Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-08-12

ner, one of the leading business men and
heaviest taxpayers of Harper's Ferry. inn
mediately after the encampment of 1904.
Mr.. Conner said:
II have never seen better behaved crowd
of men in my life. I've had lots of dealings
with them and found them to be gentlemen
In every sense of the word. Every day since
the soldiers reached camp scores of them
have been in town at a time. and I've not
heard cross word spoken. Certainly the
people here satisfied in every respect
with the visit of the Neutrality-suspicious., and
only hope they were well enough pleased
20 return next year"
Mr.. Henry B. F. Macfarland president of
the board of Commissioners of the District
Of Columbia. expressed his opinion of the
brigade on previous occasion as follows:
I wish all the taxpayers of the District,
and especially those who have members of
the District militia In their employ, would
visit the National Guard encampment They
would feel. l am sure, proud of the guard
and would realize more than ever the value
of Its work. 1t is certainly worth far more
than 1t has cost. The camp is better this
year than last year, and shows a steady i'm
provement in the character and efficiency of
the guard. 1t Is absolutely free of objec-
uonable features and Is thoroughly military
and creditable. Although the number Of
men in attendance is, 1 believe, the largest
In the history of the guard, and ample lib
erty to visit Harper's Ferry is given them.
the fears that there might be disorder in
the town have proved to be groundless and
the reputation of the District is safe in the
hands of these soldier representatives.
Inc offlcers and men of the National
Guard, many of whom take their vacation
time for this service at camp deserve more
and more the hearty support of their fellow
citizens"
Favorably Impressed.
COL Sanger. then assistant secretary of
war, paid an official visit to the District
National Guard when In camp a couple of
years ago Although he did not wish to
be quoted. Col. Sanger remarked that he
was very much impressed with the spirit
OF enthusiasm which characterized the work
of the District troops Their excellent be-
hav1or while in camp, and the fact that
no provost guard in the nearby town was
needed. he thought, were especially to the
credit of officers and men, Col Sanger re-
peatedly expressed himself as greatly in
terested in what he saw. and as being very
favorably impressed by the excellent spirit
of the troops.
Mr.. Frank Hackett. at the time assistant
secretary of the navy. once said:
In common with all who know the SOL
diers of the District l take pride in the
efficiency of the brigade. and it has my
hearty good wishes for long Continuance
of Its deserveGly high reputation"
Lieut.. Gen. Miles. L. S. A, prior to his
retirement, visited the camps of the Dis
trlct National Guard regularly. On the oc-
casion of his last visit. Just before his de-
parture for Washington. Gen. h.iles was in
trOduced to one OF the prominent citizens
of Leesburg. The latter remarked that the
behavior of the Guardsmen during their
stay near that town had been more than
satisfactory. Gen. Miles replied that If the
department of the citizen soldery of tho
In his opinion, was their efficiency their
soldierly qualities and their camp, he could
think OF nothing further to be desired so
1ar as the brigade was concerned