Evening star., 1895-02-02
When It is Expected to Occupy the
New Armory.
some EXPERIENCES At BROOKLYN
The Men Were Ready, but the
Supplies Were Not.
DIS CIPLINE IN CA M p

new armory for the District OF Columbia
| National Guard is pronounced complete is
the staining of the floors in a few of the
| rooms Everything else is in readiness,
| and those in a position to know state that
| the brigade will move in before February
| ). 1t is r,lmol ed that on the evening the
removal takes place the brigade is to be
| called out by means of the rapid assembly
| method.
The second regiment assembled in the
Center Market Armory drill hall on We'd
nesday evening last for drill and parade.
A large number of spectators were in at
tendance, and apparently enjoyed the cere-
mony of regimental dress parade. the in
terest being heightened by the presence Of
the Mount Pleasant Drum Corps.
Col Clay announced that the regiment
will be ordered out for drill and instruc-
tiOn on February % at l pm. 1t is under
stood that the command will be under
arms for at least four hours, and that the
major and adjutant of each battalion are
to be mounted. The colonel spoke at
length on the duties of memberssof the
guard, and then threatened to discharge,
in the interest of the service, any member
of the regiment who absents himself from
drill on Washington's birthday without a
proper excuse. Col. Clay, in closing his
speech, related one of the anecdotes for
hich he is famous, and which would have
been more appreciated, according to an en-
listed man, had the colonel allowed his
soldiers to stand at ease and not keot
them at strict attention for fifteen or
twenty minutes.
At the conclusion of the parade Major
Suess of the fifth battalion gave an exhibit
ton of maneuvering by bugle commands.
Adjutant General Theodore Mosher and a
party of friends from New York were in
terested observers of the work of the
troops.
brooklyn Strike and the Guard.
1.-The fact that makes the most forcible
impression on the mind of the observer of
the present condition of affairs in Brook
lyn is the iEcompetenoy of some of the
general staff officers of the National Guard.
That fact stands out boldly against back
ground of the patriotism, zeal and good
conduct of the line officers, non-commis-
stoned officers and privates,' says writer
in the Army and Navy journal:
1T was, if remember correctly, as carry
as the 18th of this month that the civil
authorities were informed that the Nation
al Guardsmen in Brooklyn were ready to
turn out at an hours notice. If by this
statement it was meant that the soldiers
could be assembled and started in an hour
from their armories. but not provided with
all that makes a soldier effective, except a
paltry twenty rounds of cartridges. then
this reported official statement was perfect
ly correct.
Important Lapses.
"Three companies of the twenty-third
that assembled at the arrnory on the night
of Friday, January Is, and left it in the
early morning of Saturday, got nothing
whatever to eat from the time the men en-
tered the armory till u M OF Saturday.
These companies had no blankets issued to
them at the time of assembling, nor had
any been received at the hour l left their
post-5:30 pm. Monday, the 2lst AT this
station there had been doled two knives
and forks to eighty men. There were also
two tablespoons in the outfit. There seems
to have been doubt about the spoons, but
we will give the donors of the forks the
benefit OF the doubt about the spoons.
"At another post of three companies OF
the twentythird no blankets had been re-
ceived up to 5:45 pm of Monday. These
people had a few sandwiches at the ar
mory, but excepting that nothing to eat
till after II m. of Saturday. Plenty OF
bread had been received since then, and
cans OF beef without knives, forks, spoons
or a can opener. On Monday dinner ar
rived at 4:}o pm. AS the men had had no
luncheon the appearance of the dinner,
however late awakened a lively interest.
and it received a warm welcome. None CT
these companies of the twenty-third had
received any of the camp equipage so
necessary to the comfort and efficiency OF
the soldier, such as blankets, camp kettles,
mess pans, knives, forks, spoons and tin
plates
The Seventh Learns to Cook.
Pride That goeth before fall was ram
pant in the bosoms Of New Yorks famous
seventh regiment last week, according to
the New York Sun. One morning the regi-
ment was hungry when daylight made its
appearance at the Halsey street camp, and
the state of affairs was aggravated, rather
than relieved after the lapse. of several
hours. The colonel had breakfasted on
coffee that looked like an irrigated mud
pie. The bearded major had sprained his
jaw on regimental sandwich. and the
other major was sleeping Off the effects
of his struggle with can Of corned beef.
There was no charity in the adjutant, for
he had essayed to cook a steak, and when
he concluded the operation he put the
steak down for moment to speak to the
colonel. and conscienceless private ap-
propriated it, substituting half an old
shoe in it's place. Whereupon the adjutant
came back and devoured the major portion
of the shoe before discovering his mistake
None of the others, officers or privates.
had breakfaSted as well as they would
have liked, and in addition there was
biting premonitiop of snow in the air and
a prospect of a dinner rather worse than
the breakfast, the whole camp was in
a condition of irritation as we'll as of pride
a bad combination for a private citizen to
encounter.
Me ana Carl.
Thus matters stood when two quite ordi-
nary looking men, approached a sentry.
The names by which they called each
drew near the soldier on duty the latter
jerked out the customary:
Halt! Who goes there?"
ITS me-" Carl told him assurngly; me
and me friend here
What do you want here? You can't get
in returned the sentry with asperity
polsng Carl with his bayonet tentatively.
Take that spike out of my bread box
young man. 1etorted Carl. Go. and tell
his epaulets with the wind-singers that
the professors of the coorn airy art is here.
ool'n'airy art is cookin', me boy
The sentry might have had apopleXy or
done something desperate with his bayo-
net but for the approach of a bewhiskered
officer whom Dan Immediately identified
as his epaulets with the wind-singers,"
and who greetedithe cooks with something
like a welcome.
you're here at last are you?' he said as
he passed them in. You can't begin work
too quickly. We're all but starved
Get a line the duck with the gun
spike" remarked Dan to his compan nion
noddng toward the sentry as they passed
in. Hes too gay. Wen tame him"
The Cooks in Charge.
Dan and Carl Immediately made a big
fire, erected wire netting over it, and in
trice they had bit of steak exha1ing
fizin, fIoA ho nf o1