Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-03
NOTES OF THE LOCAL
NATIONAL GUARDSMEN

~ HE oficers of the I'd Battalion of
tho LIST Regiment. after careful
consideration. have reached an
- agreement as to the officer they de-
sire to be placed In command OF the
battalion. and win, II they have not nl-
ready done so. mako formal recommended
ton to Col. Ourand. The officers did not
have very difficult task before them. as
two Of the company commanders declined
to be considered and one OF them has only
recently been promoted to his present
grade That left but one captain to choose.
as It was not considered desirable to go
below the rank OF captain. The name Of
this captain will be submitted to Gen. Har-
ries. and It is understood that Col. Ourand
will also submit the name of one other Of
ficer. whom he believes to be eligible for
the promotion. II Is pretty we'll understood
In the National Guard that the promotion
lies between these two officers, as far as
the commanding officer of the LIST Regiment
Is concerned. 1t Is the desire of every one
to have the vacancy filed as soon as posi-
BILE. Much depends on the selection of the
proper officer for the post hence the delay
that has occurred. Under the new regime
in National Guard affairs. and especially In
the LIST Regiment, the commanding officer
of a battalion will be held more strictly to
account for the efficiency of his organiza-
that officers holding commissions as majors
will be required to come up to all the quail
ifcations seek other fields for the sat
isfaction of their military ambitions Tho
respect and confidence of the officers or the
regiment in Col. Ourand. which has always
been HIGH has increased four-fold since he
made known his desire to have the officers
Of the I'd Battalion recommend some one
of their number for the vacant majority.
whether the man selected will get the place
or not, the fact that the colonel consulted
the officers most directly concerned shows
that he is DESTROYS OF giving them satisfac-
ton If possible. The plans that have been
laid for the upbuilding OF the brigade may
not permit of the acceptance OF the recon-
mendation of the battalion officers by GEN
Harries, however, and everything connected
with the filling of the vacancy remains In
allegiance of his wishes.
Work of the Marksmen.
While there is some little disappointment
expressed among the members Of the bril-
gade over the failure of the brigade team
to make q better showing in the national
matches at Sea Girt, at the same time the
defeat is regarded philosophically here.
There is one source Of satisfaction, and that
Is the winners were compelled to shoot
mighty straight to beat the District con-
tingent. The local marksmen did not go
to Sea Girt as an unknown quantity. They
nave never DeSu itChoHSu as 49,
"also rams" in rifle shooting. The history
of the past fifteen years in such competi-
lions throughout the country has many
pages devoted to the exploits OF the DIS
trict men. They are tried and true marks
men and they have been forces that counted
in every competition In which they have
been entered. 1t is probable that there is
no collection of purely amateur rife experts
in the world that has won so many ana
such valuable prizes the District marks
men have secured during the fifteen years
they have been factors in rifle shooting IN
this country It must be remembered that
when the country was secured for military
marksmen to compete with the English
teams at Bisley several years ago fve or
the men finally selected for the team or
twelve were District of Columbia men, ana
later when a team was sent to Canada TO
compete for the same trophy they shot for
in England, q goodly percentage OF the
marksmen were local men. During the past
two or three years the District rifemen nave
been badly handicapped by the lack of out
door range facilities. Last year practice
was stopped almost at the beginning be-
cause of the incomplete condition OF the
range, and this year the men suffer be-
cause of the lack OF practice year ago.
Rifle shooting Is q matter Of practice as
much as anything else in the world, and
while a man who has been shot In times
past Is q better man to put on team than
one who has never shot a gun, II the for
mer has been out Of practice year or TWO
he will compare favorably with only mod
erately good rifemen when he resumes
practice. 1t might not be out of place 10
point out that the marine corps and navy
teams, which came In fourth and fifth, were