Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-01-17

| adopted just prior to the Spanish War
and under which practice was con-
Quoted last year. The National Guard
being made up of men who render
| 2ratuitous service to the State for all
save five days. during encampment.
the State cannot make undue demand
on the time Of these men for rifle
| shooting. For this reason, the at
| tempt to get all the men of a company
| OIL the range in one day or two days
proved failure. In the Guard men
| have to take time for range work SO
that it VIII not interfere with their
daily avocations. Where one man can
! use the early hours Of the day, another
| must then be at his work and where n
third can get away for a couple Of
hours at noon, the man he covers in
his set Of fours finds that his busiest
time in the day. 1t was with full APP
probation of this that the rules were
| changed, making it possible for a
soldier TO qualify at any time during
the season, the only stipulation being
that a commissioned officer should be
present and certify the scores. Wheth-
er further changes will be necessary
can better be told at the end of
another seasons trial. The rules have
apparently worked well enough to
justify the belief that if more thor
oughly understood they would secure
the desired results. If company COM
manders will bear in mind that the
whole season is open for qualification
and not put off till the closing months
their final qualification practice. it will
be found that the reports to this office
vii! be much longer. Some men have
spare time for range work in the
spring who find it impossible to ge:
practice in the fall?i The spring is,
therefore. the time to cultivate these
men and little thought along these
lines will add greatly to the strength Of
any organization.
With few exceptions, the various or
CARNATIONS have shown increasing in
tel est in rifle shooting and have ex-
pended much more ammunition than in
any year since the routine of the
Guard was interrupted by the Spanish
War. This augers well for another
year and gives those who are laboring
for the upbuilding Of a high standard
announcement to use added energy"
organization in detail. OF the First
and Second Infantry in general, Colonel
Dill says: t
The First Infantry, with the excep-
ton of one or two companies has done
very satisfactory work the past year,
and, with the machinery well in mo-
ton, should show even better results
another season. Col. Lucius H. Ken
xJnh l.
evinced much interest in rifle shooting.
In Lieut.. John J. Dooley the regiment
has an inspector of rifle practice who
has spared neither time nor energy and
| his exceptional executive ability has
done much to raise the standard of
rifle shooting in the First. The regiment
expended 1904 rounds Of ammunition,
az against 31,915 the previous year.
while in some Companies the Second
Regiment has set fast pace, there are
other companies which have been lag
ging in the procession. To quite an
extent I attribute this to the lack OF
regimental inspection consequent upon
the loss of Lieut., Olin NJ. Smith. who
gave up the post Of regimental inspector
| Of rifle practice to accept a battalion
adjutancy. the Office of inspector dying
| with his vacation thereof. It Is my de-
sire to overcome this difficulty by Sc
curing the detail OF an efficient officer
as acting Inspector of rife practice,
| feeling sure that the various companies
| would appreciate his support and as
/ sistance. Several things have initiated
against a good seasons work in the
/ Second. but Col. E. f. Newcomb is too
good rifleman himself to underesu-
mate the value Of good target work and
next year will tell different story"
| Colonel Dill in his references to the
work Of the companies in Augusta,
/ Gardiner. Waterville and Skowhegan,-
! says:
Co r, Augusta. expended 1850
rounds of ammunition. The company
made an excellent showing. despite the
fact that for nearly the entire season
the company inspector. Sergt. F. =.
Lovejoy. was absent from the state
Capt. d. w. Lovejoy and Lieut.. c. NJ.
Written are both excellent riflemen and
their proficiency has stimulated work
! on the range and largely helped to I'LL
! the place of the company inspector
Twenty-seven men qualified as marks
men: one as first-class marksman and
three as distinguished sharpshooterS-
All three officers qualified with the re-
volver.
Go. A. Gardiner. is at last ready for
good work on the range, thanks to the
Individual work Of Capt. F. B. Thomp-
son. Capt. Thompson has been endeav-
oring to secure proper range facilities
ever since he took command Of the
company and he has finally succeeded.
Through the effort of those interested
in military affairs in the city. the city
government was induced to appropriate
y sum. not to exceed two hundred dol
lars for the construction Of rifle
range. Several sites were looked over
but found impracticable. The site IL
nally chosen was across the Kennebet
in Randolph but within ten minutes