Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-08-16
ARMY GOSSIP IN WASHINGTON.

l. through tOIlOlioW.
ARMY GOSSIP IN WASHINGTON.
Current Events Cleaned from the Army
and Navy Register.
The War department people are very
gratified at the result attained by the
post exchanges which have been estab-
lished at military garriSons. Some
thing like 81 100000 was appropriated
bv congress and expended in that d.
rection. 1t is estimated that it will
take $500 900 next year and the follow
ing wear to complete the approved pro-
| iect in the possession of the quarter
| master general of the army. The orig
| inal estimate for furnishing military
most exchanges amounted to $25O0,O00
and If appears that this sum Will an
swer all purposes. The system Is pro-
nounced of the greatest success as con-
tributing to the contentment of the en-
listed force 1t furnishes the necessary
| means of recreation, intellectual and
IatilIetic and there is everywhere the
highest praise for the liberal method of
entertainment.
There remain fourteen vacancies in
the position of post quartermaster SER
| geant of the army. There are nearly
three times that many eligibles on the
list. The appointments will not be
made, however, until the return of the
auartermaster general to Washington.
which will be about September /.
There is no need of an examination to
obtain additional eligibles.
A statement just issued from the
War department gives a list of re-
cruiting stations. showing the number
| of recruits for the line of the army en-
listed at each station with its auxiliar-
les in the quarter ending June 30,19Of.
During this quarter the largest num-
Der of men We're enlisted at the station
at Portland, Me. in charge of Lieuten-
ant w. r. Harrison, artillery corps,
where 49, enlistments We're made. The
total number enlisted during the quar-
ter at the various recruiting stations
was $3.50. During the month of June
2,760 enlStmentS We're made by the
general recruiting service of the army,
of which 2OS5 were made in cities and
615 at military posts and surrounding
towns and in the field. At the city sta
tions 1.3i3 foot and 662 mounted white
soldiers We're secured. and "a foot and
46 mounted cOlored soldiers. the total
number of applicants rejected being
1.065. At stations at posts and sur
rounding towns 30 foot and Ga mount
ed white soldiers, - foot and mount
cd nnlnrp1
listed. ana the number rejected was
201. At station in the field 90 foot and
Is mounted white soldiers. , mounted
colored soldiers. 19S Porto Ricans and
81 Filipinos We're enlisted, and the
number rejected was 1879.
TIL five lieutenants who recently
graduated from West Point and who
We're assigned to the cavalry arm as
supernumeraries owing to lack of va
cancies in that branch in the grade OF
second lieutenant will now be assigned
to actual vacancies. There are six va
I; cancies in the grade or one more than
enough to accommodate these surplus
officers. There are ten vacancies in
the grade of second lieutenant in the
artillery corps and five in the grade OF
first lieutenant. The latter place will
be filled by promotion of junior officers
as soon as reports are obtained from
, the examinations, ultimately making
fifteen vacancies in the grade of that
branch. There are forty-one vacan-
cies in second lieutenancies of infantry
The army quartermasters have made
= IoI, H.
: ton of the $4,000 troops which will at.
tend the combined maneuvers at Ma
nassas. This is not an everyday prob
lem by any means and 1t ought to be
one Of the spectacles of the encamp-
ment for the civilian beholder to sec
that number of soldiers detrained OIL
entrained. There will be no less thar
| 100 passenger trains and of these eigh.
ty will discharge 1900 soldiers in two
days during which period the militia
men will arrive from various directions
at Manassas. The railroad people hav,
entered heartily and tremendously int
[ the project and have rendered valuable
: aid to the government by the construc.
a ton of platforms and some twenty
:, miles of railroad track. mostly in the
j form of spurs. 1t is planned that OF
e arrival of each train consisting of pas
a senger, baggage and freight cars. tn,
e freight and baggage portions will b,
separated from the passenger coaches
n and taken to sidings where they will
n remain during the maneuvers ant
n where they will be accessible by specia
e construction of the track to the 40
wagons of the quartermaster's depart
/ ment on hand to transfer the materia
l. at once to the respective camp sites
e The passenger trains, after being re
5 lieved of passengers. will be hauled t,
: their sidings. The arrangement of tn
e track will be so that there will be n,
crossing or interruption of traffic
!, Everything will move in the same df
u rection with the result of facility ii
" transfer of troops such as may be ac
= cepted as the most approved system O
= entraining and detraining. 1t is stipu
:. lated that the troops which arrive a
, night shall pitch shelter tents and a
! once go into temporary camn drawn,