Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-09-22
hoo Opening Tomorrow Cadets Begin Training for Big Drill
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this fan the opinion is expressed thaf-
last years complement will no cqualel
or exceeded. In the parade III" tN"li .
companies We're grouped in tU"' bat
talionS. totaling about Ib men. ~ tn"S'.
Eastern High school MAS represented -
one company which Conta 5n|d the larcs
number of eighty men. Western ny t@b
companies. Business ny two, central ~
three and Mckinley by four
The large number Of pupils now IN
cadet corps Is regarded remarkable
growth from the small beginnings made
in 1852. when the cadets w"r" nrst or
ganized. At the star the eomnlen'hg
consisted of only two companies Of tittv
boys each. who Mere undo the lnsirI.-
ton OF George Israel % 'cu;ral High. Ia
those early days. il is recalled that TO
two companies together possessed only
fifty rifles. with which they had t. take
turns in exercising. In iNSi tie present
military instructor. Col. Burton X Ross.
was retained. and interest in the orsani-
Zation grew by leaps and bounds Tho
boys made their first public appoaraN.
in the same year as that i'm which '",.
Ross began his services Two years lat'~
the cadet corps had doubled In size. ant
subsequently full regiment was on
ganiZed.
\ similar growth has attended IN"
history OF the colored High school
tary Instructor Arthur Brooks, who
was recently promoted In the District
National Guard from the position OF
major to that of lieutenant colonel an1
retired. The colored cadets were or
ganized in 1891 by Prof r l.. card"za.
principal OF the High School. which was
then located in the Miner school build
ing. at 18th street near \. and from tho
very beginning has been under tho care
of Lieut. Col. Brooks. At first the boys
were drilled without uniforms or guns
while Lieut.. Col Brooks contributed
his services free.
Finally to secure the money with
which To purchase the equipment nee
essary for military Organization.
an entertainment WAS given IN the
Metropolitan A. NJ r. Church in 1s'2
by the pupils of The school the main
feature being an exhibition drill by
the boys. For this occasion they Dor
rowed uniforms from the members or
the Washington Cadet Corps As hts
was entirely an organization OF grown
ups. every one of the uniforms was to"
large. but the boys were so enthusiastic
that they filled out the baegv places
with paper pillowcases and shawls Z"
make the clothes fit. When they
marched out to drill an uproar greeted
their appearance. but the uniforms
stayed on. the drill was done with lin"
spirit and the money was raised-or ~
Inaugural ton President Cleveland made
a special request that the High School
Cadets be included among his personal
escort. and the colored boys FORMED
part of his guard in the procession.
where they made fine showing.
Roscoe c. Bruce. the assistant super
intendent of schools in charge OF the
colored cadets. is favorably i'm
pressed with the benefits which the
boys derive from the military drill az
is Mr.. Thurston. That the drill makes
better citizens Of the colored boys Is
shown, it is pointed out. by the fact
that SO far as is known no one who
has ever been an officer in the coloreh
cadet corps has been arrested charged
with a misdemeanor
Some Of the former colored cadet
officers are given, with their occupa-
lions. as follows: Roscoe c. Bruce. as
sistant superintendent OF Washington
schools; Albert Ridgley and Lewis
Cornish. physicians: Benjamin WASH
ington, teacher: y. o. Davis, hrsl
lieutenant. 10th Cavalry. u : a:
Walter Loving. first lieutenant rnlllp
nine Constabulary, and Frank steward,
lawyer. g..
the summer vacation last June. .he
colored cadets numbered SIN co,hpanae,
of which three came from Nj stree,
High and three from Armstrong Manual
Training School. All told. they inciudeu
about $50 men. For some time PAST
about two thirds of all the coiored hlsh
school boys of the city have been mem
hers of the cadet corps, and thns
year still further increase. IN enroll roll
,nent Is exI ected, in view of the fact tnat
- &c inaugural year. A new company
will probably be formed out OF the ,, CADETS rs
eniisting from the business department or
Armstrong Manual Training, and with
seven companies in existence II Is nheaa
that regimental organization can pe
footed during the coming school year.
The teachers generally do all they can
TO strengthen the colored cadet corps
10 addition TO the flag for which they
contend on their own competitive drlli
day, the winning company is presented
with a diamond badge its captain with a
gold badge and it's lieutenants each with
a silver badge. the insignia being pur-
chased by contributions from the teach
erS.