Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-11-30
THE NATIONhL GUARD
Troops to Be EQUIPPED With Krag-
JorgensenRiae.
APPROVED BY CHIEF OF ORDNANCE
Captain S. PortereHo to Be
Promoted to- Major.
GOSSIP OF The ARMORIES

The troops of the District of Columbia
National Guard are to be equipped with the
new army rife, popularity known as the
Krag-Jorgensen. The local brigade will be
the first body of troops outside of the reg
ular army to secure the improved arm;
that is, in large numbers. Some few of the
caliber 80 arms have been sold to some of
the states. The chief of ordnance, United
States army, is authority for the statement
that the arms now in store, considering
the present output at the Springfield ar
mory and the prospective increase by In
crease of plant at that place and INSTALL
ment of the one at the Rock Island arsenal,
are deemed sufficient to meet the present
wants of the regular service and also to is
sue to the states for their National Guard.
If this issue is to be made without payment
of money to the credit of the states under
'armfng and equipping militia it Is point
ed out that an act of Congress will be nee
essary to put into operation the arming
of the whole of the state forces.
The District of Columbia National Guard
is on a different footing from state troops,
being organized under special act Of
Congress. No difficulty, it is stated will
be experienced i'll securing an issue of the
new army rifles sufficiently large to equip
the entire brigade. General Harries has
had the matter under consideration for
some time past and has just decided to sub
Stftute the krag for the old As caliber
Springfield rifles. 1t is understood that the
exchange will be accomplished within
very few weeks. rE.
First Use of Frag Rifle.
The brigade rifle team used the Krag
rifle at Sea Girt last September for the first
time in the history of the District National
Guard, and achieved unprecedented sue
cess 1t is believed that the arming of the
entire command with the new rifle will re-
suit in materially increasing interest in
rifle pra ctice all along the line. Much more
accurate work can be accomplished before
the targets with the Krag than with the
old arm and with much less damage to the
shoulder of the marksman, as the krag
does not kick nearly SO hard as does the
Springfield.
The present service rifle has met with
approval by the army at large. The sights
for it, first issued, We're not satisfactory
They have been changed to meet the needs
of accurate individual firing. The chief OF
ordnance of the army states that the time
has come when he can recommend, as he
has for some time, desired TO do, with
safety to the regular forces, the arming of
the state National guard with the new
rifle. The regular army navy and marine
forces are now armed alike, and the arm
ing of the state forces in like, manner will
complete a condition much to be desired.
For the forces named to be equipped with
different arms was an anomalous and not
a creditable state, according to the chief
OF ordnance. He thinks all the fighting
forces on which the nation relies should, so
far as practicable in the nature of the diff
ferent services, be armed alike.
Appointment to Fiji Vacancy.
The vacancy in the command of the LIST
Battalion is to be filed by the appointment
of Captain s. Porter House. 1t is only a
question of "a few days before he will be
Major House. M
Captain House is now, the commanding
officer of Company A. Est Battalion When
it was announced the 9th instant that
Major Lee had decided to tender his res
fgnation, it was a matter of conjecture as
to who would succeed to the majority Of
the battalion. Inquiry soon developed thai
not only most of the members of the COM
mand were in favor of filling the vacancy
by promoting Captain House. but that Gen
eral Harries was inclined the same way.
The new field officer has been connected
with the battalion for great many years
and is one of its most valuable, efficient !
and popular members. He has served
through all the grades from private up and
has been prominent in furthering the ath-
letic work of the organization.
Probable Inspector.
1t may be in the nature of disclosing a
secret to announce, thus early that the
chances are that First Lieutenant Pinkney
w. Smith, Company D, Sd Battalion-a
inspector Of rife practice of the 1st Battal- |
ion. Although Lieutenant Smith at the |
present time Is assigned to duty as assist |
ant to the commissary general of the mill |
tia, he is particularly well qualified to join I
forces with the depa rtment Of rifle practice. !
If all goes well he will be appointed to the |
vacancy caused by the recent resignation |
Of First Lieutenant Howard Beall. Lieut.. |
Smith Is to all lntents and purposes men, !
Der of the list Battalion, having served in |
the ranks of that organization for num- |
Der Of years.
The enlisted men of Company c, 4th Bat
talon, have been ordered to assemble the |
evening of December 3 for the purpose of !
e1ecting a second lieutenant
Sergeant Joseph w. Manning Company
D, I'd Battalion, and Sergeant John w |
Dayton. Company A, LIST Battalion, and Pri- |
Yates l.. P. Stuart and B. W. Weaver,
beth of Company A, Sd Battalion have been |
honorabiy discharged ON their own applica- |
lions.
In the interest of the service the fol- |
lowing have been discharged: Privates Jas. |
Fitzgerald and John O'Connell, both of |
Company B, ID Battalion, and Privates
Waiter l.. Lanier, Richard L. Minor, Ed
ward Morton, William H. Richardson and |
Robert L. Williams, all of Company B, 1st
Separate Battalion.
meeting OF the officers of the depart
ment of rifle practice will be held at militia
headquarters Monday evening of next |
week, when proposed radical changes in
the matter of rifle practice qualification !,
will be discussed
Modern Grandmothers.
From London Truth
Where are all the pretty old ladies gone?
We see no one now with saft white hair
the snowy wool with which dainty
hands, surrounded by ruf1es of lovely Mech
lin. &C., made comforts for the poor. One L
looks in vain for such figure in the fire.