Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-17

trict of Columbia the citizen sol
diers have been released from further
drills until October l. Around the
armory at the Center market no more
for some time will be heard the tread
tread of feet over wooden floors, and the
| rattle OF musketry. accompanied by the
shouting Of commands by officers.
The dove Of peace will shine above the
armory But then October will soon
roll around and there will be another
year of drilling. drilling, drilling. En-
listment campaigns probably will be
started Immediately. so that the COM
pany commanders will have plenty OF
time to recruit their companies up to
full strength by the time of the next
encampment.
There is lots of material in Washing
ton city that ought to be in the Ma
tional Guard. If the young element of
the city realized the advantage to be
| tional Guard of the District of Columbia
there would be no need at this time for
enlistment campaigns.
The camp at Bolivar Heights was de-
lightful 1t was situated on a high
plateau and breeze was blowing all
the time. The boys had lots of fun, in
addition to getting in some excellent
military training. Up in the morning early.
they were out in the field drill, return
ing at 11:3O o'clock in the morning or
| thereabouts, and they had practically
the whole afternoon to do with as they
wanted. There were athletic events,
places for fishing and swimming-in fact.
there was a place for all kinds OF games.
And the boys who attended Camp Ord
way, 1913. certainly took advantage OF
them all.
After the parade in the evening. when
the proud citizen soldier boys could show
their ''camp girls what a fine showing
they could make, they had all of the
hours during the whole encampment
when they were on picket duty. On the
whole. the sleeping out in tents and
living entirely in the open Is just what
some of the Washington boys need, and
camping with the National Guard gets
1t and at the same time serves double
purpose.
There were very few soldiers during
the present encampment who did not see
the tents fall last Wednesday morning
were a few who were to be found to
complain. but such might be the case
in any place where nearly 1,5OO men
gathered together. 1t is too much to
expect that all would be pleased
The date for the payment. Of the MEM
bers of the National Guard Of the Dis
trict of Columbia for their services ut
Camp Ordway, 1918. depends entirely
upon the cooperation of the various COM
pany commanders. according to Capt
Thomas r. Clark, Pay Corps. N. G. b. c..
Capt. Clark declared that the blank pay
rolls were distributed to the company
broken When. these are properly filled
out and certification kas been made that
all property has been accounted for. pay
ment win be ppade. However. each COM
pany will not be paid as its rolls are
completed: but the paymasters will wait
until all The companies Of a battalion
or regiment are completed. when these
organizations will be paid all at once. 1t
would be too large job. it was declared.
to attempt to pay off each company as
its rolls were completed.
As soon as the paymaster is ready TO
the press. and a night will. be set for
them to come to the armory to get their
money. Capt. Clark declared that he
could not say just how long it would take
for that reason could not tell just when
pay day would come around.
The District soldier boys who brought
the piece of field artillery back over the
road from Camp OrdUay are still talking
of their experiences of those two days
march through rain. With capt "
Joseph s. Cornish in command and
Lieut. Willis s. Bryant, the field piece
set out early Tuesday morning with the
Signal Corps. The rain just poured. and
before they had gone very far they dis
covered that the horses were falling them,
and the real trouble started. They start
ed with eight horses. but finally had to
take two off. and almost drag them along
behind the gun. The six other horses. or.
as Lieut. Bryant calls them. "crow
bait" just had to be forced along by
every means known to the army horse
men.
They went slowly along, picking up
mud and catching water. until they
reached Leesburg. where they found
the Signal Corps encamped. There
the boys on the battery put their
horses in the stable and went to sleep
on the ground with only the cannon
for a roof. In wet clothes and with
rain still falling they stayed there all
night, just like the soldiers would
be compelled to do in real warfare.
When supper time came around the
District batterymen gave the little
town of Leesburg a jolt such as it
never has had since the days of the
civil war. Fifteen rounds Of ammu-
milton bumped the little town out of
the houses and Jared them around to
the fair grounds. where instead of find
ing an earthquake they discovered as
the cannon smoke died away real
soldier boys. Then again in the morn
ing, when the boys bumped the sun
up with ten charges of ammunition.
the little town rolled out to see the