The Washington times., 1902-06-15
THE COMPETITIVE DRILL.

ant dat a shame
4 measly shame
To keep yo honey out in dat rainl
open dat door an let me in:
I'm stani in here frcezin'-
Wet 10 de skin!'
SO sang more than 10000 young Wash
Egtonians in one grand chorus at the
American League Baseball Park We'd
nesday afternoon. while the entire High
School Cadet Regiment. under Col. H.
Edgar Barnes, stood at attention in a
furious downpour of rain on the field
then vast sea of ankle-deeo mud
and Commissioner Henry B. T. Mac
farland pinned the Captain Allison
Nailor gold and diamond medal upon
the breast OF Captain Fred g. Robinette.
of Company f. Eastern High School, the
winner of the annual competitive drill.
The rain began shortly after Company
c, the last on the field. started on its
program. 1t lasted llntil the last of the
bedragglei youngsters marched-or
rather slid-on the grounds. when the
sun came suddenly out bright and clear,
and rested for a single instant upon the
U
three men before they disappeared be-
hind the big gate. The field becaSe
tremendous sea of sticky, slippery MD.
in which the feet of the cadets slid un-
certainly about, in 4 very few minutes.
Every minute the downpour lasted it
grew greater. 1t took barely ten min
utes to drench the boys to the marrow.
Rnt
the least; not a single one of them gave
the slightest evidence of the fact that
they were not enjoying it equally as
well as a promenade on a clear day.
Commissioner Macfarland. accompan-
led by Captain Nailor, the donor of the
prize medal; Dr. Francis R. Lane. di-
rector of the Washington High Schools;
MIR. A. 7 Stuart. superintendent of the
public schools: Col Burton R. Ross. the
military instructor of the cadets. and
the board of judges, srolled UP their
pants slightly at the bottoms and ven
tured out upon the movable real estate
amid the hardest of the rain. When
Captain Robinette had brought his COM
pany to the front, Colonel Ross present.
ed the magnificent silk pennant to the
young commander. Commissioner Mac
farland then walked forward and pinned |
the coveted medal upon the breast Of
Captain Robinette.
Ali Companies Drilled Well.
During both days of the drill the eight
companies OF the regiment did sxceIlen;
work. Companies II. E. F. and C drilled'
the first day. and B. A. D. and c the
second. The latter company did partic-
ularly good work, despite the fact that
it was so greatly handicapped by being
Obliged to drill in the mud and rain.
AT the conclusion of the drill the
judges left the field to consider their
decision. This was the signal for the
entire regiment to march out and stand
at attention.
Presently the judges returned. ac- 8
con1panied by Commissioner Macfar-l
land. Dr. Lane. Captain Mailer, and {
Superintendent Stuart. After brief I
exchange of salutes, Regimental Ad- ,
jutant Bryan was given Instructions to 4
bring the captain of the winning com f
pany to the front. In a moment he had
started at brisk pace toward the CEN y
ter of the space between the battalions. I
Turned Sharply to Company F.
Suddenly the adjutant swayed-ever
SO slightly-causing a deep sigh to es-
cape from the anxious multitude. The !,
climax had come.
A moment later he turned sharply and !
advanced to Company F. of the East
ern. =
Instantly grandstand, bleacbers-ev-
erything-emitted an ear-splitting yell
that could have been heard blocks away.
Bedlam once more broke loose, as the
eagle of victory settled upon the ban ?
ners of the Eastern students. Central, u
Business. Western, and Tech had b
lost, but they knew how to take defeat .
Every person in that vast as
semblage howled as though his or her
life depended upon it.
For half an hour after the companies
had left the field the roar continued.
Finally the last of the spectators strag-
gled away. and the greatest competitive
drill ever held in the Capital of the
Nation was brought to close.