Evening star., 1901-05-11
Arrangements Complete for Selection
Of Brigade Rifle Team.
ORDWAY RANGE OPEN FOR PRACTICE
Organization to Become Auxiliary
to Regular Army.
DISCHARGES FROM SERVICE

| Major James E. Bell, inspector general
| of rifle practice, District of Columbia mill
| tia has completed the arrangements for the
| selection of brigade rifle team for the pres
| ent season. The inspector of rifle practice of
| the 1st Regiment will be directed to select
| not exceeding eighteen officers and men
from the 1st Regiment, the inspector of
| rifle practice of the I'd Regiment not eX
ceeding twenty-five from the I'd Regiment
and the inspector Of rifle practice Of the
1st Separate Battalion not exceeding three
from the 1st Separate Battalion for pre-
liminary practice, and will report the
names of the men selected by them to the
inspector general Of rife practice not later
| than May 20.
The officers and men selected for this
practice, and all officers and men who
were members of the brigade team of 1900,
will be considered as on detached duty
| from their respective organizations during
! the time they retained on the practice
roll, and will report to and obey the or
| ders of the inspector general of rifle prac-
| tice.
Thursday, May 1s; Saturday, May IS,
and Tuesday, May 81, the Ordway
range will be open at 1:30 o'clock pm. for
| voluntary practice Thursday, May %;
| Saturday, May %. and Tuesday, May 2S,
| the range will be open at 2:15 o'clock pm.
| Tor competitive practice, in which the al
| ternates of the brigade team of 1860 and
| the officers and men selected from the
regiments and separate battalion will par
| ticipate, firing score of seven shots each
| at 200, 800 and 900 yards. Sighting shots
will be permitted only on pool targets.
| The range will be closed at $50 o'clock
| pm. each day.
| Reducing List of Candidates.
After the conclusion Of practice May 2S
the inspector general Of rifle practice will
| ~ sole raIt ha ,hay- nP
dates to a total of twenty -four, including
! the members Of the brigade rifle team of
| 1860, who shall continue practice on such
| schedule as may be presented, and from
| whom shall finally be selected a brigade
| team of twelve principals and four alter
mates to represent the brigade in any COM
petition that may be entered into during
| the season. Members of the brigade team
| will not necessarily be under any personal
expense, provision having been made for
| transportation and subsistence while alb
| sent from the city.
| The inspector general of rife practice
| may at any time relieve any from
| duty as candidate or as a member of the
| team without assigning any reason there
for, and If he deems it desirable, select
| men to fill vacancies.
| Competitors will be required to wear uni
form while engaged in preliminary compe-
| tltion. The wearing of uniform while at
| voluntary practice is not essential.
| The range will be open Tuesdays, Thurs
| days and Saturdays during the months of
June, July and August from 2:15 o'clock
pm. till 6:3O o'clock pm. for voluntary
practice. An inspector of rifle practice will
be in attendance and on request will GER
tify scores to be credited part of the
required practice.
Won by Lieut.. CoOkson.
The competition in the rifle gallery last
evening, open to the high-score men in
each of the regular indoor matches Of the
| W. W. Cookson. inspector of rife practice
of the 9th Battalion, with a total of 1914.
! The other competitors and their scores
were: First Lieut. Horace NJ. Bell, in
spector of rifle practice of the I'd Battelian,
1SS: Major William E. Harvey 9th Bat
talon, 1s5: First Lieut.. Frank w. Holt
quartermaster of the 9th Battalion, 1885,
First Lieut. w. Milton Farrow inspector
of rifle practice of the 4th Battalion, 49,
and Capt. Sheridan Ferree, Company d,
9th Battalion 1S2.
Auxiliary of the Regular Army.
1t is learned at the War Department that
to Assistant Secretary Sanger. who, as an
officer of the National Guard of the state
of New York, has given much consideration
to the subject, has been assigned the duty
of devisng some system which will make
1t possible to utilize the National Guard of
the country auxiliary of the regular
army. The work is to be taken up pre-
liminary to recommendations to be sub
mitted to Congress next December.
Assistant Secretary Sanger has received
a number Of propositions from National
Guard sources, and the department is in
a position to listen to the suggestions and
recommendations Of army officers who
have given thought to the important sub
ject. 1t is pointed out that the difficulty
has always been in devising a plan which
meets with the approval of the National
Guardsmen If the state authorities can
be induced to agree to the authority of
Congress in a reorganization of the militia
on a uniform basis the principal block will
be removed. The proposition which has
most impressed the assistant secretary is
one which contemplates such an agree
ment as the initial step to an effective al
lance between the army and the militia.
If that could be accomplished it would be
possible to give practical and substantial
encouragement to the artillery, infantry
and cavalry commands which each state
will be expected to furnish.
The militia organized and equipped with
a view to employment under the national
government would have annual periods of
practice and drill at army posts-those of
the artillery, of course, going to the coast
fortifications. The instruction would be
along practical lines and, it is believed
could not but be of immense value to the
state troops which form what might be
called national reserve force. This is
only a proposition, but is said to be a gen
eral plan which seems to offer much Of
value.
Transferring of Old Uniforms.
1t is announced that recent experiments
in New York state by DR.. William G. Bis
sell, bacteriologist of the department Of
health at Buffalo. and at one time surgeon
of the 74th Regiment, New York National
Guard, has developed the fact that con-
sumption and other diseases are con-
tracted through transferring of old uni
forms, custom that is quite preva-
lent in the National Guard. The Scien-
tifc experiments he made inter-
esting. The uniforms of three privates
and the overcoat of one officer who had
left the regiment suffering from pulmonary
tuberculosis were soaked in distilled water
until a sufficient sediment from each gar
ment was obtained. This injected into
sixteen guinea pigs. Seven died within for
ty-eight hours Of acute septic disturbances.
Microscopic examinations of the LESSONS
were made and pure cultures of the bacillus
tuberculosis were obtained. The animals
which contracted the disease were inocu-
lated with the centrifugated sediments OBJ
tained from the right-hand pocket Of the
officers overcoat, who had died of con-
sumption.
The statement Is made that it is impos-
sible to guard against this spread of dis
| x1r.-