Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-05-21
FEELEFFECTOF HEAT
THE HOURS of DRILLING At CAMP
LEE REDUCED.
SOLDIERS GIVEN AN EVENING OUT.
Allowed to Spend Few Hours With
Friends Down-TOwn-Two-T
Now Preparing Their own Food
Editors I'm Camp.

The heat at Camp Lee yesterday was
more intense than during any day the
troops have been there, and the men
suffered considerably.
Five hours drilling-two and one-half
hours In the forenoon and the same
length of time in the afternoon-is very
severe exercise. If any one doubts 1t let
him ask the opinion of one Of the volun-
teers. On the advice of the surgeons
Yesterday. the number Of drill-hours was
reduced TO two and half. the men not
being sufficiently Injured to such active
exercise to admit OF so much Of 1t In the
broiling sun.
GOOD PLACE FOR RECRUITS
The companies that have not been mus
tered in. owing to lack of men, are re-
| cruiting rapidly. Captain NJ. b. Rowe. of
the Fredericksburg company. returned
from that city Thursday night, bringing
fifteen recruits for the Alexandria com
pany. Every one of the number passed
the physical examination. This will near
ly complete the strength of the company,
day. member of the company said yes
terday they were all well and happy, and
expected TO go to work for Uncle Sam
to-day.
Captain Rowe brought back to camp
with him his beautiful Great Dane dog,
'Penwiper," probably so named owing
to the resemblance of his white coat,
splotched with black, to a penwiper The
dog is admired and petted by all the Of
ficers and men in the company.
Captain Rowe is a stakeholder in the
Fredericksburg Free Lance. Captain r.
E. Freeman, Of Company II. Danville. is
also a newspaper man. being editor OF
the Register, Of that city. Captain w. p.
Kent. of Company D. Wytheville. is an
other newspaper man. who has taken to
soldering Captain Rowe was a member
of the General Assembly from 1889 to 1892.
GIVEN AN EVENING OUT.
Lieutenant Colonel Roller issued an Or
der yesterday granting leave to all en-
listed men, not on duty between the
hours Of $50 and II o'clock yesterday af-
ternoon. The men had been working
very hard the past few days, and had
been kept quite closely in camp. Camp
Lee was nearly deserted during the hours
named, and the streets were correspond
ingly crowded.
A mess hall for the use of the officers
was being erected yesterday not far from
the Auditorium. 1t will be occupied to-
day.
The officers in camp are going to make
a determined effort 10 have the street |
railway company sell soldiers ten tickets |
for % cents. The men, many of them, |
have little or no money. but have to come |
downtown, so they frequently ask their |
officers for the fare. The latter are quite |
willing to bear the expense of their share, |
but say they think the railway company |
should also be willing TO contribute. 1t |
can do this by giving four extra tickets |
with every % cents worth purchased. 1t |
is thought the company will make the re-
duction.
PREPARE THEIR OWN FOOD.
There arenow in camp twenty-five
drawing rations and cooking
them, and there is little or no complaint
of poor feeding. There is also beginning
to be a better understanding of the
causes of the execrable fare supplied in
the mess hall before the men drew their
rations. Colonel Coulling and Lieutenant
Price never contemplated having to feed
more than 500 men in one day, but COM
panies kept crowding in, and the cooking
utensils, for which requisition was made,
old not arrive. Finally, Colonel Coulling
and Lieutenant Price purchased these,
and the men were set TO cooking for
themselves as fast as possible. Each of
these officers has been untiring in pro-
viding for the men. and If either has
been the subject of criticism it is emil
nently unjust.
Miss Baker, Colonel Bakers daughter,
spent several hours in camp yesterday,
making good use of her kodak, trying to !
catch some Of the striking views which
presented themselves on every side. She
has just arrived from Woodstock, and
will remain in the city several weeks
visiting relatives.