The Columbus commercial. (Columbus, Miss.) 1893-1922, 1908-08-16
GOV. NOEL S TRIP To COLUMBUS
WAS A VERY PLEASANT ONE
He Speaks in the Highest Terms Of the People Of the EnCamp
menf City and Praises the Soldier Boys for Good Showing

to- jackson had the following to
say regarding his visit to Column
bus and the encampment:
The National Guardsmen and
regulars, officers and men, were
most kindly and Hospitality treat
ed by the citizens Of Columbus,
aII of whom ] heard being high
II pleased with Columbus and
its people. To myself and Mrs.
Noel a most cordial welcome and
generous hospitality was extend
al. making our visit exceedingly
pleasant. and our only regret
was we could not extend our
stay and more fully acknowledge
our grateful appreciations.
General Keesler and other
officers told me that the encamp-
ment In improvement in mill
tary training and discipline and
iu general attendance by the
public was the most successful Of
any they had known, the attend
auee by citizens on parades and
reviews being from many parts
of the state and doubly as large
as that of last year.
BY exemplifying different
movements in the presence of
the National Guardsmen, before
they were called to execute same,
and by every other possible aid
which could be rendered, the off
GERS and men Of the regular
army. were a wonderful help to
the officers and the men of the
National Guard the best of
feeling prevailing between them
am. / have never seen such
marked improvement i'm military
skill as was manifested by Ma
tiOnal Guardsmen; under these
favorable circumstances. Even
the newest companies, those
from WinOna and Caledonia, one
Just about a month and the other
of less time, in service did fine
ly, rendering their parts in pa
rades and reviews in a manner
highly creditable.
The officers, men and mounts
of the cavalry troops from Nox-
ubee were praised highly by
citizens and soldiers. Some Of
the officers who had seen Nation
al Guardsmen in encampments
at Chickamaugua and elsewhere,
regarded Mississippi as having
the advantage over all the Nation
al Guardsmen they had seen.
81 saw no drunkenness nor
disorderly behavior among the |
soldiers, but some few foucd way |
DO the guard house, as in all en-
campments, for such misbehav-
iOr. ] was informed that a can
teen or commissary on a piece
of land fronting the encampment |
and railway had a large sign |
Ice beer for sale, D" / had the
outfit attached under the state
laws and the case will be prose-
cuted It's proprietor was either
violating the laws by selling
liquor or Of getting money under |
false pretenses, Among the ar
ticIes attacked was the sign
mentioned and some of the beer
inc and unlabled bottles of sus-
piclous appearance. On attempt !
ing to reopen the business, in a
different form, it was condemn
ed as a nuisance and closed, hav-
ing also violated camp sanitary
regulations, which were enforc-
able for 8 of a mile beyond !
camp limits. All sales of liquids
containing 2 per cent or more of
alcohol in or near the camp were
prohibited by special order.
1t was the undivided opinion
of all Of whom | heard, citizens
and soldiers, that the encamp-
ment was in every way a great
success, and that our National
Guard, in equipment discipline
skill and general appearance had
never before been equaled in this
state, and were deserving the
hearty support of Mississippi
and of the Federal government, |
and should be more literally pro-
vided for, than in the past"