New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-03
THE ENGINEER REGIMENT.
4 vARIrGATED COLLECTION OF MEN
AT PEEKsKlLLA
ALI. SORTS AND CONDITIONS REPRESENTED. AND
MANY KINDS OF OCCUPATIONS

the open-a school Of the National Guard for
many years, and Camp Townsend the rem
DEVIOUS OF large part of the state volunteers
under the call Of President Mckinley. never
held the class of men as are quartered
there now, and the camp never presented the
appearance which II has taken on since the vol
unteer engineers made II their headquarters. The
view of the river is the same as IL has always
been and the echoes roll back from old Dundcr
berg as they did when Ad ant Genera, Town
serd selected the site. but there is an absence
OF spectacular effect about the place and an
cir Of martial business which stand out in
strong contrast with former encampmcnts.
One of the first things that strike the visitor
who has seen the Stat reservation at times
when the National Guard was stationed there
b the difference in the appearance OF Quality
Row" There is no elaborate display about the
tents no show OF prinkcd and perfectly got
up orderly IN front Of the commanders head
quarters. and the white house, upon which the
civilian outsider looked with the sacred
spot where the high officers Of The camp took
their meals and their sicstas. Is closed. In the
camp proper the raised tentfaps sho" mat al
though the floors Of the tents have been ire
tanned there are no cots there, and the men
sleep either on or rolled up in their blankets.
There is no such thing under the present man
agemcnt as strolling through the company
streets and the visiting civilian must make ms
observ atoms at long range. An officer explained
that this rule must be enforced because most
Of the enlisted men have no uniforms and could
not be distinguished by their officers from the
visitors
SERIOUS Lon OF RECRUITS.
Instead Of the regular drills and camp schools
Oh 20, iIia- 70 th, IL no IA
tied the camp, one secs squads. large and small
receiving rudimentary instructions and taking
lessons in the frst steps There is spirit Of
seriousness about IL all that pr"cud's laughter
at the most humorous situations Men look on
while a man teaches another how - Keep step
change step and walk properly. One may see
. master mechanic civil engineer giving
these first instructions to a brcklaycr or a hod-
carrier, or n young undergraduate training "a
who had been a plumbers helper AS one
such couple hoped skipped and jumped past
q group OF engineers "A few days ago. one OF The
company sang softly:
your night foot is lazy.
Your left foot is crazy.
But don't be unaisy; well !arn you 10 walk"
The humor was thrown away tn. group
which kept on until both men were tired.
There are now abou; AZ encampcd at the
engineers camp. The Officers are ali nechdhl-
cal electrical or civil engineers. electricians,
contractors or men who have had charge OF
large works. and the enlisted men are fair
representatives Of nearly all the trades and pro
LESSONS Men fresh from Yale. I>hich. Cornell
Princeton AID the Institute Of Technology
share the camp with mechanics laborers. sail
ors and workngmen from all branches Of bust
ness one detachment. which Was enlisted last
week. included contractors men, blac ksmiths.
mechanics carpenters. railroad men, students.
q woodsman. a hoster and a wheelwright
There is so much mechanical knovledge in the
three companies which have been organized
that any special work may be- performed
without outside aid, and when the twelve com
panes are completed there VIII be- material to
do anything. from building a stOn" wall 10 re-
pairing or making delicate mathematical instru-
hents. The men who enlist know that there
will be neither fun nor picnic about The service,
and that the man fresh from the university. al
though ~ knows all about his Part cular branch
plust stand ready to work with "A pick or "A
shovel next 20 Tho man who never advanced
higher in the mechanical world than to handle
biz pipe in a deep trench.
New York Philadelphia. Baltimore, Norfolk.
Boston. Washington. Newark and other cities
have sent representatives to IA, regiment and
all who cane must have been well Informed az
70 what would be required Of them. because
there have been no signs 90 regret on IN" part
Of tho men. who take t. the work a. though
the likcd IT,
The men ;ake their meals IN The mess hall
where he National Cuardsmcn were served dur
Ing the camp season but the scene there IS not
n il was in the STATE days