Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1909-06-11
Young Cadets
Great Triumph.

i
Company {. Armstrong Manual Training
School. Won tho Fifteenth Annual Com.
petitke DrM Over mgh School
Cadets Amid Exciting Scenes.
Company Il OF the Armstrong Man
ual Training school won the fifteenth
annual competitive drill Of the COM
panies composing the separate battal-
lon OF high school cadets on the Amer
lean league park grounds at Wash
ington the other day.
The triumph OF Company E over the
four other companies In the competi-
tive drill was unexpected and was ac-
companied BY several notable features.
| In the first place, 1t was the first time
that a Company Il has ever competed
| in the annual drill of the coloreil
| cadets, there being In former years
only Companies A, B, G and p. Com
pany Il, too, was composed Of green
recruits, Its privates being boys who
entered the high school from the grad
ed schools only last February and who
have been drilling for only a few
months. 1t competed against compa-
nies Of older boys, including privates
who have been studying military tac-
tics for ut least year.
nu M ~ E<hn ArY1Sfpnnu
Manual Training school company also
honors have been equally divided be.
tween that school and the Nj Street
high school. In the seven previous
years that these schools have been pitt
ted against each other In the annual
drill the M Street cadets won four
times and the Armstrong soldiers only
three times, There are now four vic
tories to the credit Of each school.
BY remarkable coincidence Com
pany Il took off the honors this year
In the competitive drills both between
the white cadets and between the col
ored cadets. Last week Company II
OF the business high school was pro-
nounced to have put up the best drill
OF all the twelve companies from the
white high and manual training
schools
The girls from the two rival schools
turned out to cheer the boys In blue In
large numbers, and brothers and sis
ters and parents were there In plenty.
In the boxes around the front Of the
grand stand seats were many persons
Of prominence, including members Of
congress, leading District ofncials ana
school authorities.
On the north side sat the friends OF
the NJ Street high school underneath
huge banners OF the school colors red
and black.
On the south side Of the field were
the supporters OF the Armstrong
school, a thousand strong and as well
equipped with banners OF yellow and
blue as were their opponents with red
and black.
Company G of the Armstrong was
the first to appear on the parade field,
and as the right guide marched from
behind the grand stand In the extreme
northeast corner Of the field a shout
that shook the rafters IN the grand
stand went up from the Armstrong
side Of the field. The company soon
presented arms before the board Of
judges, its captain had received his or
ders, and the movements were being
executed with marked precision that
led many in the stands to remark, that
the leading company had set high
standard. Captain Alonzo Burwell was
In command.
AS Company G marched away from
the judges the first squad OF Company
E, later to be pronounced the best
drilled company on the field, became
visible behind the far grand stand.
The boys In blue were noticeably
smaller than those Of the first COM
pany, and adherents OF the Armstrong
hastened to explain that this was the
baby company Of the battalion and
composed Of recent recruits. But 1t
soon became evident that the company
needed no apologies. Despite their
small size the privates marched with
a swinging stride that is commended
in regulars, and there was noticeable
steadiness the ranks as one after.
the other Oh the movements were exc
cuted to the commands Of Captain
Alrntheas Taylor.
The third and last of the Armstrong
companies followed. 1t being Company
D. After one or two movements had
been carried out the crowd in the
grand stands soon realized that the
high standard set by the first two
companies was to be maintained by
the third, and, while the movements
were not carried out as expeditiously
as by the two previous competitors, It
was noticed that it was to be seriously
considered for first honOrs. Captain
Ernest Hardy was in command.
When Company B appeared on the
field it. was the turn Of the supporters
of the M Street high school to cheer.
FOR that was the first company from
that institution to- compete. And the
thunder, that went up from the north
side grand stand indicated an abun-
dance Of school loyalty. Captain II I.
Gray was In command. i3,.s
Company A followed, bearing. on to
the parade ground the much coveted
championship drill flag which It won
last year. When 1t lined up before
the judges First Sergeant Jones relin-
qutshed the banner with IN air Of re-
gret and vet hope that he might march
off with IT. Captain Burnette Robin
son was in command.