The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1897-03-24
COMPANY e WINS THE MEDAL I'm
COMPETITION WITH COM
PANY O.
BOTH DID COMMENTARY.
INTEREST IN THE MILITIA SHOWN
BY THE LARGE NUMBER PRES
EMF.
THE ARMofsY WAS CROWDED
Gen. Bend Compliments Both Organ
tzattOns ON the Improvement
Shown.

The presence Of an audience Of nearly
1000 peopls at one time or another at
the competitive drill between Company
E and Company c, First regiment, M.
N. g., last evening, testified to the real
interest taken in the state troops by
the people. The armory was packed
to suffocating degree, and soon after
8 O'Clock it was found necessary to
close the doors and exclude the late
corners, who numbered several hun
dred- Around the four sides of the
room were ranged seats and at the two
ends reviewing stands were erected.
The crowd became so dense that men,
bers of Battery A were pressed into
service to do police duty.
The contest on the floor was for the
medal offered by Col. w. w. Price 1t
was presented to the battalion with
Company D barred. Company H de-
clined to enter with Company D barred,
so the contest came between Company
E and Company c. The two companies
of the city have been drilling constant
ly for some time in order to perfect
themselves in the intricate military
movements. Company E, however, won
the medal by superior work. although
the two companies were but two points
apart, so closely were they mated. The
judges in the contest were Lieut.. Nc
Coy and Lieut.. Kennedy, of the Third
United States infanry, and Capt Cor
riston, of Company I, First infantry, M.
N. G. The score of Company E was
91.H per cent, and that of Company c
was 89.42 per cent. The winning COM
pany was in command of Capt c. T.
Spear, while Capt. N. c. Robinson com
manded Company c.
Gen. w. 3. Bend and number Of his
staff witnessed the drill, as we'll as
many of the members of the Mime
apolis companies.
Company was first on the floor
ana the appearance of the company
provoked a round of applause After
well executed setting up exercise,
Capt. Robinson put his men through
course which made their toes weary
before he was through with his COM
pany. The company executed every
thing III the military decalOgue in ex-
ceIlent form, and many of the specta-
tors picked out the boys of Company
G as the winners.
1t was nearly 10 o'clock when the
bugle sounded Company E. and Capt.
Spear called his men into line From
the first this company dashed off their
eVclutlOnS with characteristic snap and
vim, losing no time between the differ
ent eVOlutiOns. The company won
frequent applause for the excellence of
it's lines and the precision of it's evoIu-
tons. During the bayonet drill the
audience became so uprOariOus in it's
enthusiasm, that Capt. Spear was COM
PEELED to request silence
At the conclusion of the drill the
judges returned to figure the score,
upon the points of formation, setting
up drill, bayOnet drill, school Of the
soldier, school of the company, manual
of arms, firing manual, appearance,
discipline, platoon drilling and inspec-
ton. A band would have enlivened the
occasion, but none was present.
Gen. Bend announced the name of
the winning company and the figures
of the score as above given, and pre-
scented the medal. He complimented
the companies upon their excellent
showing, and remarked that he himself
noted an improvement in the general
result of which he was proud. The
officers from Fort Smelling expressed
themselves as being highly pleased at
the efficiency of the troops.
There was soiae excitement at the
close of the drill when the vast crowd
made for the door The janitor Of the
building had omitted to open the large
doors on the Sixth street side and the
throng pushed heavily against the one
doorway. No one was injured, al
though many were frightened.