Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-08-10
THE MUSTER.
The Troops Will Today Go Into
Camp at Augusta.
twenty-five Companies Will be Mustered and
the New Signal Corps.

The National Guard OF Maine will &c
into camp, today, at the State muster
grounds in Augusta. The level stretch
OF land at the west side of the city, the
elevation of which affords view of many
miles of beautiful surrounding country,
is bedecked with white canvass, which
will form the habitation of soldiers from
all over the State during the encampment.
The members of the various companies
OF each regiment generally look forward
to the muster with a great deal of interest.
Many acquaintance are made, and the
discipline of the week in camp is bene-
tit to each. Besides going through the
daily routine the boys find time fer pleas
ure and enjoy themselves on the field
This year 30 new round tents, such as
were pitched here in the war days of the
COS, have been put up, and furnish &c
commodations in each for 16 men. They
are superior to the square tent and excel
in appearance too. The w1ole number
of tents up is 22O. The round ones have
room for IL men and the square ones for
SIX
This summer five new mess houses
have been built and two new cook houses,
while the old ones have been repaired and
little changes made Headquarters have
been improved in several ways and add
tional conveniences supplied The mus
ter field, comprising about IS acres, was q
part Of the Milliken farm, which was
opened by one of Augustus early settlers
and was tract of fertile soil.
The colonies of the LIST and End Regi-
ments with their adjutants, quartermas-
tiers and commissary sergeants, will ar
rive in the city this forenoon, and make
arrangements for the assembling of the
troops this evening. Tho company
cooks will also arrive this morning, and
prepare for the supper, the first meal in
camp.
The special train for the 1st Regiment
30 L NJ,
and the special for the end Regiment will
depart from Bangor at 1 45. They will
reach Augusta In the latter part of the
afternoon. The regimental team match
es and competition for places on the State
team, for the championship badge, pre-
sented by Governor Clcaves, for the best
10 tr> fI,r =
at Brunswick, today, and the contest
promises to be sharp.
Full details of the coming of the troops
and the official orders have all been pub
lished in the Journal
A feature of this muster which is ex-
pected to prove the most successful and
interesting yet held will be the work of
the signal corps, a new departure for the
Maine National Guard.
The officers are:
Lieutenant-G. W. Butler
Corps Sergeant-A. W Herrick.
Second Sergeant-F Il. Bailey.
Third Sergeant. H. Stevens.
Quartermaster-M. p Marsh
Corps Ccmmissary-Frank Hamel.
This company will have handsome uni
forms, signals, flash lights and that won
derful adjunct to field work in modern
warfare-the heliograph, wonderful
piece Of mechanism which by means OF
mirrors ingenious. but at the same time
simple, accurate and useful.
On sunshiny" day an operator on the
heliograph can send messages to fellow
operator as far as the eye can reach. 1t Is
on the same principal as the trick you
used to play at school of diverting the
suns rays by means of a small piece of q
mirror secreted in the palm of the hand
so that they would shine directly in the
eyes Of the teacher and dazzle her.
Mechanism as delicate as the works Of
watch regulates the range Of the shaft
of light and the operators, all Of which are
as familiar with the Morse alphabet as
they are with their A, B, C's, signal mes
sages back and forth as easily as tele-
phone operator can send a message.
The browning piece of mechanism in
use is novelty in this State. 1t is the
invention of Lieut. Davis and his subordi-
mates. 1t is nothing more nor less than
a combination movable telephone and
telegraph line all on one wire.
The apparatus Is built upon an iron
frame about six feet In length and four In
width. The electrical appliances are Sc