Evening star., 1897-06-15


tion at south connection, 20. Distributing
department of rifle practice. and efforts
made to correct it.
Practical Instruction.
That the National Guard, and the En-
gineer Battalion in particular, are not for
ornamental purposes only is demonstrated
pretty conclusively by scientific work
now in progress. Company B, the con-
struction company of the battalion, is rap
idly completing bridge, designed by Com
pany c, to span a deep raVine that sep
crates the camp of the I'd Regiment from
that Of the 1st Separate Battalion.
Work on the bridge, which has a span Of
thirty-six feet, tegan yesterday morning,
and will be very nearly completed this
evening. The construction company has
supplied all its material, and has made al
mcst incredible progress in putting up the
bridge. When completed it will be a per-
manent and subs antial structure.
Visitors to camp should not fail to view
the work of the engineers, as it Is really
interesting sight. The location of the
bridge is but few steps from the road
that leads to the grounds where dress pa
rade Is held
Bill of Fare.
The commissary general has prepared,
the following bill Of fare for meals, in
cluding dinner today and dinner Thursday:
Tuesday-Dinner: Corned beef and cab
bage, potatoes, tomatoes, bread and butter,
bread pudding: supper: cold corned beef,
stewed prunes. bread and butter, coffee.
Observation-Disclosures: Liver and bacon,
hominy grits, baked potatoes, bread, but
ter coffee; dinner: vegetable soup, roast
lamb, potatoes, tomatoes, bread and but
ter, rice pudding.
Observation-Disclosures: Stewed evaporated
apples pork chops, fried potatoes, bread,
beef, potatoes, boiled beets, bread and but
ter.
= Fort Warrington Never More.
There is some talk among certain officers
of high rank, who ought to be in position
to know, to the effect that the District
National Guard will never again go into
camp at Fort Washington. The next time
the brigade is taken into the field for in
struc,ion, SO 1t is rumored, tents will be
pitched at ST eridsn Point, just across the
river from Fort Washington, In Virginia,
a new government reservation. The un-
derstandlng Is that Sheridan Point Is in
many ways more suitable for camp pur-
poses than is Fort Washington.
Although the brigade Is very mu IN
Smaller in size than was the. case at the
time of the enca mpment in June, 1875, the
percentage of attendance, compiled from
flgures taken from the morning reports and
filed with the adjutant general, Is nrtlceaply
larger tor the present outing. Not only has
attendance during the past five days been
very much larger than at the camp OF
1895, but 1t exceeds that of any camp ever
held by the District OF Columbia National
Guard. Another striking feature OF Camp
Washington Is the small number CT
guardsmen who have been reported absent
without leave. Thursday last, the nrst day
of the encampment, the numter OF absen-
tees without leave was but one-third OF
that OF the first day of the 1855 camp. and
the figures have been decreasing steadily
day by day.
Statistical Showing.
Out Of the aggregate strength OF the
brigade there were absent today without
leave less than fifty men. This Is a really
remarkable showing, and attests marked
Improvement particularly in discipline.
over the situation which prevailed in the
past. 1t further goes to prove that the
recent radical reorganization of the guard
was a wise and sensible step. 1t would
seem from the facts, as they exist today,
that all unsuitable material has been elm
mated, and that the brigade, as 1t stands
at present, is more compact and enicie 1t
than at any time since its birth, ten years
ago. Not one officer Is absent without
leave. This is as it should be. and should
not be classed as extraordinary, but II IS
cited to show the contrast of Camp WASH
ington with the camps of former years,
when several officers were absent without
authority.
Hoth Gen Ordway and Adjt. Gen. Mosher
are highly pleased with things as they now
exist On all sides the turnout and the
work of the brigades are the subjects of
&C mmendation. If the present standard Is
maintained, no complaint could possibly
be made.
Had there been church bell within
hearing of Camp Washington last night, 1t
would have been tolling the hour OF II
" hen one of two lieutenant colonies called
from within his tent for the corporal of
the guard. The corporal was responding to
a call from the sentinel Of the beach, long
distance from the tent of the lieutenant
colonel, and the call Of the officer, there
fore, did not meet with an immediate re-
sponse. He called second time and in
business-like tones. The sentinel walking
was repeated from sentinel to sentinel
along the line, until II finally reached the
ear Of the corporal.
Couldn't Douse the Glim.
After a lapse of about twenty minutes,
during which time the lieutenant colonel
kept calling, the tone growing more saw
age each instant, the corporal reached the
scene in double-Quick time and came to
halt in a well-nigh breathless condition.
The outcries aroused all the inmates of
tents for some distance around, and many
placed themselves in a position to hear and
observe all that might transpire:
Corporal, why is that light kept burn
ing?" Queried the lieutenant colonel. in
tones far more emphatic than dignified.
ut has kept me awake ever since I re-
tired"
What light DO you mean, sirr' asked the
why, that light or to the right that is
shining through my tent" next said the
lieutenant colonel. in q voice which could
not have possibly been mistaken for cour-
teous.
The cornoral hacked ofP n fav stona ana