The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-04-06
CAPT, HAYNES HERE ID INSPECT MILITIA Battalion Muster to Be Held
 Thursday Night TROOPS ARE IN FINE SHAPE Competition For Alabama Shooting Team Will Be Keen This Year.
 Public Invited To Attend
 Inspections.
TROOPS ARE IN FINE SHAPE

On Thursday night the monthly bat talon muster will be held in Birming- ham by the national guard in Jefferson county the drill being held on Third ave- nue under the esplanade. The holding of a monthly muster was started last month, the first muster moving off finely.
 Capt. Paul T. Haynes, whose headquar- ters are at Fort Oglethorpe, Ga. is in Birmingham and will spend the next few days inspecting the companies here. The Woodlawn companies will be inspected to- night, and on Wednesday night Troop D of the First squadron of calvary and Bat tery of the artillery will be inspected in the city hall armory.
 Captain Haynes has been inspecting the national guard for several months, this inspection being the first to be made by regular army officer since Uncle Sam made an appropriation for the quitting of the militia. More than half of the Ala bama militia has been inspected by him on this tour, and last night he expressed himself as being pleased with the showing made. These inspections have more to do with the uniforms and equipment, and as they are generally held at night in the armories but little chance is given for the troops to show their drilling ability Even with this handicap, however, Captain Haynes states they are showing up well.
 The inspections are public and the mem bers of the national guard have extended an invitation to the public to attend them. The muster Thursday night will find the troops drilling even better than they did last month. Every company according to reports has been working hard since then. and the rivalry as to who shall win first place is great.
 Much interest is also being taken in the annual shooting contest. The national shoot is held at Camp Perry, Ohio, and is participated in by every state in the union. The state shoot to select a team for the national meet will be held next month in Montgomery and the local sol diers are getting in practice with the de- termination to make the team.
 Alabama didn't land very high last year, but even at this there were three or four men on the team who made a higher number of points than the highest made OH tle preNlOuS year. Last Scdi tcdii also had practically nothing but the or dinary sights on their guns, and their guessing ability as to the wind, while they were in competition with teams from other states who were equipped with every facility for the securing of a prop CT aim. The team to go this year will be better provided in this line. and it is expected will make a climb in the stand ing column.
 The range at Fort Perry is located on ground that has been reclaimed from Lake Erie, and is regarded as one of the best in the country The greatest tests are on the 1O0O-yard targets, the men shooting from lying position. The tar gets are but three feet in diameter and are double, the men shooting in pairs. One man shoots, then the target is shift ed and the other man shoots. There is long line of targets and about 100 men can shoot at one time. With each pair of men there is another man who looks at the targets with telescope and tells just how close they are coming to the bulls eye
 The contest at Montgomery is expected to be one of the hardest fought ones ever held in Alabama.