Evening star., 1903-07-27
First Assistant Postmaster General Wynne
spent Sunday here.
Signal Corps Creditable Record.

First Assistant Postmaster General wynne
spent Sunday here.
Signal Corps Creditable Record.
Once again the Signal Corps OF the Dis
trict National Guard has established a thor
oughly creditable record. Under command
of First Lieutenant William Niemeyer the
Signal Corps came to Leesourg last Mon
day. Communication with the rest of the
world was effected by tapping the telegraph
lines leading out OF Leesburg, necessitatinG
the running of more than mile of wire
from the camp. This and all the construc-
tiOns in and about the camp were complet-
ed soon after the arrival of the brigade.
and now everything ia moving along IN AN
even and systematic fashion. The camp Is
connected at all important points by Signal
Corps telephones, and the National Guard
switchboard has wire to the Leesburs
lcng-distance service. thus making II pos
sibie to telephone from camp to any place
in the United States having long distance
phone.
Signal Corps hea adauarters is indicative OF
business. An Office has been established
which Is conducted under practically the
same rules that maintain In the city offices
of telegraphic and telephone companies NO
one is allowed behind the counter except
men employed in the operation OF the pusi-
ness. and even members OF the organization
who are not required there for work are re-
fused adulittance.
The work of the Districts Signal Corps
has always attracted much attention, anu
this year the favorable comment ts general.
The command although small in numbers
has really accomplished wonders. and 1t ;s
doubtful If much better service could have
been rendered by regulars
Due to Lieut.. Niemeyer's Efforts.
This gratifying state of affairs is largely
attributable to the ability and efforts OF
Lieut. Niemeyer The latter although
young in years is a real campaigner- He
enlisted in the Signal Corps of the District
National Guard in January, lS.S. and
served until the outbreak of the war with
Spain, when he entered the volunteer serv-
ice of the United States as a private Of
Company B. lst District Regiment. While
at Tampa he was transferred to the balloon
detachment of the Signal Corps OF the
army and in a short time WAS promoted to
a sergeantcy. Lieut. Niemeyer remained on
duty with the Signal Corps in Cuba until
May, 1899, travelling all over the central
and eastern portions of the island. con-
structing and operating the military tele-
graph and telephone lines. Returning to
Washington, he re-entered the Signal Corps
of the District National Guard In turn he
was rapidly promoted to the grades Of
lance corporal corporal and sergeant In
the latter capacity he had charge Of the
telegraph system of the encampment Of the
brigade at Gaithersburg, Md. in 1900
Upon the resignation of First Lieut.. F..
Carroll Mattingly. Sergt Niemeyer was ap
pointed to the command Of the organiza-
ton. with rank of first lieutenant his COM
mission being signed by the President after
he had come to Leesburg. in July, 1901. The
encampment OF that year was his first ex
perience with shoulder straps but he pro-
duced results that were worthy OF a vet
eran.
Yarns Told the Recruits.
The veterans of the brigade are devoting
much Of their leisure moments to Impress
ing on the recruits the fact that the latter
should congratulate themselves that the
camp site changed to Leesburg from
the ground originally selected couple OF
miles in the rear Of Marshall Hall. Md. The
citizen soldier who only recently donned
the uniform is being regaled with wonder
ful stories of what happened SIX or seven
years ago. The new man listens with eyes
wide open to graphic accounts of how the
derma tophilus used to make his presence
felt at Fort Washington. This presence. 1t
is added. was very much felt The recruit
who fails to recognize the individual re-
ferred to by the name metioned is enlight
ened with the intimation that she-the pro-
noun is used advisedly-is none other than
the sarcopsyltuS, or 1t may be palmer to
make use of another surname. rhynchop-
rion penetranS. OF course, those recruits
conversant with foreign languages at onre
recognize that this little lady is the bicho
the chegie. the chigoe. or the earth flea.
Then again she is sometimes spoken of as
the gay and festive chigger.
Romance of the "Chigger."
Those guardsmen who attended the CAM
at Fort Washington are intimately
quainted with the chgger. 1t was a source
of the greatest annoyance 1t is the habit
of the chigger to proceed with its deadly
work for about two days before announc-
Ing that she has called. BY that time It
usually secures a good headway. and is
difficult to capture. The romancers of the
present camp declare that the chigger VAS
in the habit of first making her onslaught
on members of the ambulance corps. The
selection of the medical department as the
target Of her initial dastardly design is de-
clared to be but instance Of the charac-
terstic independence of the chigger: on all
occasions it displays the most exaggerated
degree of contempt for all members OF the
human family. At all events the consensus
of opinion Is that all the guardsmen. vet
Grams as we'll recruits. should be thank
full that the camp is again established on
the high and healthy ground of Loudoun
county, Va. not alone because the afore
said gay and festive chigger has been
avoided, but for a number Of other good
and sufficient reasons we'll c. F. c.