Evening star., 1898-09-06
The Ordeal That Confronts the Dis
triot Regiment Thursday.
DESIRABILITT OF MORNING ARRIVAL
A Rest in the Cars VIII Prove
Recuperative.
THE QUESTION OF RELIEF

| Inc c1tlZenS committees, naNiHS III CHoi Sc
the arrangements for the reception to the
! lst Regiment District of Columbia Volun-
| teers upon its return to Washington next
| Friday will meet al the Ebbtt House this
| evening. Composed as 1t largely is of rep
reseatative men, who keeniy appreciate the
responsibilities resting upon it. there is
TO doubt that calm and thoughtful con-
sideration will be given to the all-iEDort-
ant problems confronting it, and that wise
| Judgment will be exercised in attempting
their solution.
The present intensely hot weather and
| its promised continuance leads to gen
eraI sentiment against any reception that
| will compel the returning soldiers TO un-
| Gergo any over-exertion at time when
| it might result in physical danger to them
ard when it is understood what the reSl-
| ment must withstand in physical way pc
I fore it's arrival here those who believe IN
! a big ovation at the time of such arriVai
may hesitate in insisting upon IT.
Tharsday's Ordeal.
| Here is the program which the regiment
! mrst follow in it's journey from Montauk
| Point 10 Washington city: Thursday morn
| ing early the regiment will break camp
| and with its necessary impedimenta in the
way of equipment, minus the tents ana
bedding will be compelled to march three
| miles ever roads deep in sand to the ran
/ road. Colonel Harries has done everything
| in the power of mortal man to secure the
| transportation of his men to jersey tfty
| by boat but owing to the remarkable IN
| fiuences which seem to control the quar-
| ternlasterS department of the army there
| is. it is alleged, an agreement with the
| only railroad leading to Montauk that no
! boats shall land there.
| The Trip to Long Island city.
road is IA most thOrOuphly mis-
managed affair of its kind in the United
| States There are no tourist cars upon 1t,
| and the men must travel in day coaches.
The road is a single track, with numerous
side switches, and is 115 miles long, from
McLtauk to its terminus at Long Island
City. The entire line IS jammed with traffic.
This condition Is bad that New York
merchants win not enter into contracts TO
deliver supplies to Montauk unless they
are granted from three to five days for de-
lay. The trip from Montauk to Long Is
land City will take anywhere from five to
eleven hours. Major Neumeyer believes the
latter time will be required This delay
will be due, it is stated, to the constant
sidetracking of the train containing the
regiment to allow other trains to pass,
which IS conservatively estimated by those
having recent experience upon the road at
| once in every fifteen minutes.
Must Cross New York city.
Arriving at Long Island City, it will be
necessary to take the ferry boats to the
SD streer ferry. the east side of New
York 1t will then be necessary TO cross
the entire city of New York to either the
23d street, the Desbrosses street or the
Courtland street ferry in order to cross
| to Jersey City. The 23d street ferry will
probably be taken it is further uptown
| than the others. 1t may be arranged for
the regiment to take lighters here instead
| OF ferry ooats and be towed across North
| river to Jersey City.
| The only rest possible for the regiment
| will be after it enters the tourist cars at
| Jersey City in which ii is intended the men
shall make the journey to Washington.
| While tourist cars are not as comfortable
as PuIlmans, they Will doubtless be regal
| as resting places for the tired men who
have passed such an ordeal when they
reach them The ride at night. when the
! air is cool and refreshing will doubtless
| aid greatly in the recuperation of the men,
and II they reach here early in the morn
| ing, as now intended and expected, large
| proportion of them will probably be able
| to march up the avenue and receive the
| plaudits of the capitals population. The
I proposition to bring the regiment home in
| the afternoon between and ) o'clock is
secuted by all persons VINO have any ap-
| probation of the atmosphere on the
| avenue at such a time. 1t is always from
| ten TO fifteen degrees hotter on the asphalt
| between those hours than it is at any other
time of day, and the concrete is then pour
| ing off all the furnace-like heat it has col
| Iected during the soistice preceding Then,
| again, 1t is declared with much force that
| a late arrival of the regiment would pre-
| vent proper attention to those members of
| 1t who may require ministration.
| A Paramount Question.
| The question of preparing for the relief
| of District soldiers who will come back
| without other means than the pay they have
! just received, and who gave up their en-
| pioynent in order to take part In the ma
| tons war Is paramount one. The rep
! reseEtative of The Star at Montauk sent
| to this paper last week a list of about
| three hundred men in the regiment
who had given up their places for
| places in the ranks and had positions
| 70 return to. Such sacrifices are indicative
| of the real patriotism of American citizens
and 1t is incumbent upon the community
| that such men represent to see that they
/ do not suffer additiona. hardship after their
duty 10 their country and its flag is accom-
pi1Shed The course of The Evening Star
| In inviting assistance toward this COM
| mendable purpose has been warmly an.
plauded and substantially helped by the
| PUBIC but there is necessity for a still
1Grther response 10 the call, as the exigen-
cies which are so apparent will effec-
tUally demonstrate. 1t has been suggested
| as the active business season Is ABOUT 10
begin again, and many business establish.
ments will require additional help that
| their proprietors will endeayor to favor 1sr
| regiment soldiers in engaging new en-
plCy cS, pFONlQlnS, or course, they DOSSeSS
| the required qualifications of integrity and
ability.
A Graphic Recital.
| A quotation from The Stars correspond
\ ence sent from Montauk and published
| Saturday will be found particularly inter
| esting at this time:
| The systems of the men are run down.
| They are imprsgnated with malaria, and 1t
| Will take a long series of nursing to bring
| them back to the point of health necessary
| IoT the hard struggle of life. This is going
| 10 he especially severe on thu men in the,
| regiment who when they return to Wash
| ington are going to find themselves with
| out employment. There is probably a
| larger number of men in the regiment who
/ nave 40 certainty 10 look forward to in the
| ay OF work than the people of Washing
| ton have any idea of.
| When the call for service came these men
| nearly all gave up profitable PLACES and
| followed the flag. without much thought
| or what they would do when the war was
/ over Many of these men have families,
| ana when the mastering out day comes a
| serious problem will confront them Moth