The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-01-29


St. Paul sport carnival this week.
The Grand Forks marching club
is to be at the head Of the parade,
while the North Dakota militia
boys froIic in the snow and ice
here in the carnival. It is PLAN
ned to allow the Flickertaii mill
tia boys as much freedom from
Fort Smelling concentration camp
as possible, to allow them to en-.
Joy the carnival and the pretty
little carnival queens.
Fort Smelling, Minn., Jan. 90
North Dakota soldiers, back from bor-
der duty clear across the country, are
ready right now to be mustered and
returned to their homes, according to
Colonel J. Fl. Frame Of Grafton, com.
mander Of the First regiment. now at
Fort Smelling. The men are in the
best of shape. their papers are ready
and the accounting due the federal
government is in such form that it
can be cleared up in a very short
time, the colonel said.
1t Is possible that the boys will be
mustered out and on their way home
within a few days. Colonel Frame is
confident that it will not be more than
two weeks at the very outside before
they are discharged.
Made Record.
The First made record business
, for efficiency at the border as well as
becoming noted for soldierly virtues
Its payroll. said officers, was ready at
the first of every month and its &C.
counts were always correct, never
needing revising as did those Of. some
other national guard regiments.
But the pride of the North Dakotans
rested on the great showing made in
the grand review last fall before Gen.
eral Funston. The many encomiums
received by the First earned for it the
friendly envy of other guardsmen and
one colonel from another state charg.
ed that Colonel Frame had Slipped
one over on the other state troops by
providing his men with new hat
cords. This was denied today by the
colonel, who said the regiments good
showing was due to its great efficiency
and the high morale of its rank and
| file.
Officers of the First North Dakota
regiment were envied by many anoth.
er officer of state troops because Of
the service ribbons they were entitled
to wear. It's colonel and staff could
show more than any other regiment
of the guard at the border, because
of their service in the Philippines.
The tokens of service gave the regi.
ment certain standing among the
regular army officers not to be oh.
tanned otherwise by state troops.
Best of Health.
Colonel Frame said that every men,
Der of his regiment except one, Pri-
vate Owens Of Company c, Is in the
best of health and the appearance Of
the boys at Fort Smelling seemed to
bear out his statement. Owens was
believed to have touch OF diphtheria,
but was treated in time, it is thought,
to prevent serious consequences. The
only death in the regiment while it
was in Texas was that Of Private
Oien, cook Of Company E, who died
of ulcer of the stomach.
The regiment is unanimous in want
ing to get home as soon as possible
and everything possible to help the
federal mastering out officers will be
done. Dozens Of North Dakotans, now
residents Of the twin cities or in as
carnival visitors or for some other
reason, journeyed over to the old Fort
today from Minneapolis and St. Paul
to greet the bronzed boys IN Khaki.
There were several romantic re-
unions of soldiers and sweethearts
visible.
To be Given Freedom.
The soldiers may be allowed an op- |
portunity to enjoy the St. Paul carni-
val: Colonel Frame said he thought |
It would be arranged to give them |
leave, but in the words of the strict
disciplinarian he appears to be said
that the freedom of the regiment as
a whole depended on the good be-
havior of every individual. The col
onel expressed no doubt that their be-
havior, however, would be all that
could be desired. They are veterans
and can be expected to act as such,"
he said.
The regiment reached Fort Smelling
before sunrise Sunday morning. In
place of the dust Of Texas which they
have been seeing for the last six
they found the reservation
covered with nearly two feet Of snow. !
A busy Sunday was spent in trans.
porting their paraphernalia from the :
station in Minneapolis to the fort.