Evening star., 1897-03-27
GUESTS OF THE CAVALRY
The President and a Distinguished Party at
Fort Myer.
sixth Cavalry Troopers Give n Splcn-
did Exhibition Drill In
the Riding Hall.

pleasant outing. after three weeks
| arduous and wearing attention 10 official
duty. enjoyed by the President yester-
day afternoon. Accompanied 10y his wife
| and guests, Col. and Mrs. Myron T. Her
! rick of Cleveland. he drove over to Fort
| Myer. where. in company with the mem
! hers of ihc cabinet and their wives and a
! large gathering OF frie3ds and distinguished
| Visitors he witnessed the splendid drill
| and exhibition Of the troops of the 9TH
L nited States Cavalry in the large riding
| hall a the post. The drill lasted from
| until o'clock. and the President and his
party returned to the Whit. House 10y =.
The dr!ll MAS the last Of the regular
Friday afternoon exhibitions that have been
! held indoors this season. Hereafter the
maneuvers will he hea in the open field
and he in the nature OF troop evolut,ons
and dres.. r2rad" and drill This together
with a knoWietlg CT III" fact that dlStln-
! sIishc6 guests We're to he present brought
TO the post one cf the largest. II not quite
| the largest, crowd that has ever assembled
there on a similar occasion. The weather
was delightful. and all through the after
noon the road 10 the post MAS throngcd
| with carriages and other vehicles and the
| electric cars were crowded TO their utmost
capacity with those who did not make use
of other conN"yances.
| Entertained D.. Col Sumucr.
The members of the cabinet arrived ~
the fort about o'clock. and were enter
| tanned al the resdenc. of COL Sumner.
| commandant of The post. Tn" President
ard Mrs Mckinley d:d not leave ihe White
House until after luncheon. and il was
Eearly = O'Clock when they reached thc
! tC,t. As The party entered the military
reservation = salute Of twenty-one guns
| was fired. \ brief stop for rest made
| al Col summers and then. joi.ed 10y the
| ca hine; party. the pr"siien; and his wife
| drove - the drill han II TIE western side
| of the reservation.
| The gallery ar the upper end Of The halt
| vas reserved for Tn. distinguished visit
crs and WAS crow .!st TO lis capacity. Hun
| ureds of visitors were seated also "a The
/ lever end of the hall and many others
| Were compelled 10 stand under the gallery
! al along tht sides Even then the doors
were hesieged by an urgent crowd striving
for atimirtance.
| With :he Presidents party were Gen
| Alger. Secrel lary Long and Miss Long. Sec
rotary Gage and Mrs Gage. Attorney Cen
| eral Mex emma Secretary Wilson. Mrs. Han
| ma and Miss Hanna, NJ. and Mrs. j. Addi-
| son Porter and Others. col Sumner. who
| acted as the host Of the occasion. sa be
| side the President. and explained the sew
elal features of the drill and exhibition.
| At the f,r end of the han. seated on lis
handsome white charger. was Maj. Gen.
Nelson a. Miles. commander OF the army
He was accompanied by his military aid
Lieut.. Michler. Z. :. "a The gallant Gen.
! pied a prominent seat in the gallery, as did
/ Col Fairfax. who won fam. during the la
| n-ternecne struggle.
| The Exhibition Drill
The President watched the exhibition of
thc crack tr"o oers with untiafgirG inter
IS; ana joined heasIuy the frequen;
| ou;burs;s OF applause which followed
some unusually credltahle effort and
achievement. Mrs. Mekinley. too looked
or with every indication OF thorough en-
joym.nt.
Stout. the first 10 enter the hall TWEEN
ty-siN men In fuli-aress uniform. Their
dr.il consisted ii msLeuvering by twos.
fcurs and platooas. followed by intricate
grape vim" figures Remarkabl. deXterity
with the saber waS shown in the drill OF
this troop. Peg: driven into the ground
were picked on; win the sabers point
while Il; fun gallon. Next came Troop II
with Lieut.. Harmon in command and
among the various exercises performed by
TINS troop .hat of The greatest interest
was the broaaswcrti drill. in which tn.
caNalrImcn rushed together at fun speed
ano exchanged blows win wooden swords
sometimes chasing ore another around The
hall in their eagerness 10 get in fair
. ! blow.
Lieut. Nissen, with Troop F.. one OF III.
. ! crack troops in the country. followed
. Eeats in bareback riding tina; are no, seer
except lii the circus ring. and rarely there
ers. waiting on The bare back while tn,
: horses were In the act Of clearing hurdle
and Vaulting over the near horse to tn,
back of the far one while both were jump
ing the hurdle We're some OF the feats per
formed. The last troop auive wa.
Troop \. which did equally remarkabl.
things with the horses sadded. With stir
rups crossed the men woald stand cree
In their saddles and ride at fun speed ove
hurdles. or vault from the ground into thi
J saddle while going AT Top speed. This trooi
also gave an exhibition of throwing III,
horses and of loading and firing the car
bineS over their PROSTATE bodies
The drill of each Of the troops was eX
trem"ly creditahie. ami showed a fine stat,
of proficiency. rejecting great credit on tn.
officers of the post AZ the close OF the eX
hbition the presidential party We're driver
at once TO the city. leaving the post to tn,
laundering of another salute of tweEty-on,
guns.
) During the drill the 9th Cavalry Band en-
\ Gvened the occasion with patriotic anc
martial airs.