The Washington times., 1906-08-06
BACK FROM CAMP
AT Mt. GRETNA
Trains Brought the Return
ing Citzen-SOldierS Home
in Gratifying Hurry.
ALL WORK AND LITTLE PLAY
Encampment a Success From a Mill
taEy Standpoint, Declares
General Hauies.

TraveI-worn. surburnt. and dusty
!. 500 or more citizens of the District who
put in eight days soldering at Camp
Roosevelt" Mt Grema, Pa, returned
to their native heath yesterday afternoon,
and were given a warm welcome The
militiamen were glad TO get home even
though the mercury was trying its best
to leap out Of the cop OF the thermomeI-
ers. The soldiers were marched directly
10 their armories where they We're oiS-
missed and then hurried home for bath
and clothing that was not saturated
with perspiratiOn.
All the sections Of the train bringing
the guardsmeu home left Mt Gretna
some time before the scheduled hour.
This was due to the fact that Maj, T..
u. Neumeyer, qUartermaster and com
missary general, succeeded IN getting the
. euUipmeat into the baggage cars much
Cariier than lJ was believed II could be
accomplished. Ia their zeal 10 get
away the soldiers broke all records for
striking camp and virtually ran 10 the
station.
Made a Rapid Run.
The trains made much better time on
the return trip than they did going up
20 Aft. GTctna, and at some places along
the road the section carrying General
Harries, his stan. and the Second Regi-
ment attained a speed of mile in nifty
seconds. The soldiers were gay all the
way home. The first section, carrying
the Brigade BAND. Signal. Hospital and
Ambulance Corps and the Battery OF
Field Artillery. arrived at the Pennsyl-
VauIa freight station about 80 The
second section was delayed some time az
COueWuEO. Pa. and at Harrisburg. The
JTain was stopped for drinking water.
The soldiers lad been drinking no water
that had uut been boiled in camp and
Surgeon General Henderson tsleeTapLed
10 Harrisburg for nifty gallons OF boil
ed water When the train pulled into
The station there the nifty gallons OF hot
water was awaiting the BudrGSHens ana
the joke was on the surgeon general be-
cause. the boiled water had not been
cooled.
Had No Fun at GTetna.
Not a few of the soldiers were over
5oyed 10 get home. Their dissati. action
with Mt Gretua was due 90 the fact
that practically all of the amusement
us ally found in camp was absent dur
ing these eight days. Prior 10 this year
the guardsmeu have enjoyed themselves
immensely because now and then a
little pleasure was sanCWlChed in be
tween the hard knocks. This year u
was work from the time they landed IN
camp lu a HrrntH+HB ram NuLll ~Hv oL1S-
came for them 20 wrap up lhelE Dian
ket rolls II Is true they received reg
ular army pay, S3.25 a week for the
camp service
Capt. Andrew Parker dlsbursing Off
Ger of the guard was the hardest work
I'd man in the organization yesterday.
He paid on all Of the enlisted men ana
most of the officers while the trains
We're whizZng along the rails 20 Wash
3ust1n. Captain Parker today mailed
checks 10 General Harries and The star
officers General Harries received Nl5.'s
for each days service in camp.
Speaking of the encampmeut Genera.
Harries said today. 1T was the finest
encampmenJ We've ever had-that is.
from a military standpoint and stand
point of learning The guardsmen are
better soldiers by 100 per cent, and j
know they are proud of the way they
held their own with the regulars"
General Harries said he was not In a
position 10 state whether the citizen
soldiers would go TO camp with regulars
next year.