Evening star., 1916-10-24
"HOSS' CHIEF TOPIC
At MONDAY MESS
Staff Officers of Sd D. C. In
fantry Talk "Seats," !" ''Sad-
dies" and "Stirrups."
CAMP WILSON INCIDENTS
BY J. CROSBY MCCARTHY,
Stan Correspoudent.

stan Correspondent.
DISTRICT NATIONAL GUARD CAMP,
Camp Wilson, San Antonio. Tex, Octo-
ber 2o.-Everybody talks "hoss" at the
MONDAY mess of the staff officers Of
the Sd Regiment these days. for equita-
tion has become the rage since Capt.
James H. Washburn, commanding Troop
a, opened his School for Gentlemen
Riders" The conversation ranges from
such subjects as hooks "halters,"
''hitching-posts." hands" and 'rhar-
ness to Seats Saddles" ~stirrups."
soap" and "surcingles." There are
many arguments concerning the merits
OF this and that 'caballo." No one
says "horse." for since the study of
Spanish has been undertaken by the
District Guardsmen they use the pure
Castillo" whenever an opportunity
presents itself.
Every day Capt. Washburn gives In
struction in equitation to the mounted
officers between the hours of IL and IL
o'clock. and when his pupils report to
''hoss" is foremost in their minds Some
Of them have absorbed so much "hoss"
that they are barely able to sit down
on the rough board benches which
matter of putting in a requtsitton for
upholstering the benches has been sug-
gested. but up to the present time no
one has had nerve enough to make
such request.
Weather Becomes Problem.
The District guardsmen are wonder
ing whether they have experienced all
kinds of Texas weather since their ar
Boreas and Jupiter Pluvius have any
other tricks up their sleeves. When
they arrived here they encountered
shock after the cool weather they had
become accustomed to at Fort Myer.
Then came the rains and the gumbo.
Yesterday all records for peculiarities
in weather were broken when a typical
Texas "norther'' hit this section. Up
until 2 o'clock the day was hot and
then came the change. cold wind
started. and in three hours the tempera-
ture had dropped thirty degrees. By
10 o'clock last night is was below fifty
and before morn..2g came the thirty
four point was reached by the mercury
on it's downward course.
Men lay on their cots shivering until
they could stand 1t no longer. Then
got up and slipped blanket off some
comrade whose heavy siumber was
more than a match for the cold. This
morning when reveille was sounded
they came out of their tents in record
time. for they were glad for the op-
portunity to get on the move and warm
up bit. Several foot balls were pro-
duced. and for few minutes there
were lively impromptu association"
games which helped the warming up
process lot.
Gives Realistic Touch.
A realistic touch was given the drill
today by dense clouds of smoke which
blew toward the drill field from a dump
least of camp. where all refuse from
the reservation is burned. The militia
men were engaged in extended order
drilling at the time. and were lighting |
as skfrmishers." The scene produced |
was not unlike q force endeavoring to |
make an attack against a "gas screen" |
such as are employed by the armies in |
Europe.
Several road marches totaling from
ten to twelve miles have been taken
horses. While the ground was muddy
the regular drilling had to be discon-
ttnued. and Capt. Washburn had his
men take to the roads. On one occa-
a ford in a stream where the water
came up to the stirrups, and the cav
airymen had to hold up their feet to
keep them out Of the wet. The fording
served to wash of lot of the gumbo
mud with which the horses legs had
become plastered.
The horses of Troop A are now being |
sheltered in the long stables in the
camp of the 18th Cavalry (regulars). |
Most of this regiment has gone to Leon
Springs to engage in rifle practice, and
Capt Washburn has been given per-
mission to use the stables during their
absence.
Private Harold Brown. bugier of the
Troop. has been temporarily detailed as
hugler at the headquarters of the cav
airy regiment while two Of its squad
rons are away. Brown impressed the
officers of the 18th with his bugling,
and the detail was ordered.
TOP sergt. Ray of the troop the
other day. when the mud was at its
worst had to walk in gumbo that was
ianei iassriy foot deep to get to the picket
What "Horse Marine" Means.
,'T have often wondered about those
'horse Yarines' mentioned in Pinafore.'
9ut now it is quite plain to me-" he
said. "A fellow that has to wade up to
his knees to get at his horse is a
horse narine.S"
THE privately owned horses which the
officers of the Sd Regiment brought
from Washington with them absolutely
refuse to eat the hay that is served"
n the corral here In camp. 1t is
Kansas prairie grass. and does not
Ifake bit Of hit with the Washing
ton horses that have become partial to
glover and timothy. The officers own |
hg the horses have had to buy hay of
different kind than that issued by
the government for theri mounts. They
are mixing IL with the prairie grass. |
and soon hope to have their horses acc
oustomed to the new food.
chaplain Smith Is having lot of fun
&hese days with miniature electric |
lighting plant that is operated at the |
T. N c. A building. where the District |
tuardsmen assemble at leisure times I
70 write letters and chat There is a
little gasoline motor with a dynamo
attached and a switchboard that is abo
the size of washboard. 1t serves to
fecharge a battery of storage cells
which furnish the current for the cleo
tric lights in the building and for the
motion picture machine. Chaplain
Smith says it's great sport. He is able
70 get as much grease on his hands and
ciothes as a real engineer.
A checker tournament is about to be
9tarted at the "Y" Among the Dis
Tict men who have signified their in
eent!on OF entering the contest are