Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-17
Which Needs Explaining.

charger in the black horse troop who has
the reputation of being able to jolt the
screw top off tin canteen in a two-mile
trot He was missing from his stall this
morning. But may be that he was off on
some other duty and not assigned to the
test ride at ALL
Also some artillery horses, more lifting
for draft than saddle work, were missing
from the battery stables. But they may
have merely been getting shod. Ask the
farrier sergeant.
1t was the smallest and highest paid
aggregation of talent that ever left Fort
Myer. not excepting the time when Capt
Baldwin and Glenn Curtiss sailed away
in their airship. 1t was an army COM
posed of officers, nothing cheaper than a
full olossomed major, either.
There were eight colonels, eleven lieu
tenant colonels and twenty-one majors
all present or accounted for. How many
of them were merely accounted for is a
secret shared only by Gen. Grant, Col.
Hatfield and the doctors in attendance
for there were doctors highly certified
specialists in heart disease and kindred
ailments.
The camp of the dauntless little army
was pitched just north of the point from
which the aeroplane makes its sometimes
daily flight.
A Soldiers Life Again.
The officers all arrived last night and
went into camp in true army style, with
not more than three trainers and massage
attendants each. Then the doctors made
the rounds and put the candidates through
a searching examination to see whether
any of them had weak hearts. floating
kidneys or cirrhos livers concealed about
their persons.
Some of the candidates cast longing
looks at the starting derrick of the aero
nd
preference for quick and easy death by
this agency rather than a three-day per-
sonally conducted expedition on the hur-
ricane deck of troop horse.
But the commanding general was mex
orable. Nothing less than doctors GER
tificate with retiring board in the back
ground, was legal cause for excuse from
the equine test.
So. till late hour last night. the Of
ficers sat in the officers club-where there
was stationery provided for writing last
requestS-and discussed past adventures
by flood and field and the best brands
OF lotions Some were in favor of sperm
oil and vaseline, while others held ont
for straight talcum powder. But these
are merely matters of personal prefer
ence.
And Soldiers for This.
Then they retired to their tents to sleen
or not to sleep. as their natures were.
or would have been had there been anv
of these musical fowls in the neighbor-
hood. After leisurely and well consider
ed breakfast of hard tack, SOW bosom and
| other army delicacies all were ready for
the momentouS test
Just how they started will remain for
| ever shrouded in mystery and iodoform
b@ndages. A pail of mist lay over the
sleeping capital and Tapped in its diaphau-
| Gus folds the khaki colored tents from
which the army Godivas emerged to
mount their pranceless steeds.
"A chill wind blew from the cold north
west and droned like a swarm of hiying
bees IN the leafiess tops of the chestnut
trees"
To be sure the trees were mostly oaks
and naples and they were not yet leafess
| by several weeks
But the wind was on the ioh Go the
quotation was about as near right as
quotations usually are
But the riders were calouS to the
| weather and probably wished they were
as calious to saddles. They wrapped their
! martial coaks around them-that is To
say. buttoned up their riding tunics-and
started Off TO the westward, silently as
the traditional Arab, while the strikers
We're left behind to fold their tents
Ihere was an army ambulance with a
| full complement of stretchers and
stretcher bearers and supply of first aid
| packages under the seat This vehicle
was kept discreetly at the rear so as not
| TO be TOO obvious on the horizon
Swift and seasoned outriders were kept
| with the marching column, however to
bring the ambulance into action when 1t
| was needed.
And These Facts Are Not So.
There have been many erroneous and
highly sensational reports circulated about
| that start.
| - 10 nn hnf hn Il
| bricklayers the new quarters at the
| fort were kept outside the reservation
until 7:3O o'clock SO as not to cast pro-
| fame eyes on the getaway.
| 1t Is also denied that Col Hatfield or
dered all the enlisted men in the post to
wear blinders and junior officers to re-
port in tennis shoes to accentuate the
| secrecy of the movement.
| To be sure the names Of the officers and
| the line of march were kept secret For
| Col Hatfield. while mild and gentle as a