The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-05-16
DRILL WON BY DOYLE.
FIRST sERGTe OF IRISH JASPER
GREENS RECEIVED MEDAL
IN REGlMENTAL CONTEST.
COL. GORDON'S ADDRESS FEA-
TURE OF THE EXERCISES.

CGlNe0 - VI thC lNOhCS
Prizes offered for Best Drilled Man
in Each Company Team Were
Doyle, ArtIey, Walton, Kennedy
and BOrum.
The annual prize drill of the First
Regiment, which was held at the
Guards Hall last night. was won by
Sergt. ]. NJ. Doyle of the Irish Jasper
Greens, after one of the most excit-
ing and stubbornly fought contests
ever given by the regiment.
Second only to the interest manifest
ed in the outcome of the contest was
the interest commanded by the ad-
dress of Col. G.. A. Gordon, in deliver
ing the prizes. These prizes consisted
of the regimental gold medal to the
winner in the regiment, and S. in gold
to the last man left standing on each
team. These were Sergt. J. M. Doyle
of the Greens. Private w. H. Artley
of the Cadets, Corpl. S. B. Kennedy of
the Oglethorpes, Sergt. George D. Sem
ken of the Germans, Private Rooney of
! the Blues, the Emmets not being repre-
scented.
The five companies were represented
| by teams of four men each. The pro-
| gramme observed was the same as that
published in the Morning News. At
the outset it was announced that, ow-
| ing to the efficiency which the men
had acquired, the judges would throw
| out the competitors on the slightest
| mistake. By taking advantage of
technicalities the judges succeeded in
| thinning the ranks rapidly.
Survival of the Fittest.
The last five men standing were
| Sergt. Doyle of the Greens, Private
Artley of the Cadets, Private F. 5.
Walton of the Cadets, Corpl Kennedy
| of the Oglethorpes and Private Borum
| of the Cadets; and it looked as if the
Cadets would win. But gradually the
| thin line was depleted, until after ten
! minutes of continuous drilling, Borum
and Kennedy went out, in the order
named.
The last three men drilled very stead
| lily, and it was found next to impossi-
| BILE to dislodge them. Walton was
| finally thrown out for having his piece
a fraction of an inch in front of his
foot Doyle and Artley drilled for a
| long time, and it looked like a dead
heat or dead judges, when, after a siege
! of drilling that was trying on judges
and men alike but intensely interest
ing to the spectators, Private Artley
was finally dismissed on slight error
in execution, and the lone representa-
| tive of the Green's who had success
| fully moved down the three representa-
| tiVeS of the Cadets, was left standing,
| the winner of the regimental drill. Pri-
vate Artley is the holder of the Cadets
medal, and one of the best drilled men
in the regiment.
| Col. GOrdOn's Address.
In delivering the medal and the 9TH
| er prizes, Col. Gordon took advantage
of the excellent opportunity offered to
address the men on the subject of the
| Dick bill. The address was very inter-
! esting and instructive, and was re-
ceived with prolonged applause. Col
| Gordon did not discuss the question
from any other point of view than that
of the advantages accruing to the men
! by enlistment under the bill. The adj
dress embodies a comprehensive state
| ment of facts, CLEANED from a thorough
and intelligent study of the bill, and
the men considered themselves FORUM
ate to receive so able an exposition of
that phase of the much discussed sub
Ject Col Gordon, who presented the
| prizes, in the absence of Col. A. r.
| Lawton, said, in part:
When l was at Columbus, O., at
the meeting of the Interstate National
| Guard Association, Lieut. Col. Parker,
assistant adjutant general, acting I'M
| der instructions from the Secretary of
| War, appeared before the convention
to explain the features of the Dick bill.
| Gen. Goblin of Pennsylvania said he
desired to be informed upon one point,
and asked Col. Parker the following
| question:
What I wish to know from you.
sir, is, how this bill benefits the en-
listed man; what advantage does he
receive under the new law
You are representatives of the en-
listed men in the six Savannah COM
panies of the regiment. You are the
best drilled men in your various COM
panies, as is evidenced by your pres
ence as participants in this contest.
| 1t, therefore, seems fitting to explain
| to you how the Dick bill will benefit
the enlisted man.
THE militia of the various states
are now in transition stage and the
evolution is in the direction of better
things. We must progress, not retro
grade. With, everything else moving
| forward, 1t is impossible for US to stand
still.
Provides Instruction.
II take it you are in the military be-
| cause you are interested in military
work. We have no right to be paradinR
| about the streets and posing before the
| public as soldiers If we intend to evade
the real work of a soldier when given
the chance to do it. Granted, there
fore, that our ideal, and the goal to-
wards which we work, is a military
one, we must realize that the keynote
of all things military is efficiency; and
to be efficient we must prepare in adj
vance of the emergency; and to prop
erly prepare, we must be properly in
! structed- The Dick bill provides for
such instruction. 1t affords to the
young, jealous, ambitious enlisted man
the maximum of instruction in the min
imum of time. Under this instruction
you will improve much more rapidlv
than ever before, and will enjoy the
consciousness that you are making
genuine progrese, and are gradually
attaining high military standard
Your fellow-citizens will observe ana
appreciate this Improvement. ana
their pride and interest in your worlr
as soldiers will correspondence in
| crease.
Again. you will receive hetta,
equipment under the Dick hill Tba
United States government viii have
! spent this year on the militia 81 2O0 0oo
and you will receive this money in tbe
shape of better rifles, better 1Iniforns
and better accoutrements of all kinds
! in addition to a state encampment al
the expense of the government
There will also be a better chance
| for promotion The new law win necas