The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-06-02
NIvERSARY OF ITS ORGANI-
EATON.
BOYS IN BLUE AT A BANQUET
RECALL THE PLEASANT INCIDENTS
OF THE EARLY DAYS IN
UNIFORM.
GUESTS FROM OTHER CITIES
Congratulate Company E on It's Rec
ord off Service, as Well as It's
Camaraderie.

Col. c. Nee. Reeve, of the First regi-
ment, was POSTMASTER at the fifteenth
anniversary of Capt Treat Spears
gallant Company E, of that regiment,
given last evening at the Commercial
club, and very happy POSTMASTER
he made, too.
There were gathered about the festal
board perhaps 100 guardsmen, past and
present, including half dozen of the
charter members of the company.
They were Lieut.. Col. w. w. Pierce,
DR.. c. A Van Slyke Charles Finehout,
Edward Mott, Joseph Rogers and Irv-
ing Beaumont. In addition there were
Col. Reeve, Lieut.. Frank B. Mccoy,
! Maj. Fred w. Ames, Capt w. II. Hart,
Lieut. Falk and Capt. John w. Lane.
Included between the covers Of an eX-
ceedingly tasty menu card was the list
of edibles for the discussion of the
soldiers, and the toasts assigned the
speakers Of the evening. The guests
sat down at o'clock to the inspiring
strains Of a march, played by the West
minister orchestra.
cussed and the coffee and cigars We're
brought on, Capt. Spear rose and, after
expressing regret at the forced absence
of several old members of the company
and officers of the guard, welcomed
those who were present, and an
nounced that Col Reeve would act as
POSTMASTER.
This officer opened with an apology
for the absence of his uniform knots,
which a stupid servant had not brought
to him, and then explained that as
he understood it a toastmasters duty
lay not in making many speeches, but
in seeing to it that the others spoke
just long enough and at the right time.
He alluded to some Of his regimental
officers, whom he promised enough
work in national guard matters this
summer at camp.
This included his lieutenant colonel
Pierce, who, upon being called upon
first to speak to the toast Looking
Backwards" expressed some diffidence
as to receiving orders from an officer
Of questionable rank, referring to the
absence of the knots in question.
Speaking seriously Col. Price referred,
in the most complimentary terms, to
the record Of Company E, whose COM
manding officer he formerly was. He
traced it's history back to the time
when handful of fellows had organ
lied as the Capital City zouaves, when
they drilled without arms in a fantastic
uniform and so few in number that
they could not muster enough for two
tours. This was in 1881, when j.. P.
Moore was the first captain. He and
William Blakely were lieutenants later
and when the company was admitted
to the national guard Rodney Kellogg,
Joe" Rogers and Irving Beaumont,
all present, were members. E had
always been a good company, and it
was never a better one than at this
time. No man need ever hesitate to
join him in the view that it was an
honor to belong to Company E.
Capt. Hart, who has charge of the
national guard equipment, spoke Of the
need of the guards for. additional uni
forms and new guns, and expressed
the view that with the state and gov
ernmental appropriations there was
no reason to doubt that the old
Springfield rifles, at present used,
for more modern guns. The uniforms
would be improved and increased in
that time as well.
Irving Beaumont, an old member of
the company, is out of the guard, but
that did not prevent him from handing
out sufficient "reminiscences of days gone
past to keep his old comrades con-
vulsed with laughter He, too, told Of
some of the funny incidents which be-
fell first the old Zouaves, and later the
e company, at Market hall at the three
days battle at Saltwater, the riot of
Minneapolis and the encampments at
White Bear and Calhoun. His tales
of experiences he had with superior
officers were excessively funny, and
his recital of being reduced to the
ranks for driving from beneath him
the horse of an officer caught, like
Absalom, in the limb of a tree ON a
certain Decoration day, brought down
the diners. He shot out gags at the
members whose fatal gift Of beauty
had more than once made trouble for
them, and referred to the organza-
ton as a company without Price. He
concluded his remarks with a pretty
toast.
Capt. John Lane assigned to the
heavy toast Of military Jurisprudence.
got as far away from it aus possible
and gave as a reason for it that e
tl1lpdIly hHSW Oh court mar
tails and Jurisprudence Of the mill
tary sort, for on the only occasion
when the company undertook to court
martial member for shooting off fire
crackers in another company's street
at camp the man was found mot
guilty" e company, he said, was in
his opinion, the peer Of any company
in the state for general military ex-
cellence, and the matter of military
experience and duty. The members
had turned out to a man for duty at
the Minneapolis riot, and at the Still
water fire. Col. Reeve spoke Of hay-
ing seen Capt. Moore this winter on
the Pacific slope. The old captain had
asked to be kindly remembered to the
boys Of his old command.
Lieut.. Frank Mccoy, the inspecting
officer of the guard, was called upon,
and told in interesting fashion Of
some of his experiences while inspect
ing the companies of the guard He
fancied that he had invited the dis
like Of some Of the fair admirers Of
the different companies by putting
down their markings during inspection,
the ladies fancying that each mark
put down was a positive demerit. He
made the statement that the attend
ance Of the First regiment during his
inspection Of the whole ten companies,
showed but five absentees. The lieu
tenant started out by disclaiming any
ability to make a speech, sbut at the