The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1917-07-28
AlOnZO Moore at the Lincoln Electric Parl

tary discipline, which had held them
rigid in some of the selections, was
forgotten, and bodies swayed with the
rhythm of the marching song.
Then the bugle sounded, the flag
was lowered as the band again
played THE Star Spangled Banner"
and the audience sang.
Troops Are Reviewed.
The troops then gave a regimental
drill under direct orders of Colonel
Ballou. They went through the manual
of arms wieh snap and precision, and
were then reviewed by Colonel Bal
lou before they broke open formations
and marched from the stadium.
The men came from the fort via
street a or by big auto trucks of
Uncle Sans commissary department.
1t is needless to say that the Col
ored people were in ecstacies over
the magnificent showing made by che
representatives of our race and the
tumultuous waves of applause that
greeted them throughout the entire
rendition of the mixed program.
On Monday we visited the camp
again, went to the rifle range, where
a number of the companies were hay
ing target practice and spent a pleas
ant hour, where we were served with
luncheon by the boys of the California
delegation, among whom were our old
friend, G. w, Obee, the undertaken,
and Jesse Graves, the county treas
urer's clerk of Des Moines, who is also
taking training. Here we met Ser
geant Marchbanks, our old friend
from Fort Huachuca, and several of
the other boys whose names we don't
recall just at this moment. Among
those who accompanied us out to the
camp were Mrs. Minnie L. Crothwait
of this city and son, David, of Mar
%shalltown, Ia; Miss Ella Page of To-
peka, Kas.; Mrs. Marie Cox of Sc
dalia, Mo-; John S. Coleman and wife
of Des Moines and Jack Bloomfield,
James Banks, Bob Robinson and Fred
Jackson of Omaha, who were as en-
thusiastic as we as what they
witnessed. We were invited by
DR.. Cabinness to call upon Colonel
Ballou, the commanding officer, but
were unable to do so at the time set.
But to say that he is beloved by Of
ficers and men is but a mild express
sion of the high regard in which he
is held by the Colored people of Des
Moines, both cadets and civilians, as
one distinguished Negro, whose name
we will not call, enthusiastically said
to us. There are but three great
white men living today whom the Ne
gro loves and adores, and those are
Col. G. c. Ballou, General John ]. Per-
shing and the immortal and unap-
proachable Theodore Roosevelt" And
If the Negro troopers and soldiers
could have their way, Col. Ballou
would be made a general in command
of all Negro regiments. Another Of
ficer who is highly spoken OF is Cap
tain McMurray, who is a stern dis
ciplinarian, but nevertheless a firm
friend of the men under him and
whom they hope to see elevated be-
fore many days.
-AC WIN u OCCh very udIu lOT
many of the civilian Negroes but they
are gradually getting hardened to it.
Col. c. c.. Ballou, the officer in com
mand of the camp, gives the men 10
hours work a day, and most of the
evenings are devoted to study.
A baseball league and motion pic
ture machine furnish recreation for
the men. Picture shows are given
Saturday and Sunday evenings.
In addition to the civilians, many
of the Negroes at the camp have seen
service, some in Mexico and some in
the Philippines. One man, w. BAIL,
spene II years in the British army,
going through the Boer and Ashantie
wars in Africa.
On Tuesday morning after paying
our respects to the invincible editor
of the Bystander, Hon. John L. Thomp-
son, and visiting DR.. McCree, who has
the only drug store in the city; Wis
iting the hall of North Star Lodge,
A. F. and A. NJ, which they have re-
Gently purchased, and bidding our
hosts goodby, we boarded our car and
started for dear old Kansas City, STOP
ping for a few moments to visit Mr..
Mrs. Smart, Mr.. and Mrs. Gooden
and a few friends in Maryville, Mo-;
then on to st. Joseph, where we STOP
ped for a little, while with DR.. Thomp-
the popular druggist, and brother
the editor of the Des Moines By
stander; then on to Kansas City,
where we arrived without mishap,
dusty, tired, but happy, at 800 a. m.
Wednesday morning.
In conclusion, we say that every
in America who is financially
able and can spare the time should
visit this training camp before its
,lOSa and 500 tho monda,fuI rou