutenant Nc
Iver of the United States army. Lieuten-
ant McIver has become quite favorite at
headquarters, and Notwithstanding that
he says very little he is reputed to see a
considerable distance. From his occa-
Bonal remarks about the drill aud the
camp he is evidently sharer in the gene
raj opinion that Colonel Sullivan's in
AabbG u4CH aAO Qblb1 hdUlJ WILL
His battalion drills are extremely inter-
esting and form a most attractive feature
of the closing programme. The battalions
under Majors Burdick and Jansen were
never in finer form, and are doing excel.
lent work. The company officers are
thoroughly competent and the men are
learning quickly.
This morning the extended order move
ments were much the same as those of
yesterday. The consolidated companies
in battalion formation were advanced in
echelOns across the parade plain. first un-
der the direction OF Major Burdick and
afterward under Major Jansen. The firing
line was supposedly losing strength con-
tinually from the imaginary enemy's fire.
and squads of Te-enfoTcements were
hurried across the field at intervals from
the support and reserve lines. The spec
tacle was quite realistic. particularly at
the times when the fighting line was re-
enforced at the TANKS and the whole front
rose from the ground and pushed forward,
firing as it advanced. The charge was
also pretty feature as the whole front of
the battalion rushed forward at the sup
posed en- emy.
Tomorrow afternoon there will be eve n
more realism inserted into the affair. The
drlll will be quite the same, but every
thing will be done in the best sham-battle
fashion. Colonel Sullivan is not partial to
sham fights in which there are opposing
forces. The danger of accidents is too
great. and the increase OF realism is not
worth the risk. On this account the fight
tomorrow will be with an asinary
enemy. A problem in minor tactics has
been prepared for the occasion. and the
officers Of the regiment will be given a rare