The San Francisco call., 1899-09-24
CALIFORNIA VETERANS
ARE TURNED DOWN
WHAT BECAME OF THE NAMES
SENT THE GOVERNOR.
Talk About the First Regiment-The
Page-Street Armory Is Ready
for Its Reception.

The First Regiment of the California
Volunteers, formerly the First Infantry
Regiment Of the National Guard, has been
mustered out of the service of the United
States and the officers and men have re-
turned to civil life. There were a number
Of the officers of the regiment who had
expressed desire to return to the volun-
teer service, provided they would be COM
missioned. And il was expected that sew
eral of these would receive commissions
from the chief executive Of the State
Colonel Duboce sent a number Of names
to the Governor for commissions in the
new regiments of volunteers, but not one
Of these was honored. The wonder is what
became of them. The members of the
regiment as a whole feel somewhat NOR
tined that the first regiment that was or
dered into foreign service should have
been turned down.
The indications are that within two
months the First Regiment of the Ma
tional Guard will be reorganized and that
nearly all the officers who entered the
volunteer service will report for duty un-
der the provisions of the act of the LegiS-
lature granting them the opportunity of
re-enter1ng the service of the State at any
time within 80 days after being mustered
out of the volunteer service. Many Of
these officers while in the foreign service
have outlived their commissions and there
Will have to be q number of elections in
companies, but how many OF the officers
whose commissions have run out will
stand for reelection is unknown, as it is
stated that some of them will not con-
tinue in the guard; that they will simply
report for duty and then resign. The late
colonel Of the First Volunteers will re-
enter as lieutenant colonel, which posi-
tion he held at the time he enlisted in the
volunteers as Brigadier General James f.
Smith is still the colonel. Unless he should
resign upon his return he would, If he re-
entered the guard, resume his position as
colonel of the regiment.
Whenever the regiment does return to
duty II will find the armory at Page and
Cough streets in as good condition as it
was when 1t marched away from there
fifteen months ago. The property of the
tanned therein has under special orders
been in charge of Major Jansen, brigade
inspector of the Second Brigade, and un-
der his directions Charles M: Sheldon,
the old-time armorer of the First, has
been the care-taker, occupying the big
building all by his lonely day and night.
The company rooms are in as good condi-
ton as they were when occupied, the only
difference being that the lockers have
been emptied of full-dress uniforms and
other property, all Of which has been
carefully stored away in the large store
room on the upper floor. In the company
rooms the lockers of those soldiers who
laid down their lives in the service Of
their country are draped in mourning AS
soon as the regiment is ready to return to
the armory everything will be replaced
just as 1t was before the war. In the
QfllIrOOm thefe are ABOUT Two hundred
and fifty rifles in the racks, of which
about one hundred and fifty are service
able in case of emergency, several cases
containing rifles that are unfit for service,
and any, number of boxes Of curios from
the Philippines that were brought from
there by the officers Of the First. There
is also memento of the war which will
probably remain in the armory. 1t is an
old-fashioned brass swivel gun mounted
on a truck. which from its construction
must be. one, of the guns placed on the
islands by the Spaniards two hundred
years or more ago.
The veterans of the National Guard at
their last held meeting admitted to men,
bership ex-Sergeant v: j. Fell. Second
Artillery; eX-Corporal w. w. Thompson
of Company G., First Infantry, and Lieu
tenant Colonel F. A. Vail of the brigade
staff. Brigadier General c.. F. A. Last,
First Brigade M. H. Gaffrey. and s. Ro-
senthal re-entered the association.
Advances made furniture and pianos, with
or without removal. J. Noonan. 1Oi7-lo23 Mission
Mexico has an area of 751 900 square
miles nearly npe-fnI1rfh that nf ba