The San Francisco call., 1906-10-22
LACK Of INTEREST
IN GUARDSMEN.
Several Branches of Service
CoIaplain at Being Ig-
noreol by Superior Officers
GOSSIP OF MILITIA

Many OF the members of the Ma
tionaI Guard who would like to be
active feel IL at while much is being
said about the lack of interest being
taken in the rganization by the citi-
zens generally. there is a lack of
interest by supt rior officers in the diff
ferent branches of the service. 1t is
said that since the retirement of the
guardsmen in this city, after the emer-
gency service none of the orrani-
zations have been visited by superior
officers TO discover by personal inspec-
tion what they are doing, how they are
housed and what they need It is
claimed that the pre- sence of the supe-
rior officers in the rmory has an in
spring effect upon th g line officers and
the men who carry the guns, encourage
ing them in what they should do.
Lack of interest by til ose in the upper
offices creates a lack Of interest in the
officers said yesterday, 'sthe men are
all going to sleep
AS an instance of this he stated that
the men of his regiment would like to
go out and drill, but that for months
they had been waiting for chevrons
for the. non commissioned officers, and
that the nom CONS would no so out be-
cause when in line it was impossible to
tell a private from an officer or an Off
Ger from private.
"The non-coms," said he. could
paint. chevrons and service strf1es on
their uniforms, but they DO not
want to go to that trouble and ex
these distinctive marks, and until the
clrcumlocution bureau gets ready to
issue them there will be Indifference in
| the guard. particularly in this city. The.
men attend company meetings, but do
not drill
FLOATING sTRAws.
Continuing in this matter, he added:
we are to have a new Governor in a
short time, and from the straws that
are floating in the air at this time ii
looks as if the new Governor. who will
be the new commander-tn-chief. will
shake up the office of the adiutant-
general at Sacramento. Of course there
Will be a humber who would like the
place, but whosoeyer is chosen SHOULD
pc placed in the office because of his
fitness for it,"
The first company of the First In
fantry to drill since the fire is Com
pany D. Captain II. H. Varney For
three weeks the company has been out
every drill night the men have turned
out in good numbers and have de-
yeloped considerable proficiency in
executing the various orders given.
The captain proposes to keep up the
drills until December, when drilling
ceases for thirty days
Next Saturday afternoon Company B.
Captain Alexander McCul1och, and Com
pany d will leave this city for Bolinas
for an overnight camp The companies
will go TO Mill Valley by boat and
train, and from there will march TO
! West Point. four miles, and from there
to Bolinas, seven miles. On the march
the companies will separate and have
attack and repulse and advance and
rear guard movements. On the trip the
companies will be accompanied By
Major Beasley surgeon, and two mem
! bers of the hospital corps. The two
commands will return on Sunday night
/ by steamer from Bolinas
Everything is in readiness for the
| first smoker of the enlisted mems
club at the reEisnentaI armoIy, corner
OF Buchanan street. at Waller. next
Saturday night. Sergeant George
Spooner will be chairman of the even
ing and Quartermaster Levy will be
| the master of ceremonies. A musical
and literary programme will be pre-
sented and the meeting will be adj
dressed by Colonel Kelly and Majors
Eggert and Matthewson. The regi-
mental band has volunteered to fur
nish musical numbers
Up to date no order has been given
for the election of captain in Com
pany A of the First, vice Ballinger,
nor has the vacancy for first lieu
| tenant in the same company been
filled. For long time this organiza-
tion has been in command of Lieuten-
ant Carcass. He was twice elected
first lieutenant and each time failed
to receive commission for the higher
position. There is considerable anxiety
to know what influence is keeping the
two vacancies untitled. In the mean
time the company is not making. any
progress.
SCHOOL OF INSTRUCTION.
The on-commissioned officers of
Company F, Captain Stindt, have
formed a school of instruction and
every week are receiving information
that will be of considerable use when
the company gets to drilling again.
Pop" Sheldon, the old-time armorer,
has been quite busy of late examining
every rife and putting each in con-
dition for use. The arms of the First
are in excellent condition.
The two companies of the First
Coast Artillery, A and D, are now
comfortably quartered in the building
1 401 Cole street, where the headquar-
ters of the officers of the battalion are
established. The place has been very
comfortably furnished.
The alterations in the quarters of
Companies B and c (the Nationals)
on Eddy street, near Laguna, have
been so far advanced that it is prob
able that the companies will be able
to occupy the premises during the first
week in November
Lieutenant Joseph O'Hara, who was
adjutant of the artillery battalion.
but resigned to accept position in the
far north. returned to this city last
week, not having found the place he
went after, to his liking. Major KEGS
ling. commanding the battalion, has re-
appointed him to his former position.
Now that Colonel D. A Smith has full
charge of the Fifth Infantry he is
| busying himself TO discover the best
methods to aneliorate the condition
| of the regiment. He has started in by
making unannounced visits to the ar
| mories on drill nights to see for him
/ self what each company is doing and
/ what can be done to advance it.
He has decided that he will have the
commissioned and non-comissioned
officers report once month to head
lAouarters or to the nearest station the
lcondition of the company each is con-
Injected with, and in that way keep
himself in touch with the. entire regi-
fment. He viii also give each COM
pany a talk along the line of practical