The times., 1899-05-20
ANNUAL DRILL OF THE CADETS
High School Companies to Contest
for the Allison Nailor Medal.

High School Companies to Contest
for the Allison NailOr Medal.
On next Thursday afternoon the first
company from the Central High School
will march on the field at the National
Baseball Park at o'clock to open the
competitive drill for the red ribbons and
the Allison Nailor gold medal, for the pos
session of which each company has been
drilling since the organization of the regi
ment last November The date originally
set for the drill was May "a and %.
The committee on parade of the Peace
Jubilee expressed a wish that the cadets
| should take a prominent part in the pa
rade on Tuesday next, and asked the au-
| thorities that they be allowed to partici-
| pate. The request was at first refused on
| the grounds that, coming on the day I'M
mediately preceding the drill, the long
march would fatigue the boys and make
1t impossible for them to put up as good
drill on the oath IS they would other
wise be able to do. The matter was car
| ried to the Commissioners by the Peace
Jubilee committee and the participation of
the cadets urged AS result the dates
of the drills have been changed, and the
Washington high schools will be repre-
sented in the military pageant next week
The boys are pleased, and, as one day will
elapse between the parade and the COM
petitive drill, there is no doubt that the
| companies will be able to render a good
account of themselves in the contest for
the prize banner.
The annual drill as in previous years
will be held during the afternoons of two
days. On Thursday the four companies
from the Central. Companies A. B. c, and
ID, will endeavor to keep the honors OF
the prize company in the mother school,
where IL has been since Company A. COM
manded by Capt. Charles Young, won
the drill last year. Each OF the companies
of the First Battalion, made up from those
at the Central, confidently expects TO show
its superiority over the others.
On the second day Companies F and C,
from the Eastern; Company E, from the
Business, and Company II, from the West
ern, in Georgetown, comprising the entire
second battalion. will show the results of
their hard work. and If the prize flag
does not change schools, it will not be
through any lack OF effort on their part
The entire regiment is In better form
this year than ever before, and the work
of the judges in deciding which company
is entitled TO the prize will not be an
easy task.
The first drill was held in 1SS7-SS be-
tween companies from the Central only
and was brought about through the efforts
Of Prof. Edward A. Paul. There were then
only two companies. which number has in
creased with the establishment of other
schools, to eight companies comprising a
regiment, with full complement of Of
ficers. Since 1890, the drill has been won
four times by the Central three by the
Eastern, and twice by the Western. A
number of former cadets have graduated
from West Point and Annapolis with
honors, while in the recent war with
Spain the ranks of the First District OF
Columbia Regiment were filled with boys
who made excellent soldiers on account
of their training in the High School Regi-
ment.