The Washington times., 1901-09-28
NATIONAL GUARD AFFAIRS
Preparation for the Annual Ord
way Range Matches.
Wide Public Interest Manifested in
the Approaching Event - hnhS
Prizes Offered by Local MerchnHts
The Commissioners to He Invited.

js greater than IL has ever before been IN
connection with these events. The sweep
ing victory of the District rihemen at
Sea Girt has attracted general attention
to this branch of the work of the citiZeh
soldiery.
1t is planned to have on the last DAY
of the Ordway meeting, match between
teams of marksmen representing inc
National Guard organizations of New
Jersey. Maryland and the District OF
Columbia. Gen. Bird Spencer. President
of the New Jersey State Rifle Association,
under whose auspices the annual matches
at Sea Girt are held. will be present. as
will Governor voorhees,. Of New Jersey
and a number of officers of the National
Guard of that State.
An invitation to attend the matches
will probably be extended the Commits
sioners of the District of Columbia Spe-
ciaI efforts will be made to have the gem
eral public also witness the matches
Major James e. Bell. inspector general
of rife practice of the District militia,
has practically perfected the arrange
ments for the matches. This year
number of prizes will be awarded to the
| winners of each match and to the men
who make the next highest scores From
merchants of the city a number of prizes
have been donated
One of the important events of the pro-
gramme is the Merchants match, to be
shot at 200 yards, and open to all men
who have not performed duty with the
/ brigade team. In addition to that match
| there will be events for company teams
of five. for battalion teams of six. regi-
mental teams Of six, and the General Ord
way skirmish match fer battalion teams
! of ten men.
The Washington match is open to any
\ enlisted man who never won an individual
medal or trophy in any outdoor rifle
| match. 1t will be shot at 200 and 500
yards, five rounds at each distance The
winner will receive gold medal present.
cd by John II. Magruder.
The r. Harris & Co. trophy match in
/ 2Oo, 800, 500 and 6oo-yard stages is open
| to ali commissioned otficers and enlisted
men of the District National Guard. Five
rounds will be fired at each distance. The
prize is silver cup presented by r. Har-
ris s; Co. The trophy is to be held by
the winner for one year. The successful
contestant will also receive a gold medal
| from the same firm.
| All officers and enlisted men of the
| District Militia are eligible to the May
match unless they have previously won
the gold medal presented by Gel. Henry
May. The distance is 200 and 500 yards,
ten rounds at each stage.
The rifle championship Of the District
| of Columbia will be decided in the Sena-
! toriaI trophy match, open TO all officers
and enlisted men of the District Militia.
The distances are 200 800, 500 and 500
yards. and a twenty-round skirmish run.
The trophy is a silver cup presented by
twenty-one United States Senators. The
winner of the match will be presented
I a
champion rileman of the District of Col
umbia-
The Evening Star, match is open to all
officers and enlisted men who have not
previously won the event. The distances
are 200. $50, 800 and coo yards. five rounds
| to be fired at each stage. The prize is a
gold badge.
in the Distinguished Marksman match
the KraS-Jorgensen rifle will be used eX-
clusively. This match will probably be
productive of the highest scores made
during the meeting. The distances are 200.
800, so and 6J0 yards. five rounds to be
| fired at each stage. and two skirmish
runs of twenty rounds each. The winner
will be given valuable gold medal do
mated by the late Col II. l.. Crawford.
The GersteHberg trophy match is open
to all members of the National Rifle AS
men of the District of Columbia. The
prize is handsome loving cup, presented
by Ernst Gerstenberg The Krag- Jorgen-
sen .30-calibre and Springfield As cali
bre army rifles will be used at distances
of 500 and 800 yards, fifteen rounds at each
distance. The trophy will become the
property of the rifienan winning it three
times. n medal also viii be awarded the
winner
There Will be another event open to all
members of the association. In this
match ten shots will be fired at 200 yards.
and the same number at 300 yards. The
first prize of SIS is donated by Woodward
&c LothroD.
The winner of the revolver match. open
to all officers and enlisted men of the
District Guard, will receive a prize of s..
Ten rounds will be fired at fifty yards
Conditions governing the revolver asso-
citation match are the same. The prize IS
.3S-calibre Smith & Wesson target re-
yover.
Major Bell on Thursday last. in COM
pany with Alexander Grant, Assistant
Superintendent of the Railway Mail Ser
vice, and Mr.. Lyman, appointment clerk
OF the Treasury Department witne ssed
the international yacht race from the
deck of the U. S. S. Algonquin.
quite pleasant surprise is in store for
the team of Company \, First Battalion.
which won the tyro match at Sea Girt
In addition to the prize. they received a
beautiful engraving. Lieut.. \. N. AMI
Il. Collcday viii each receive handsome
bronze medals. The medals have been
forwarded to Major Bell from Col
Thomas II. Keller, of the Peters Cart
ridge Company, OF Cincinnati which Of
fered the prize in the tyro match.
During the past week several battalions
nave Completed, 1T the OTd~ay range,
their regular ordered practice. on Mon
day last the First Battalion took range
practice. sixty strong. on Tuesday forty
three members of the Second and five
members of the curtailed Third Battalion
were at the range. On Friday the Fourth
battalion proceeded to the Ordway range |
sixty in number. Today the general staff
will report for practice and the remain
der of the brigade will report next week |
BY far the most noticeable object at
National Guard headquarters now is the
Hilton trophy. This is the substantial
reward OF the great uphill fight the Dis
trict OF Columbia rifiemen made at Sea
Girt. The trophy is slightly dingy but "A |
pleasant sight for the boys who made such |
an effort to gain it. IL was received sew
eral day ago. a short time after the ship |
ment to New Jersey of the Interstate tro- |
ply. THE Soldier of Marathon" which |
occupied a pedestal at headquarters The |
great shield. upon which is depicted a |
buffalo hunting scene. rests on n huge |
easel. In few days IL will be cleaned |
and FURNISHED. As long as it remains in |
the possession of the District Guard il |
will be given the best of care
The fact that Col. Theodore Mosher, ad-
1utant general of the District militia is |
back at his desk at headquarters is a |
matter of qualification to every member |
ing down to the traditional high private |
in the rear rank" Colonel Mosher was |
given leave of absence several months |
ago that he might attempt to improve his |
somewhat broken health. 1t was thought |
at the time by many that his connection |
with the National Guard had ceased for |
good After considerable time spent at |
warm Springs, Va, he so far improved |
as to be able to resume his work He re- |
turned to Washington on the 23d instant |
Major Ourand, who had been acting ad- |
1utant general. was at once released from |
duty that c3nacitV