Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-13

81 ere 10 De UelQ Oh Tie bIStIlct
range near Congress Heights
next month, and every day during the
past week a great many of the marks
men were on the range practicing at the
targets.
The United States Engineers. stationed
at Washington barracks, are firing their
record scores at the rifle range and Incl
dentally preparing their teams to take
part in the Mosher and Berry and Whit
more Company team skirmish matches,
which are scheduled for October 8. The
team from the Engineer Corps was the
first to capture the original trophy in the
ski-mish match which was shot on the
Ordway range and it behooves the local
organizations to get busy and select and
train their teams for this important event.
otherwise the trophy may again adorn
the Officers Cub at the barracks. The
4th and 9Th Maryland regiments will also
have strong teams entered in the skrmish
match and it is hoped that Virginia will
be represented by at least one team.
The other event opened to visiting rifle
men and which attracts the most individ-
ual attention is the Harries long range
match, as it carries the handsome medal
presented annually by Gen. George Fl.
| Harries as it's chief prize. This match,
with its two sighting shots and fifteen
shots for record at LOCO yards, Is one
which tests the skill of the long range
sharps, and 1t is usually won by the best
| judges of weather conditions. Two of
| these medals have been won by the Mary
| land guardsmen.
The record of last sea sons rifle prac-
| tice shows that 1.134 officers and enlisted
| men reported at the rifle range and fired
| their official scores and that the large
| total of go failed to report at the range
| or fire a shot for record. At the Camp
| Perry meeting the subject of fourth class
men-that is those who fail to fire score
| for record between May l and October 81,
| a full period Of six months, was discussed
and it was the consensus OF opinion that
| they should be dropped from the rolls In
| the interest of the service, as 1t was
deemed useless to carry deadwood In the
| organizations
| Thus far l, 14O members have fired their
official scores and it is believed that the
pressure which will be brought to bear
| on the delinquents and the allurements
| of the annual matches will have the ef-
feet to reduce the fourth class very ma
| terially and consequently raise the figure
of merit of the brigade, which was 4063
| in 1906 and $3.50 in 1907.
| X
| Capt w. A. Penroyer commanding
| Company D, LIST Regiment, has obtained
authority to take the officers and men of
| his command to the rifle range Thurs
day, the 18th, for the purpose of firing
their official scores. This company has
been recruited since the camp OF instruc-
ton and Capt. Penroyer is anxious to
have his company, which IS showing COM
mendable activity in it's other soldierly
| accomplishments. not to be lasgards in
| skill on the rine range.
|
| -
| The revolver shots of the National
Guard are much pleased at the improve
ments which have been made at the rife
range for their accommodation. Capt.
King has recently erected two targets for
their use located at the eastern boundary
of the range. adjoining the two-hundred-
yard firing poine. from which scores may
| be fired without annoyance while the rifle
work is in progress. This. 1t is presumed.
will have the effect of increasing interest
in this valuable feature of an officer s
| training and accomplishment. Those ell
gible to fire scores for qualification and
entitled to receive decorations according
| to their skill consist of the commissioned
officers Of the brigade, the non-commis-
stoned staff, enlisted men of the battery
| and Signal Corps
The novice revolver and the Brett re-