The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-06-12

Reeve that the men should familiarze them
selves with the new weapon as soon as pos
slcie, and orders were issued to the captains
tc give tie men instructions. So this morn
ing, III every company street, files OF soldiers
We're drawn up and the captains and lieuten-
ants explained to them the differences be-
tweent the new and the old rife.
Maj. Bean took an active part in the matter
enG spent nearly the entire morning deliver
ing lectures in the company streets. The
major understands the new rifle oIoughly
and his talks were practical and to thu
point. There many men in the regiment
who never have fired a gun and who are
utterly ignorant of the proper way to handls
one.
When company is lined up it is very sy
TO detect these. Their rides are out OF al
lignment; they are raised too high or lowered
too low, and the men hold them in such
way that If they were to he discharged they
would recoil and knock off their owners noses
or out an eye. These mea are the especial
mark OF Maj. Bean, who takes pains to show
them why they should hold their rides differ
emily, and he Will take gun from a man
and spend ten minutes, if necessary, explain
ing the thing to him. OF course a ia k to
the man is a talk to the whole con pany, 81
time spent in that way is not was ed, and
it is interesting to see how closely the L g l
follow instructions. Every man N the gi-
ment is anxious to learn to fight and there
is not an officer who is not glad to give them
pointers The new Springfield is excellent
rifle and can Kill at a mile.
capt. Mckelvey, of Company NJ, likes TO
tell his st. Cloud boys what he knows of war
fare. body of regulars was having a dri
in volley firing on the Preside hill yesterday
afternoon, and all the men in the reei ne 1T
were watching it with keen inter, st. Nearly
half minute elapsed between the puffs of
smoke and the report. and Capt McKelvey
ted the men low easy it was to dodge DULLES
at such distance.
"You can dodge bullets" he said Eat q
hundred yards"
The smoke shows the course Of the bullet
and can dodge 1t easily If he act;
promptly. He mustn't lose time though"
The lack of prac ice in firing on the par:
of many men in the regiment is apprec ated
by the officers, but the scarcity of ammuni-
ton has precluded ta.gst practice. Now, low
ever. the government has authorized Col.
Reeve to use 10000 rounds of ammuni n
for that purpose, and the recruits will be
sent to the target range at the Preside t,
take lessons in firing.
The revolvers which were dealt out to the
officers are poor lot and there is much
complaint about them. With the except on
of few they had all been condemned, blu:
when the demand for reviewers cane the gov
eminent had none other on hacd and had
to issue them. Some utterly worthless
and will be used merely as ornaments. Maj.
fortunate as to secure good wea pons, and they
are envied by their brother officers
1T Is an outrage" said eff ,er today,
that the United States government. should
have to send its soldiers into the field with
insufficient ammunition and Inferior weapons.
This war will result at least in the awaken
ing of legislature to the necessity OF
result in the establishment of a dsfnte war
policy that will place us on an equal foct-
ing with any power in the world
Evan NJ. JONES.