The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-05-29
NEW ARMORY OF GRAYS
TO BE OPENED TO- NIGHT
brilliant deception and Hall TO Mark
First Inc of New
Building.
NEW UNIFORMS ARE ne.
READY
Grnys' Imitation TO &c Seen In Them
for First Time I'm Memorial Dny Pm
rnde Saturday.

All Is In readiness for the big mill
tary demonstration. with which the
Richmond Grays' Battalion, First In
fantry. Will celebrate the formal open
ing OF It's magnificent new nromory.
at Seventh and Marshall Streets, to-
night. Tho decorators have hun,; the
last piece of bunting In the spacious
drill hall, In which the festivities viii
be held, and the final wrinkle has
been pressed out OF the handsome new
fun nrcss uniform, which the organi-
cation will don for the first time In
honor of the event.
Accentanccs of Invitations continue
TO come in tor out-or-towu military
men ana ORGANIZATIONS in all parts or
tho East. In addition u I'll" Virginia
officers and members of local com
mnnds. representatives viii be here
from many OF the crack outfits OF tho
North aud South, among them being
the Firth Maryland Regiment, the
| Wilmington Light Artillery, the Penn
sNlNamia Veteran Corps. and many
others.
| 1t Is fully expected that 1000 per
sons Will be IN the big building when
| the huEle sounds for the full dress
| battalion drill. which opens the pro-
| gram. After the maneouvcrs. the six
best drilled men in the entire outfit
ination drills, will be presented with
| handsome gold medals. and the most
| ciiicicnt company will receive |, silver
l"NinS cup offered by Major Lawrence
J. lI!ce, commandment OF the battalion.
INC bail is expected To be one OF the
most brilliant public functions ever
acid In this city. The floor upon which
the dancing Will take place is the
| largest in the city and State, and has
not a single obstruction. II is nearly
| ~ iect IN length, and is nincty-eight
! icci wide. IN" floor contains more
| than 1900 square feet, and would pro-
| VIE comfortable seating capacity for
| 400 persons.
INTERIOR DECORATIONS
ARE MOST ELABORATE
me huge iron beams when supporr
| the ROOF, have been buried beneath a
/ mass OF color, While the walls arc
barely visible for the flags bunting
! ana designs which have been arranged
| pF the decorators. FcStoons of nays
| ana drapcry have eliminated all of tho
| grim lines OF the military structure
| ara with the dozen or more distinctive
dress uniforms, the gowns Of the WON
Ell, ana the conventional evening at
TIRE OF the civilian guests, going
| through the evclutions of the modern
dances--and none will be barrcd-tb.
scene VIII be one of Understandable beau.
~.
Inc public reception Will be held nj
?:l5 O'Clock. with a dozen or more
prominent state personagcs in the re-
ceiVihg line. Among those who have
accepted invitations to be prescnt ora
Governor Locke Craig, of North Car
olina and Governor Henry Garter
! stuart, of Virginia.
Lieutenant Colonel 10 Lane storm
and Mrs. Lawrence T. Price will lead
the German figure with which the BAH
viii open. They will lie assisted hv
I
Light Infantry Blues battalion and
twenty from the Richmond Grays. The
music VIII be provided by the thirty
piece Richmond Grays Band, under the
direction OF Joseph Kessnich
me exercises Will open promptly at
$50 o'clock, and the ball will begin
about 10 o'clock. Taps will he blown
at the stroke of midnight. as the bat
talon has n heavy day before IL on
Saturday. when Memorial Day will be
observed by parade. which the officers
will leave on Sunday for Fredericks-
burg to attend tho school of instruc-
ton.
OFFICERS OF THE
PRESENT GRAYS BATTALION
The present battalion, composed of
Companies y. 3, c and +. is the resi-
due OF the First Regiment in Rich
mond, the other eight companies be-
ing scattered about the State. The
officers of the battalion are as fol-
lows:
Lawrence T. Price. major: Leroy Il.
Brown. Jr, adjutant; William A. Low
Ing. Jr., Quartermaster and comman-
dissary; Robert Airport, sergeant-ma-
Jor.
Company A-James E. Cherry, can
tain: Harry Howell. first lieutenant:
- -, second lieutenant
Company B-William a. Stack, cap
tain; Luther It. Matthews, first lieuten-
ant; Charles Chapman. second lieuten-
ant.
Company C-Charles b. Coulbourne.
captain: Langhorne Coulbourne first
lieutenant; j. A. Shepherd, second lieu
tenant
Company F-Alva L. Cousins, cap
tain: Charles l.. Rady, first lieutenant:
James II. Peters. second lieutenant.
Besides the battalion in the building
there are quartcred the Hospital Corps,
assigned to tho First Regiment: the
Field Hospital Corps and Signal Corps.