The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1907-01-25
OFFICERS OF
THE V. N. G.
School for Their instruction
Held This Week.
GOV. PROCTOR HERE

And Spoke to the ofieers Tuesday AZ
ternoon in Grange Hall-Exhibition
Of Sub Target Gun an Interesting
Feature OF the School.
The annual school for the instruction
NJ the officers Of the First Regiment,
Vermont National Guard, was held IN
this town beginning Monday evening
and closing Wednesday morning Inc
school was held under the direction OF
col ]. GRAY Estey, Maj. II. Edward
Over of Rutland, aud Capt. w. W. nus,
sell of White River Junction. General
~ II. Gilmore of Fairlee also attended
the school and assisted in the instrue.
,ion On account of the lateness OF
several trains many Of the officers were
unable 10 be here Monday evening ana
only 81 were present TO begin the schooi.
The Others, with the exception Of q iew
who were excused for various reasons
arrived Tuesday morning. All appear
cd nj the school sessions IN dress UNI
form.
Colonel Estey made a short address
10 The officers Monday evening, stating
that owing to the small number present
the order of instructions would pe
changed somewhat. At that time
written test was given in military cor
respondence. The test was held IN
Grange hall and at the same time an
examination Of the candidates for com
missions was held at the Brooks House
the following being the officers elect 10
take the examinations: Lieutenant Col
onel Frank l.. Howe of Northheld,
Major Lee 5. Tillotson of 81. Albans,
Captain Joseph A. Evarts of 81. Albans,
Lieutenant Harry Hall of Burlington,
and Lieutenant L. L. Carr of ST. Johns
bury.
The forenoon session Tuesday was de-
voted to drill regulations and guard
duty after which an excellent lecture
on Camp Sanitation was given by capt.
C. p. Robbins of the regular army post
at Fort Ethan Allen. Captain Robbins
Is connected with the medical depart
ment of the army His lecture con-
tanned many valuable suggestions on
keeping good sanitary conditions IN
military camp. Work in field service
regulations was taken up in the after
noon under the direction of Major Dyer,
after which Governor Fletcher ID. Proc
for made n short address to the school.
He complimented the officers present
and also the men of the various compa'
nies on the bettered conditions OF the
militia today as contrasted with those
NJ few wears ago. He stated that the
work done today in the annual encamp'
ments is far different from that done
1 few wears ago when the occasions were
made more or less of militia picnic.
| Now it is serious work and the nm
nroyad condition of the militia shows
| the results of the more earnest appllca-
tion TO duty. He went on to state that
/ although the majority of the companies
of the state are doing excellent WORK,
there are few whose work was not
mn to the national standard and that
while he did not wish TO make any
threats. there was a likelihood that the
appropriations of the companies which
are doing negligent work in the matter
of attending drills and in other ways,
might be cut off and the companies dis
banded
Lieutenant Leslie "A. Chapman of the
Norwich university gave a short lee
ture on military subjects Tuesday eve
ming. After brief business meeting
Wednesday morning the school broke up
and the officers left for their homes.
One of the most interesting things OF
the school was the subtarget rifle ex'
hibited by Fred w. Pearce Of Boston
The gun IS mechanical contrivance In
which is fastened rifle of any pattern
The person who is to practice shooting
takes his position at the rear OF the
rifle in the same manner that he would
in firing at target. When he aims at
the target small dial under the rifle
shows exactly at what part OF the tar
get he is aiming. In this way the IN,
structor may see whether the student
is aiming Immediately at the bull 3 eye
or to the side and also whether he side
pulls when he pulls the trigger. An
electrical attachment punctures small
target when the rifle trigger is pulled
and shows exactly where the bullets
would have struck the object target had
the rifle been loaded with cartridge.
This way of learning has many ad
vantages over the old method of burn
ing powder until the beginner had learn
ed the trick of hitting the target. Nc
cartridges are used and no range il
necessary. The handling OF the ma
chine entails no danger to the speeta
tors. 1t costs nothing for operation
and novice learns far more quickly te
shoot accurately by this method than by
the old fashioned way.
The cost of the sub-target gun If
$3.50 and two companies in the state
are already equipped with them-com
panies NJ and B of Montpelier and st
Albans. The navy is being equipped
with the guns at present and the matter
of eauipping the regular army is being
discussed by the war department. Eng
land has given more time to the bet
terment of the craftsmanship of hel
soldiers since the Boer war and nearly
all of the regiments are equipped will
these machines In several boys schools
in New York city, the guns are used ant
the boys show remarkable expertnes
when they are allowed to shoot will
real rifles. Governor Proctor examined
the sub-target gun and spoke favorabl,
of If az did nearly all the officers pres