The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1904-09-01
Aa7 TIES FROM TIE NATIONS CAPITAL
Rszeezy Letter From washington, From a
Times Correspondent.

b. ee2y Letter From washington, From
Times Correspondent.
The silly season is rapidly pass
Tog, aud. Notwithstanding that Off
Giaadom has flown to the mountains
and the shore, Washington is not
disconsolate. We have
not only ball playing, boating, and
Whe usual alleviations of summers
Eecvercy. but we have exhibitions
GA hand of an exceptional character.
The preparations for the mock
ssattle of Bull Run, to rage with
noisy harmlessness over a hundred
miles of Virginia next month
;are going forward with delibera-
zion not very sugges tive of actual
war. The quiet village Of St. Asaph
Just across the Potomac, has been
transformed into an extremely busy
place by the swapping OF whips, the
shouting of commissary clerks, the
Indulgence in the only vociferous
Language which mules understand,
and the general hurlyburly of camp
Life. This is to be the central head
q uarters of the great and preposter-
Gus campaign. From this point, an
old depot for army stores, will leave
for the Bull Run fords the various
wagon trains and droves of animals
rec uired by the q uarter- master,
Two of these trains, consisting of
twenty-five wagons each, left yes
terday for the principal camps at
Manassas and Thoroughfare Gap.
Today there was a similar exodus
and tomorrow one hundred wagons
rill leave at the same time to be
equally distributed among the
<canps. Several other trains, equip
ped with the engineering outfit and
hospital detachment. have already
GcCssed Bull Run and are waiting
or the field where Beauregard and
Johnston tEat sultry summer day of
1861 waited for the conveyance of
McDowell's forces. Every one of
the wagon and ambulance trains to
s3e used for the mammoth manoeuv-
res at Manassas and beyond, must
Zoe made up at ST. Asaph, and as
Ghere are scores of these, with
hundreds and perhaps thousands of
animals, the depot quarter-master is
s1ept very busy.
Whether it is worth while to make
sach elaborate preparation for
sham battle, which can have no re-
salt excepting to teach the Ameri-
can people that warfare is the chief
end of man and that being soldier
IS the noblest and most glorious
ding which the American boy can
Look forward 10 this is a question
worth considering by the tax-pay-
ers. The estimated cost of the folly
Is 100000, put it will probably
cost twice as much and the differ
ences will be borne in a deficiency
oill'' next winter. Gene raj Corbin
ia command of the curious enter
spcise, says it's object is to teach
young men ''how to face line of
Gre" but as the play soldiers will
know that there are no cartridges
within ten miles, and that the
powder explosions are perfectly
harmless, it is not a great test O.
personal intrepidity. There are
3ersons among officials in Washing
layton, by the way, who assert that
&c mock battles make men brave,
General Corbin ought to have nar-
8icipated in one early in his mill tary
career.
Equally futile but more entertain
ing is the exhibition this week Of
the Atlantic Training Squadron now
oa exhibition in the Potomac. The !
includes the battleships
and Texas, the moni-
tors Arkansas, Florida, and Nevada
she torpedo boat destroyers Law
renee, Mcdonough, Truxton. Whip
pie, Worden, Hopkins, and Hull
ana, the antique training ship Hart,
ford, which was Admiral Farragut's
old flagship and led the fleet into
Mobile Bay. The double turreted