The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1913-12-16
SUPPER FOR
THE SOLDIERS
OCala Rifiemen Had q Pleasant and
Profitable Evening


excellent military company, Monday !
evening.
While waiting for the boys TO |
fall in, the scribe took look over
the rooms which are headquarters |
for the organization, which is made /
up OF a number OF our best young
men, and should lie our special pride. /
The condition OF the armory can
best be expressed by the word shah
by, and in some places dilapidated. |
1t has been a long time since any but /
the most trifing amount OF public
money has been spent on the arm
Some Of the window panes are
knocked out, the walls inside are
dingy and need paint and paper, the
ceiling has fallen in one or two
places. and is loose in others. and
the building is not at all III the con-
dition il should be either for the
comfort Of our own boys, or 10 be
seen by the distinguished visitors
from the state headquarters or the
regular army who often come here.
The rifemen are comfortable
enough for men on active duty-that
X, the roof hasn't leaked yet; and
they have put il a billiard table
which they paid FOR themselves, and
they haven't complained one-tenth as
much as some institutions that
haven't been half as much neglected:
nevertheless, its time for the county
/ TO have the armory put in decent
shape. and for the people 10 remem
/ Der that they have one OF the oldest
and most eficient military organiza
tons in the state; one that We don't
need often but need like a man
needs gun when he does need it,
and one that has never yet failed to
/ be Johnny on the spot when it was
needed.
! No matter how bum .the armory
looks. the guns ana other equipment
are in fine order, ana there IS plenty
Of ammunition. The reporter spent
a pleasant ha.f hour IN watching the
sergeant pick the guns At random
. from the ra * and. show how smooth
~ ana perfectly they Worked-and It
takes considerable care TO keep an
army rifle with is intricate mechan-
ism in order these days-&ni another
in watching the youn@ soldiers at
/ their drill.
Captain Fred Weihe put the COM
pany thru its drill, ana though a
4 large proportion O. comparatively
new men are in the ranks. all are
very smart Lieut. H. c. Campbell,
Orderly Sergeant George Woods ana
about a score OF the rank and file
we're present. Maj. John NJ. Graham
| retired, was present, and took great
interest in the drill. Major Graham
almost grew up in the company and
will always think by tours whenever
he has an abstract problem to solve.
After the drill. the company stack
ed arms and the members marched
to Dewey's restaurant, where they
sat down to supper. This was the
best kind OF a spread for soldiers OF
anybody else. PurlO was the piece
de resistance. and was f1anked anC
reinforced by all necessary accom-
/ paniments, washed down by the sol
/ dier's favorite everage-strong
1 black coffee. Cigars followed ana
| with two or three platefulls OF purlt
I under each belt, the boys felt quite
| happy.
| Lieut.-Col Geo. A. Nash, like Ma
/ ior Graham, retil ed. but also read!
/ to re-enter if war breaks out, JONES
/ the company at the supper table. III
| has been with the Rifles for a quar-
ter OF a century, and any OF the spe
i cal occasions would be incomplete
] without him.
= After supper the ritiemen return
Ell to the armory, where after lit
tie more drill to shake the Wand
down, they spent a social evening.
The commissioners should loOse1
I'D and put the armOry in goo
shape: also. some additions shout
be made TO the furniture. so tn
boys could use the armory as plac
I CT rest and recreation a. we'll as on
to drill and keep their arms in. Il
/ most cities. the military cOmpanie
| are enabled and encouraged to Us
/ their armories as club rooms. and a
la military company Is one Of tn
| best clubs a young man can belon
/ to. it is a wise policy TO make II a
L attractive as possible.