Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-12-18
DAILY KENNEBEC JOURNAL THURSDAY DECEMBER 1s 1902

"pdHy QudnucO as 01St1n-
sharpshooter: one as a sharp
shooter one as first-class marksman;
and eighteen as markmen.'
Company H, Waterville-The ap-
polrtment of now Second Lieut.. VIM.
sterling as inspector of rifle practice
mas proven a most excellent thing for
the company. Few men in the guard
have ever taken more interest in their
work than Lieut.. Sterling. He has
iabored early and late and under his
leadership an immense amount of pow
der has been burned. The cards show
that over 10000 rounds OF ammunition
was expended during the season. and
while such ans expenditure is not al.
ways productive of the highest results
1t is unquestiOnable proof of interest
and hard work on the part Of the
company. The returns show that nine
rembers of Che company Qualified as
sharpshooters; two as
sharpshooters: two as first-class
marksmen; and thirty-one as marks
men.
Company f, Skowhegan-The work
OF this company has been entirely I'M
satisfactory in respect to small arms
practice. According to the cards but
few of the company have been on the
range and nothing like systematic
practice has been carried out. A
change was made in company inspec-
tors during the season, but the change
appears to have been productive of
but little good. The company cannot
we'll drop to lower level in range
work, and this is ABOUT all there is to
encourage hope for better results an
other season. But $40 rounds of am
munition were expended this year as
against 1912 rounds last year."
Regarding the records made by the
Signal Corps and the Naval Reserves
Col. Dill has the following to say:
The work of the year in the Signal
Corps has been of an encouraging ma
ture and l am assured that the start
made this year will be followed by
more and better work the coming sea-
son. Under the lead of Second Lieut.
w. ID. Floyd small arms practice will
be kept on. Lieut.. Floyd has had
charge of the corps carbine practice
for some time and will see to it that his
inspector keeps the men at work. The
expenditure of ammunition is much in
excess of last season and has been used
to good advantage. The return of
qualification practice shows one distin-
guisned sharpshoOter; five first-class
marksmen; and four marksmen.
During the season the Naval Re-
serves has had a change of inspectors
of small arms practice and Lieut.. q.
Gu George r. Stevens now has charge
of work at the range. He is an Off
Ger who carries enthusiasm into his
work and will bring the Reserves to
standard in craftsmanship which will
not be below the high standard the di-
vision has attained in other branches of
military work. The division has ex-
pended 1886 rounds of rifle ammuni-
ton, as against 74S for last year. One
member qualified as first-class
marlssman and fifteen as marksmen."
The total amount of ammunition ex-
pended by several organizations for
the year 1902 was 13S,745 rounds, as
against S4,910 rounds in 1901, a gain of
53,S35 rounds.
In the matter of revolver qualifica-
ton the inspector general says:
Il have done all that l could to fos-
ter revolver shooting among the COM
missioned officers of the guard and it is
pleasing to find when the returns are
all in that the seasons work is by far
the best in the history of the Ma
tional Guard of Maine. Early in the
season the rules governing revolver
qualification were changed and the
years work shows the change to have
been beneficial. In the First Infantry
thirty-two officers qualified with the
revolver; in the Second Infantry
twenty officers qualified. This makes
fifty-two officers in the two regiments
to which may be added three from the
staff of the commander in chief and
one from the First Division. Naval Re-
serves, making total of fifty-six for
the whole guard. In 1901 thirty-six
officers qualified with the revolver; in
1900, eleven; in 1899, two; in 1897, fif-
teen. These figures. running back to
the palmy days of small arms practice
before the Spanish war, show the
growth of interest in revolver marks
manship. OF the fifty-sx who quail
fed this season, twelve are marksmen,
twenty-eight are experts and sixtesn
are distinguished marksmen. This in
dicates good progress and gives prom
Use tnaL one year HUH HON there VII
be still greater percentage of officers
in the National Guard of Maine who
know how to use the military service
revolver with precision"
New rifle ranges havs been built
during the year at Portland, Bangor
and Dover.
The company inspectors of rifle
practice says Col. Din, deserve hon
orable mention in a rep9yt of this char
acter. though the position which they
hold is wholly unofficial. Their duties
are assigned by detail, but so much de-
ponds upon the faithful discharge of
that detail that company commanders
should exercise particular care in their
selection In most cases the company
commanders realize the Importance OF
this. but there are instances where
company commander makes the detail
for the purpose Of I rewarding some
member of his company. and without
due consideration is to the fitness of
that man for the place. There are
some company inspectors today who
are good rifemen and DESTROYS of
bringing up the standard of their com
panies, yet they have not the time to
devote 10 range work and the COM
panies are retrograding in consequence.
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