The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-04-05
COL. RIPPLE'S GOODBYE
Dinner to Present and ex-Officcrs of
the Regiment.
PRESENTED A HANDSOME GIFT
Officers Surprised the cx.Commandcr
with Costly Sword and AccOutre.
ncnts-urgcs Them to Further
the New ArrnOry Project.

Colonel T.. IT. Ripple, recently ap-
pointed commissary general of the Ma
tonal Guard of Pennsylvania, and of
the staff of Governor Hastings, made
| hiS formal farewell as commander of
the Thirteenth regiment at q dinner
given by him last night In the Scranton
Bicycle club house on Washington ave-
nue.. The dinner was attended by the
present and eX-officers of the regiment.
Colonel Ripple's remarks and the re-
grets over his resignation expressed by
many of his guests indicated the loss
/ felt individually and collectively by
the men who have served many years
under him. The commander himself,
seldom at loss for words and express
sion under any circumstances, was
plainly too much affected to express
himself last night. His words made
quately conveyed his apparent feelings;
but his manner, frequent gatherings
and apologies for his inability to speak
as he wished, evidenced the deep feel
ing which he could not conceal.
A happy feature and one which so
overwhelmed Colonel Ripple that he
could only utter few phrases OF
thanks, was the presentation to him OF
an elaborate sword and attached ac-
coutrements. In it's entirety the gift Is
one of the handsomest that could be
purchased and is commensurate with
the high military Office to which he was
recently appointed by the governor Of
the state.
Names of the Guests.
Those present included Colonel r. II.
Ripple, Lieutenant Colonel Fl. A. Cour-
sen, Major c. c. Mates, Major George
Whitney, Adjutant w. $. Millar, Sur
geon w. G. Fulton, Assistant Surgeon
d. A. Capwell, Quartermaster w. j.
Tracey, Inspector of Rifle Practice w.
II. Jessup, jr, Chaplain S. G. Logan,
Battalion Adjutant l.. T. Mates, Battal-
ion Adjutant C. C. Conklin, and Cap
tain f. W. Stilwell, Lieutenant Fl. B.
Cox and Second Lieutenant J. V. Dim
mick, of Company A; Lieutenant j. w.
Kambeck and Second Lieutenant John
Sample, of Company b; Captain IL. Il.
Chase, Lieutenant Frank Robling. jr..
and Second Lieutenant w. A. Raub, of
Company c; Captain NJ. Barnard, Lieu
tenant X. NJ. StrattOn and Second Lieu
tenant +. Stokes. of Company d: Cap
tain T.. ID. Fellows. Lieutenant Walter
Briggs and Second Lieutenant +. w.
Mason, of Company F; Second Lieuten-
ant George S. Jessup, of Company G;
Captain s. w. Corwin. Lieutenant HUFF
and Second Lieutenant j. w. Benjamin,
OF Company II; Major ]. w. Oakford,
of the brigade staff, and the following
ex-officers: Ex-Colonel +. l.. Hitchcock,
eX-Colonel l.. A. Watres, ex-Major j.
Il. Fish, eX-Inspector of Rifle Practice
Pratt, eX-Captain James Moir, of Com
pany A; eX-Captain Duggan, of Com
pany /; eX-Captain G.. A. Thompson, of
Company d; eX-Captain II. c. Reyn-
olds of Company G.; eX-Captain w. A.
May, of Company d; ex-Iieutenant
Charles Gunster. of Company C; eX-
Lieutenant G. w. Phillips, of Company
F; eX-Lieutenant McAskie, of Company
ID: eX-Lieutenant Lee, of Company A.
From 40 o'clock the guests arrived
in complete uniform and gathered in
the upper parlors of the building. At
8 o'clock the five tables, which were
set on the ground floor, were occupied
discussing the delectable menu served
by Hanley. When the French coffee
and Reginas had been reached Colonel
Ripple arose and spoke, in part, as fol-
lows:
Colonel Ripplc's Remarks.
81 asked you to meet here tonight for
two purposes; first, for the saddest of
tn pyiN 70,
to discuss and leave with you my urg-
ent solicitations for the sake of a new
armory.
There is popularity in my good
bye to you in that, while we shall di-
verge, we shall 60 onward along paral-
lei lines-you in the regiment and l in
9, new military position. This softens
somewhat, the many pangs of regret
on my part over the parting. 1t is hard
to re!inquish command of a body of
men who since 1877 have made the envi-
able record which you possess. I was
always foolishly proud of you-so proud
you I could not reply because of the
pride that filed my heart.
"The Thirteenth regiment has rec
ord. 1T was organized when manhood
was on trial, and out of that organiza-
tion has grown the best regiment in the
state and possibly the best in the union.
| can only echo the sentiment of your
first commander, Colonel Fl. M. Boies,
and hope the sentiment may be ex-
pressed by commanders to follow
Colonel Boies said he commanded q
body of gentlemen, body he could be
proud of, and not q rabble.
1T Is possible that I may have been
severe with you at times may have
impulsively said things which hurt you.
I am not infallible and wish here to
humbly apologize with all my heart for
any extreme word or act. have never
cherished an unkind feeling for any
person, and whatever unusual thing /
may have done or said was only in the
heat of irritation"
He paid expressive tributes to the
colonelcies of III. NJ. Boies and T.. l..
Hitchcock, and spoke of the formers
foresight in always having the regi-
ment one year in advance of the state,
which, in turn, was always one or more
years in advance of the National guards
of the United States. Colonel Boies, he
said, had been first to introduce rifle
practice, first to advocate and carry
into effect the camp idea QS79), and
first to adopt the uniform, which was
later adopted by the state and then by
the guards of other states.
New Armory Project.
During Colonel Ripple's speech he
alluded to the armory project and said
that out Of the proposed play of "Alla-
toona," which had originally been in
tended to be given for only one night,
had grown plan to present the play
six nights. From the proceeds 1t Is ex-
pected to pay all the regimental debt,
to make a payment on the mortgage
and with the remainder to pay for the
found ton Of tho rrlas