New-York tribune., 1906-06-10
STATE CAMP ROUTINE.
Details of the Day at Peeksh7n for
National Gu@dsme1l.

Peekslrin. N Y. June (speciaD-A day in state
csrnn. what does the C;uardsman find TO do. wher
does he do il and how does he DO II! how oitei
is this question asked by mother wile' sisper %
sweetheart. who has a son. husDeho' "ioS.o' ..
o- ..hest FELLOW In a regiment stationed under
canvas for q week IA the New York state Calli'
on the Annsvtlle Creek three miles from Peeks-
Kill Some may so think, but nevertheless IL Is 40
soft snap" 70 be a soldier at camp. True lheie
Is run there are hours Of leisure ana time iOI
pleasure and pranls. but the uIae Is % sAoi 60 60
the ioys are few As the old adage says that satan
finds something for idle han6s TO do, so Is some
thing always found for the citizen solaiefy 10 90
while receiving pay from the taxpayers thioush
The state, for the seven days outing every June.
The hours begin early and end fairIy early Inc
srst cali for reyeile Is at SIS the morning AT
This season of the yss- Old Sol is well up over the
eastern horizon at that time and SHINING NOT II inc
morning Is clear. Five minutes later the fe'eiie
is sounded. and that means get up busy ones sen
IN the simple toilet Of camp life and prepare Tor
tie days duties When the upstate separate com
NAMES are n camp this is easy The majority o.
those soldiers accustomed to early flsie, AO1
rhe up-country fellow. even II ne mans not ifoiiI
the farm Is accustomed TO early rising ror ms
duties IN store or Office usually begin early II "a
osy,o tradition that a large percentage OF these
man are already awake and many up OUT anu
dressed when reveille IS sounded. But win siie
metropolitan soldier. he who is accustomed 10 20
sug I'D late, the hours which In New iorA -Ae @AI0
fcrdi1f. the youth the beauty sleep; the cl'y ch~p
,Vbose custom Il Is TO arrive at the once at
or even uO~-he IS # who yawns and Turns oFe.
for 1ust one more snooze before he Is rouseo 0u'
ly his tent mates or, perhaps, they De NOT 30
-o,ss6erate by a corporal or sergeant and told 10
1919, and get ready for rollcall, in order that
no hlacl. rna-k may be set down against him oi-
rectly and Incidentally against the coInpan! o!
which he Is q part and parcel and whose recoIu
he IS as much expected TO uphold as he Is ms IN
diFidual standing.
AZ the end Of the company street Is the faucet
- bx,s-aut with fresh cool water always on tap
and thither the half-awal1e soldier wends his way
fIling his basin with the limpd huid and perform
sn0 his abluiions extensively or as spaIlhsiS
q. his time allows. Assembly comes ten minutes
Later SO Il IS sesa the time is short and at TINS
,,r,a the troops when in camp feed their horses
s,cz eal is NJ 5:40 and is generally a perrunctory
affair because the health of this camp mas Deeh
generally of the best. and there are Few state
carlps IN the country where the general hedltl ot
,l,e men Is so excellent The first mess can OF
-. 5a,- for breakfast is at 5:45. and by that unle
49,, rre1ite is so whetted that the coffee and rolls
are welcome arrivals and eagerly devoured py the
l,,,,,o,y men Water and drill call is at 6:25, and
Eve minutes later assembly for early morning
5rfu This is a short company oIlu or Ile H.
fantrv. and when the cavalry are encaInped' as
+l,fs week an unrnounted drill for them A good
bovrys hard work Is given the men al this drill
with recall at 7:So Then there is haIr-houF
breathing spell, with the next caH. 'fatgue4 Ior
ro1ice 1t O'clock Then IS when the men get
husv policing the streets. not IN the common ac-
ceptation Of the word. IN walking beat OF look
ing ont for thieves and intruders or queling ols-
tlrbance or keeping the peace. but In cleaning up
the tents the ground between the tents, the com
pany streets Hand, rake and shovel are all
brought into play and everything is picked, raked
or salelled W from the veTest match or cigarette
end 10 the newspaper that has fallen by the way
side in the previous twenty-four hours AFTER
police duty some streets look like the proverolaI
'.parlor aoOr." and gil reasonably clean when
the inspectors sharp eyes scan the company
street and its environments.
First cal for guard mounting at $50. and this
ceremony. seldom Seen by camp visitors ana
guests on OF the early hour, is one OF the
prettiest of the military functions Of the camp.
They playing Of the hand at 'sound-on" and while
the officer Of the day or guard Is inspecting the
arms ana looking the attire of those detailed
for the guard duty OF the next twenty-fcIr hours.
has q charm thar far exceeds even tho evening
pa1ade which the public is always the crowIsng
event OF the military day. At $50 there Is assem-
bly, of details and at ad5utant's call announces
that the actual ceremony Of guard mount is TO |
begin
a half hour later there is water call and drill |
call I'VE minutes later assembly. and then the |
long forenoon drill, which may be in close order
or extended order as the programme may be laid |
out begins. This drill lasts generally hour and |
q half with recall at Il, depending largely the
weather.
An hours intermission is given for rest and the |
application ot plenty Of soap and water after a
dusty, hot drill and the welcome call for |
dinner Is sounded noon The afternoon Is com
psratively free, for special details. schools
OF Instruction for officers, planning for the next
days work the like. There IS first sergeants' |
cali at ! o'clock and water and stable call $3.50.
The latter Is the suuonng OF the troopers for an
hours hara work in cleaning horses and stables.
ana as the men march TO the sheds with thei-
c-rrycumbs in their hands one would hardly pick
them. especially when they return, tired, sweaty
and dusty. Tor the society men who in New York
appear in their evening clothes or tuXedos at the
fashionable functions Of "sassety.' Supper is at
.. and then there is rush for the evening parade
The first call IS al e. assembly five minutes later,
acjUtant's ca for battalion formation at 6l5 ad-
jutants call for formation OF regiment at 6:l5 and
then the evening parade which IS witnessed by
many persons, especially on Sunday evening. That
is the event Of the day, for which the men spruce
~ and DO thelr best. After a review and a march
on the neld the men practically done for the
oRy. Tattoo IS sounded $50 the first call for
tattoo having preceded It by ten minutes call 10
quarters At 10 and taps at l0l5 and camp is or
should be- dark. quiet and asleep
At the Odd hours? Well. there is plenty TO do. II
the afternoon baseball is a fayortte diversion. and
a game between pickup Mines. and often between
regularly organized company teams IS frequently
seen At times there are as many as three good
ban games IN progress simultaneously on the big
paTaue ground. Many Of the spend the after
noon under their tents making up for lost sleep,
clheTs read the papers or books and others enter
tan friends from the city. Peeksku IS visited by
O large number. Passes issued 10 q certain
number every cay ana the men the ferry 10
tile town across the creek anu take q trolley rtde
10 Lake lIohesau. 10 Verplancl.'s Point and LOOK
over the site where the 1873 permanent exposition
IL 70 he he'd. 20 10 Shady Lake Park roam the
streets livery evening groups OF the soldiers are
seen promenaoing tie village thorOughfares Ia
TIE oloen times they frequently made g nuisance
o- themselves, but few arrests and a sotourn
n cells taught them L salutary lesson, and OF
behaved Ives
pretty well IN the village.
Ihe Young Mems Chr:stiaI Association tent at