The Republican journal., 1903-10-29

ladies sit on the broad verandaS OF the
range house and have cake, lemonade,
etc.
Yearly from each company in the
army the best shot is selected to be
sent to some post designated by the
Department Commander in the mill
tary department in which his regiment
is serving to meet for what is termed
the department competition. From
these expert ritlemen the four best are
sent to Fort Sheridan, ILL.,, to enter the
contest for the Army Team. There are
eight military departments in the Unit
ed States. and one competitor from
Porto Rico makes the number of COM
petitors SO. These are the men who are
to fight to finish the question OF who
are the ten best shots in the U. 5.
Army 1t is close and exciting
struggle, Each night from the office
of the Signal Sergeant the summary of
the days shooting is flashed over the
wires to the various regimental head
quarters scattered from Maine to Cali
fornia.' and from Florida to Alaska,
where anxious friends of the regimen
tai favorite read the bulletin with va
rious feelings of exultation or dlSap-
pointment. OF these SO contestants the
ten who stand highest constitute the
Army Team for that year. The team
usually goes to Sea Girt, n. j., to con-
test with the crack teams of the various
States. | could give more detailed
account of the exciting contest to one
of military tastes but fear it might be
dull reading to those not interested III
such things.
The Artillery have gone to Camp
Douglass, Wisconsin, for their practice
season with cannon, returning III time
for the fall manoeuvres at West Point,
Kentucky. where a Blue Army and a
Brown Army, Major-G John
Bates in command. carry on a mimic
war. These campaigns, which occupy
about three weeks time, are considered
most instructive. giving experience to
both officers and men, preparing them
for many eXigencies when the real
thing" confronts them, as there are
many things impossible to learn IN
drill-room at barracks.
Every pleasant night we stroll cut to
watch retreat at the quarters, when
every company stands at attention,
the company parades. the 1st Sergeants
call the roll, the sunset gun is tired, and
as the immense flag is lowered from the
tiagstaft the band plays star Spangled
Banner while all pay tribute to their
flag with head uncovered, The com
panies then march to the general parade
ground, ana different drills are gone
through each night. accompanied by
the band. Some of the drills are beau
tiful and intricate, and all so perfectly
done-as one man The musical drill
is the prettiest of all. OF course | must
be loyal to the Infantry, but oh. the
Cavalry and Artillery are grand. The
horses seem almost human, and as we'll
trained as the men. We never tire of
watching these drills, and there are al
ways crowds of visitors, with teams
and autos galore, on the grounds to wit
ness them.
At the boys are again at liberty and
usually go strolling with their chest
girls" or 60 into the large summer
garden and open air theatre called
Fort Sheridan Park, which adjoins the
grounds. This is one of the large beer
gardens | lad read of, and is a pretty
little park. with flower beds, artificial
lake, rustic bridges, etc, and theatre
where a vaudeville troupe gives per
formances every afternoon and even
ing. The company is changed each
week. There is summer hotel and an
immense dancing pavilion with broad
promenade verandas around it, There
is ball every night after the perform
ance, and as the pavilion accommodates
several hundred dancers it is quite
pretty sight, and everyone can surely
get all the dancing they want. The
electrics bring throngs of young people
from Chicago and special cars wait to
take them back after midnight. o,
forgot to say that scattered about un-
der the trees are small green tables and
chairs, where beer and all light summer
drinks are served by white garbed wait
ers: also ice cream. confectionery and
cigars.
Next week we go to Fort Crook, Ne
braska and can tell you of new ex-
perience, no doubt, when the Nebraska
biizzards are bowling about our ears
the coming winter.
l fear | have taken up far too much
valuable space and will now rest my
pen and my readers, and you and l,
dear Journal, will bid adieu forever to
beautiful Fort Sheridan.
VESTA DAVIS HIGGINS.