The Washington herald., 1915-08-20
BY A STAFF CoRREspoNuENr

Di SlAr L.
Camp Ordway. Colonial Beach, Va,
Aug. 19.-Now that the District militiamen
have been four days in camp they have
! settled down to the routine of army life
and adapted themselves to the varied con-
ditions which have confronted them since
their arrival
| The weather today was much warmer,
old Soils rays making the perspiration
roll in streams down the faces of the
! Suardsmen as they went through their
| drill this afternoon.
| Certainly nothing has been spared in
the way of variety of weather. On the
! first night the camp was flooded by
| terrific downpour, on the second and third
nights it was so cold half of the 1900
! men nearly froze in their cots. while to-
night promises to be scorcher
Mosquitoes have been conspicuous by
absence. while the pesky fly is only pres
! ent at meal time, and then in negligible
numbers.
The drilling today probably was per-
| formed under conditions more like those
! in time OF war than on any previous day.
The field, which is necessarily without
shade of any kind, is a regular oven, the
sun having baked the soil. causing it to
shoot the heat up. The drill periods are
the same each day and in the afternoons,
| the hottest part of the day. last from 1:30
to 300.
The many athletes of the differen,
companies between whom a spirit of
friendly rivalry has grown up are all
! looking forward to the regimental atn-
| letic meet. the date for which was an.
| nounced today as being Monday, at
2 o'clock.
Program of Events.
| The program of events will consist
of the following: 1Oo-yard dash. go
yard dash. 440-yard dash, company re-
lay (ss0 yards: each men to run %
yards), three-legged race. equipment
race, shelter tent pitching( only one
entry from each company allowed).
and wall scaling { one squad from
each company compulsory.
Among the athletes here who shoulo
do good work are Clarence Rose.
formerly of the tremonts' crack re-
lay team: c. E Smithson, former star
runner of the Gurley Athletic CLUB:
w. B. White. crack high jumper of the
National Guard: Schlitz Schlosser,
former coach of the George Washing
ton University basketball team ana
star 22O-yard man. There are several
hundred others who have regulations
in the athletic world and who will
be lined up in the competition Mon |
day.
Sunday will he the big day here and !
several thousand visitors are expected /
The Sabbath is the only day of the weel; I!
when there is no drill instruction, and |
consequently the men have nothing to do !
bat the necessary guard and fatigue duty. |
except TO pass in review at 4:30 o'clock. !
Every evening the camp is thronged by |
members of the fair sex from supper |
hour until 9 O'Clock. when all visitors !
must leave.
whistle and Arm Signals.
The oral commands and arm signals !
both were used in yesterdays drill. To- |
day the oral commands were dropped al
together. only the whistle and arm sig
mails being used
The third battalion. composed OF COM
panies l. X. l.. and NJ, furnished the |
regular evening parade tonight, and the +;
usual large number of spectators was
present to watch the maneuvers. Com
pany X made favorable impression. the
men swinging along in a fine line. !
Saturday night is expected to be /
big night here. There has been no
disposition shown by any Suardsmen
to make trouble thus far. all of them
enjoying themselves in a happy go
lucky, harmless fashion, and the big
time expected Saturday is one only in
the sense that a larger number of men
will be off leave than on other nights
during the week, and the town of Co
lonial Beach will be crowded with |
Washingtonians here for Sunday. The /
big thing on the cards is prize fight !,
at Menches'. which is expected to wake
up the quiet ones hereabout. Young
Thomas. of Ardmore fame, is booked
to battle in the ring with an unknown
pugillst.
There were eighteen hospital cases !
this morning at sick call. but none of
them was serious, in most instances
the trouble being due to the admins
tering of the typhoid vaccine to 800 OF
the boys yesterday.
]. Ralph Fehr. lieutenant quarter
master. First Battalion who sustained
an injury to his left foot when a
wagon backed over 1t earlier in the
week, manages to get around and per-
form his manifold duties in a salts
factory manner.
Country Horses Lively.
The country horses provided for the
officers and for the signal corps are
providing much amusement for those
who have to march. The horses were
brought up from nearby country
places and while they are pretty fine
specimens of horse flesh yet
they simply cannot get accustomed to
the band which plays for the parade
each evening. Last night c. E. Smith
son, adjutant of the First Battalion.
was nearly thrown from his steed
when a sudden BOOM" boom" of the
drum set the old horse galloping off
down the field. Smithson finally
pulled him in and then discreetly got
off and thought it over while he
stroked the horse on the nose George
Monagon. adjutant of the Second Bat
talon, has been. having the same kind
Of trouble with his mount. He has had
to work hard to hold the horse in