Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-11-08
ARMY RIDING EST,
How Officers Performed Task
Prescribed by President.
IA SPLENDID SHOWING MADE.
Only Casualties on Trips Were Two
Pairs Of Split Riding Breeches-Nc
FL Work For the Ambuiancs-A Heavy
# weight Causes Some Delay.

Pairs Of Split Riding Breeches No
Work For the AmbuiancsA Heavy
III weight Causes Some Delay.
whoever told President Roosevelt
that army field officers were too big.
unWieldy and inexperienced TO ride
horseback for any reasonable distance
let his fancy run away with his. In
the recent Workmanship tests ordered
by the president the officers showed
themselves to be quite ait home In the
saddle and went the route without any
mishaps to speak of. In the first test
twenty mine army officers, mostly fat
ones, who have been doing desk work
In the war department for years, par
ttcipated. They started from Fort
Myer one afternoon at 2 p. M, and two
and a half hours later the party was
back at the fort, having trayersed
something over fifteen miles of good
and bad Virginia roads
h Early that morning one ofgthe old
colonels who had been a little timor-
GUS as to the outcome in his case look
ed out Of his window at the wild swirl
of rain driving over washington and
thought with comfortable sensation
that the test would have to be post
poned. He turned back to bed for an
other nap, but was instantly routed out
by this terrifying suggestion:
IF Roosevelt hears that the ride
was called off on account of rain he
will get out of the canebrakes and be
here to take us out himself
1t was a beautiful afternoon for a
drive, and the road was in fairly good
condition despite the heavy rain of
the night. Just beyond Ballston the
first rest call sounded, and everybody
dismounted in a field beside the road.
The column had been followed by four
troopers with led horses and by a big
automobile ambulance from the Wash
ington barracks Hospital. The ambu-
| lance furnished a lot of fun to the
crowd during this rest period.
The oldest man in the party and one
l-of the wiriest was Colonel George
| Ruhlen Of the quartermaster's depart
ment, who takes perhaps $50 pounds
to carry around his sixty years with
and is the hottest rival of Colonel Nc
Cain for the thin championship. Nc
Cain called solicitously to Ruhlen:
IA what You going to do with that
! wagon?'' 81. 2
"Put you in it," replied Ruhlen as
promptly.
| While the men rested the officers
hurled gibes at each other, such as
Keep away from those medical
| storesr' ssYou needn't be shying up to
that ambulance!" and others of similar
vein. The second round was the real
| test, as by that time some Of the men
were beginning to feel the effects of
| the jolts, and it was no easy matter to
! reach the stirrup when it came time to
remount. However, all negotiated it.
! and Major Galbraith, inspector general,
who was serving as monitor, found
| nothing to score against any of them.
! On the last round the pace got too
hot for the ambulance horses, and as
the wagon dropped back some one
| shouted, Nobody knocked out but the
sponge holder!'' f. " -.@a-.s
During the journey the only casual
| ties We're two pairs Of split riding
breeches and the detection Of two
| newspaper men, one Of whom gave
| up the job right after the start, and
the other had to quit when his horse
was kicked by restless army animal
+ The second test, made on the follow
ing day, was covered in good time and
without mishap. Some little delay
was occasioned at the outset of the
jaunt by difficulty in finding an ade-
quate mount for one of the field Off
GERS, who has a professional record
second to none in his branch of the
service. He was said to weigh $50
pounds, and his appearance certainly
gave corroborative evidence to that as
sertion. The first horse, mounted by
him gave way under the heavy bur-
den, literally fell to his knees and
seemed unable to rise. Two other
horses were produced, but each In turn
was declared to, be unsuitable The
fourth horse, however, was big
strong fellow, who looked as if he
could carry a ton, and he was chosen
Throughout this testing of the mounts
the big field officer was in the best Of /
humor and never showed signs of irri-
tation over the jokes made at his ex-
pense. He made the ride in excellent
shape. :. @TE eSs7 {as224AE. "a
Registry Booth For One.