The Washington times., 1895-03-10
DISTRICT SOLDIER BOYS
One Weeks News and Gossip
Around Local ArmOries.

one were living in it. Shades are hanging
at the windows, and lace curtains add to the
home-iike appearance. The boys are be-
| ginning TO feel more at home and will be
satisfied with their quarters yet.
The light battery has packed its cannon
in the court prepared for it. Things are
somewhat crowded. Caissons and gun car
| riages are crowded up one against the other,
but the artillerymen are busy cleaning up.
stove has been put in and all week details
of men were busy getting the harness and
other property in shape. The cavalrymen
are busy, too, tryirg TO get their equipments
in shape. They claim that they are very
much crowded in their new quarters and for
some days their belongings were piled up
in the middle of their company room
Headquarters are still up on Pennsylvania
avenue and Seventeenth street and will
stay there for some time The change in
this instance means great deal more than
it does in other cases. The headquarters
| clerks must live in their new quarters and
they must be thoroughly dried and in good
shape before mcving in. II may be a month
yet Before this change is made Col Moore
has not moved his headquarters yet, either,
but this change will soon he made When IL
is done the moving is finished
RIFLE PRACTICE BEGINS.
Rifle practice was resumed Monday after
a break of many months The Second Bat.
TALON began its practice at 200 and 300
yards. Theshooting wasgood. The Fourth
Battalion practiced Tuesday evening and
| made first rate showing. The BOYS are
very much pleased with the new gallery and
Will rush the practice along. They expect
To have ii all finished before Nay 1. The
Sixth Battalion shoots Tuesday night
Drills have also begun. The Filth Bat
I TALON occupied the drill hall Monday night
! Major Suess intends to utilize his time to
| the very best advantage hereafter At each
/ OF has two drill nights ne will devote half an
| hour To battalion drill and the remainder of
! the time To company drill After the drills
| are over there is to be a dance, music being
engaged Tor thls purpose. This Will prove
| a very popular feature All the commands
| are going To find that they are going to have
more visitors in the lew armOry than in the
old. For the last week the new building
has been oveTrun with visitors Officers
are Kept busy showing friends around ana
the drill hall VIII soon have large numbers
present watching the boys. Ofcoursc Major
Suess' battalion will make il pleasant for
tilelf TRENDS.
OFFICERS ASSOCIATION MEETING.
The last meeting of the Officers Asso-
citation of the Second Regiment was a most
interesting one. Capt Meyer, the regi-
mental adjutant, read a paper on "side
arms for officers" He went into the sub
ject most thoroughly. He traced the use of
the sword from ancient times To the present
The burden OF the article was against the
use of the weapon in accsial conflict The
captain 5 theory was that the Officers should
d. armed with revolver, which would be
more efficient as a weapon Col CLAY
president OF the association, related num-
bar of army experiences, in which he found
that the sword was very useful Other Of
ficers would have discussed the paper, bat
time forbade. This discussion viii be
taken up at the next meeting. Capt. Par
meter Ma ior Campbell, and DR. Nicely We're
appointed committee to make arrange
mcnts for the dinner of the association to be
held in April. The resignation OF Major
Suess as member of the association was
presented and accepted with regret by the
Officers present Major Suess has been one
of the most active members OF the aSSocia-
ton
A NEW DRILL TEAM
AT a meeting of Company b, Fourth
Battalion, held last Thursday evening in
the company room, a drill team was
organized to take part in the interstate
drill, at the meeting TO be held at Memphis,
Tenn, in May.
Orders from regimentaI headquarters
We're issued this W eek transferring Sergt
j. F. Nichols and Corp. VIII McHenry,
from Company A, of the Sixth battalion
10 this company. who We're members of
Lieut.. Chrisholm's crack drill squad. Com
pany b is now largely composed of well
drilled men, at least tw cive members OF
the company having participated in the
interstate drill ar Little Rock last year
with the FenCibleS and the Emmett Guards
Another acquisition 10 the company is
Sergt. Paul J. Brandt, Company A, Sixth
Battalion. He has re-enlisted for one year
IN the Il Company, of the Fourth. He was
one of the hcSt drill ed men in the Sixth, and
his transfer was regretted. Ii was said
promotion was offered him if he would
return. Sergt. Whipp. who recently won
the Fourth Battalion gold medal for being
the best drilled man in the battalion, is
also a member of this company.
Company has held an Informal election
and chosen Private John NJ. Walsh as
captain. Whether the choice Of the
company viii be ratified remains to be
seen. Private Walsh is a wclldrilled
man and is already hard at work getting
his team in shape for the Memphis drin.
With the help of Lieuts Danforth and
Neligan there is no reason why the team
should not be among the winners.
The following suggest ions concerning
inspections has been made by an officer:
II think that great deal of good could be
done for the District of Columbia Ma
tional Guard by frequent inspections OF
the various regments, batta lions, and
companies.
As il is now the Guard is inspected |
once year. and, of course, as everyone |
is duly notified long time in advance all |
are able to get in shape Men who have |
not been at drill for months make it a
point To be- good soldiers on that occasion |
Qor one night only
Those who never clean or take care |
Of their own uniform, arms, and equipments
get the janitor or some one else to put them !
in shape.
'Thns companies, which on every drill |
during the year are away below the stand
ard, on this occasion make a fine showing |
as to numbers and appearance. This gives |
wrong idea of the general effectiveness |
of the Guard
Now to make the inspection thorough |
the way the company is drilled and man
aged should be looked into as well as its |
This could only be done by |
frequent inspections, these inspections |
taking place without previous notification, |
thereby getting at the actual condition OF |
the various organizations. To do this |
would, OF course. require more inspecting |
officers. They could be easily obtained |
by detailing the inspectors of rifle prac- |
tice TO do this in addition to their other
duties, which are so light as to take up |
very little of theiI time"
SOME COMPLAINTS MADE.
The greatest complaint made against
the new anmory just now is on the ground /
of heat and light None of the rooms can