Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-05-18
Soldiers Will Give Citizens a Chance
to Shoot.
ORGANIZING A RIFLE ASSOCIATION
Gen. Ordway Wants a Seventy
Five Fer Cent Camp Attendance.
NO MEMORIAL DAY PARADE

For many years past the civilian resi-
dents of the District OF Columbia have been
entirely without place where those OF
them who enjoy rifle shooting could in
dulge in that popular and healthful amuse-
ment, but If the plans which were outlined
at a meeting held Thursday evening
achieve expected realization the shortcom-
ing will cease to exist Quite year ago
the primary effort looking toward the or
ganization of rifle association was made,
but the scheme fell to the ground because
there was TO rifle range available. From
the time when the backstop and targets at
the Washington barracks were destroyed
by storm in the latter part of 1888, the
District National Guard has been without
the facilities for outdoor rifle practice and
SO long as that condition continued there
was no chance for a rifle association. Now.
however the District National Guard has
possession of an admirable rifle range, the
capacity Of which will be at times greater
than the actual needs of the guard de-
mand, so the present was believed TO De
the time to -eyive the association idea and
to put some of the best Of the suggestions
as to that organization on practical busi-
ness basis. In view of the fact that the
National Guard controls all the property
to be used by the association, 1t was found
necessary to make some sort of distinc-
ton between the military and civilian
members, and what appears to be salts
factory arrangement has been agreed upon
by the promoters and by those with whom
they consulted. Members of the National
Guard who desire to join the association
will be admitted to all the privileges upon
payment of an admission fee of so cents
and 81 annual dues: civilian members-who
are to be encouraged by much lower fee
than is charged in any rifle association
elsewhere-will be required to pay $3.50 for
initiation and s. annual dues Up to this
time there are no statistics upon which to
base estimates of the probable numerical
strength of this years membership, but
there is every reason for believing that
large number of Westinghouse who are
not at present connected with the Ma
tional Guard will soon become members of
the association and participate in the
weekly shoots which will take place on the
range, or, during the winter, in the gal
lery. 1t is expected that the sum of money
received from admission fees and dues will
be in the aggregate sufficient to defray the
expenses of operating the range, so that
the only cost to each member, aside from
the fee and dues, will be the money in
vested in ammunition and car fare. The
next meeting of the association is to be
held in the lecture room of the brigade
armory on the evening OF Wednesday, the
Goth instant, when the elective officers of
the association will be. selected. Mean
while, those who were present at the meet
ing Thursday evening will busy themselves
in recruiting.
Must Toe the Mark.
A very considerable percentage of the
line officers of the guard are deeply inter-
ested just row in figuring out the probable
attendance OF their respective commands
at the brigade encampment. Gen. Ordway
said some time ago that the company that
had less than 10 per cent of it's member
ship in camp would be mustered out of the
guard Immediately after the return of the
h,-f,r do a-f hi ,rrtr I,
some of the loosely managed companies is
a good deal of surprise and several Off
GERS took occasion, in what to them seemed
to be an off-hand sort of way, to make
inquiry around headquarters as to the gen.
erals sincerity Their Investigations must
have satisfied them that the general was in
earnest, for they have of late been hustling
around to see whether there was any pos
sible danger of their respective companies
percentage falling below the announced
mir imum. One or two of the deeply-con-
cerned ones belong to companies that
little while ago would have regarded any
one as insane who might nave intmated
tkat the District National Guard could get
along without them, but there now appears
to be general understanding to the effect
that Gen. Ordway meant exactly what he
said, and that failure to reach the very
reasonable standard established by him
will result disastrously for those who fail
Among the National Guardsmen who are
not in the organization for the humor that
may be extracted from it, it is the I'M
wavering opinion that 1t would be very
much better to have brigade of less than
thousand men who can be depended upon
to do their whole duty than a brigade of
sixteen hundred. in which there is SO much
of carelessness as is exposed to the public
gaze at times even in the District of CO.
lumbia.
No Memorial Day Parade.
Whenever the District National Guard
could possibly do honor to the Grand Army
of the Republic it has always taken adj
vantage of the opportunity, and especially
has this been evident on Memorial day.
This year, however-unless some of the
&C mpanies volunteer-the citizen soldiers Of
the natioral capital will not be found in
the Memorial day parade. The principal
reason for their absence lies in the fact
that early next month the brigade will go
into camp at Fort Washington, and as a
c. rsequence, there is Discrimination on the
part of large proportion of the officers
and men to do any voluntary duty at this
time. The old soldiers will not however
lack suitable escort, for the troops of the
regular 5 irvice stationed at Fort Myer and
at the w ashington barracks will be in the
column That will march up PENNSYLVANIA
| avenue to the Aqueduct bridge. Gen. Ord
way has expressed himself as regretting
very sincerely the condition which renders
an escort of any considerable force of Ma
uCral Glardsmen almost an impossibility
On the Rifle Range.
Preliminary survey work on the rifle
range is completed and the grass seed,
which was planted right-side-up before
the rainy season set in, is coming up very
satisfactorily. What with plowing and
narrowing, and rolling, the range has been
so improved as to be almost unacceptable
by those who knew it only when it was
in its naturally rough condition. When
the sod has formed, there will be as fine a
stretch of skirmish ground as can be
found on any rifle range. Plans for the
installation of targets and for the general
equipment of the range are in good shape,
and there is every reason for believing that
| by the erd of the first week in July every
| thing will be ready for the delectation of
the anxious "cranks," who are never hap
| pier than when with loaded gun in their
| hands they face a target. The original
! idea as to the Arrangement Of targets will
prevail, there will be one continuous
| firing point for the four principal ranges,
| with room to spare for pistol targets.
Notes.
| Arrangements for camp are proceeding
| satisfactorily. All the needed estimating
| has been done. and but little in the way of
! preliminaries remains to be attended to-.
| Quartermaster General Tierney and Major