Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-07-20
The Trip From Washington.


The men did not have a chance to
do anything but get to work quickly
rs soon as they stepped off the train
There was no time to be lost, as the
four sections had travelled to Gettys-
burg very slowly. 1t was explained
by c. Lewis. jr.. the Baltimore and
Ohio representative who accompanied
the trains that railroads always take
good care to move troop trains SLOWLY,
because of the size of the undertaking
and the possibilities of smash-up II
four long. heavy sections were rushed
through at top speed. At any rate.
the trains moved off from Washington
almost on time, and there We're no de-
lays.
It was an uneventful trip to great
extent The feature of the day seemed
10 be the parting of the third section.
Several officers were gathered on two
platforms in the middle of the train one
of them was telling a fine story, When
suddenly the forward platform parted
from the after platform with a kissing
sound After a while the train backed up
and picked up it's lost children. An irate
conductor came back and swore vehe-
mently at all hands and the expedition
started again, and the story that had so
i'll an effect was resumed, this time with
out any visible damage.
Sandwiches in Ambush.
All the natives along the route seemed
TO have planned an attack with sand
witches on the troops. Every time the
train would stop the farmers of the
country would burst from hiding places
and pursue the trains with baskets of
ham sandwiches. At every cross roads
and water tank the sandwich advance
guard would swoop down on the unpro-
tected District guardians and urge them
to buy. Young men and children, old men
and maidens would spring suddenly from
seemingly untenanted stations and cry
Sandwiches and bananas" To feed two
thousand guardsmen there must have
been ten thousand sandwiches made be-
tween Washington and tie field OF battle.
Many of the guardsmen fell an easy
prey to the sandwich corps.
The 1st Separate Battalion ate every
thing il could reach. Then when
Hagerstown was reached it was found
that Maj. Neumyer. the great father Of
the food supply, had sent men ahead to
make coffee and sandwiches, to be de-
hvered free of all charge. and those
guardsmen who had not stuffed them
selves ate their first army rations of the
trip The major was at Hagerstown
himself, to see that the cooks prepared
enough He had instructed them to make
two hundred gallons of coffee and thirty
four hundred sandwiches He found they
had made two hundred and fifty gallons
of coffee and had enough sandwiches to
pay back all the sandwich raising
farmers who had stormed the guard en-
route.
There was real smart officer on board
the third section who thought he would
show himself off to the natives at Ha-
gerstown. A youth, whom said smart
officer took TO be "a pumpkin, appeared
gaping al the array of arms as it lay
aboard the troop train. Smart officer
s1gnaled to his compatriots to listen
while he made Hagerstown pumpkins
wonder at his wit.
Hey there, is this Hagerstown? he
shouted.
Yes. sir said the alleged pumpkin
We'll, where does old man Hager
live asked the officer. believing himself
to be real funny.
Right down on Hager street. return
ed the village cut-up. And that held
EN- all for a while. EG