The Columbus weekly dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 1902-1905, 1907-05-02
DELIGHTED WITH
CAMP GROUNDS
MAJOR GENERAL KEESLER, AD-
JUTANT GENERAL FRIDGE
AND COL. VARDAMAN
HERE THURSDAY.
Camp Will be Located on the Vacant
Plat Between Main Line of the
Street Ry. and Branch Rum
ming to Colored Park.

Major General keeSler, AdJutanJ
General Fridge and Colonel w. S.
Vardaman, the committee from the
Mississippi National Guard having in
charge the perfecting Of arrange
ments for the annual encampment
which is to be held here in August,
visited Columbus last Thursday and
expressed themselves as being de-
lighted with the grounds selected by
the local committee, which, as has
already been stated in The Dispatch,
are located in the northeast section
of the city, being a part of large
tract of land owned by Messrs. Marx
and Heard.
In company with Colonel Walter
Weaver, Major John P. Mayo, Mr..
Marx, Mr.. Heard and Secretary l. H.
Sykes, of the Progressive Union, the
military men visited the Marx and
Heard subdivision Thursday morning,
and after carefully looking over the
grounds decided to locate the camp
on the vacant plat between the main
line of the Street Railway and the
branch line leading to Washington
Park. This land is level and even,
and is, from every viewpoint, an
ideal site for a military encamp-
ment 1t is not only perfect from
a typographical standpoint, but its
proximity to the ball grounds, the
Rollaway Rink and to Lake Park
will make all these places of amuse-
ment easily accessible for the sol
diers. Then, too, the Luxapalila riv
er, which flows within sight of the
camp, will furnish splendid bathing
facilities. The drinking water for
the soldiers will be secured from the
city water works. The mains are to
be extended on College street as far
east as Twenty-first street, and can
be carried thence north to the en-
campment grounds.
There seems to have been a decid
ed misunderstanding as to what Col
umbus would be required to furnish
in order to secure the encampment.
Under the Dick military bill there is
an annual appropriation from the
Federal government to defray the ex-
penses of all National Guard encamp-
ments. Each State receives its pro
rata share, and local citizens inter
ested in the matter have been labor
ing under the impression that the
sum allotted to Mississippi would be
ample to defray all legitimate ex-
penses. 1t seems, however, that this
impression is erroneous, as, accord
ing to an estimate furnished by Ad-
jutant General Fridge, it will be nee
essary for Columbus to put up be-
tween $500 and $4,000 in order to
secure the encampment. To begin
with, General Fridge wants $500 in
cash, which is to be expended in fur
nishing entertainment for the officers
and privates, and in addition the To-
cal committee will be compelled to
lay water mains through the camp
grounds, to furnish hydrants for the
different companies, to provide sew
eral bath houses with shower bath
attachments, to string wires and fur
nish electric lights for officers quar-
ters, and to furnish 1000 feet of lum-
ber for tent floors and tables. Tt is
estimated that to comply with all
these requirements will necessitate
an outlay of between one thousand
and fifteen hundred dollars, and the
five hundred dollars in cash will, it
is estimated, run the total amount
close tn two thousand dollars
Secretary Sykes, of the Progressive
Union, made a list OF the equipment
and properties required, and the mat
ter will be taken under advisement