Ashland weekly tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1919-1924, 1921-12-28
ARMORY BEING
EQUIPPED FOR
WINTER SPORTS
From Friday's Dailyl

there promises to be great athletic
activity in Ashland. especially in In
door ball playing. The First COM
pany Oregon coast artillery, Ameri-
can Legion, high school, Elks' club,
and Epworth League, each have bas-
ketball teams, and the Y. NJ G. A.
has a business mems volley ball
team. All the players are preparing
for some lively contests after the
holidays.
Owing to the inadequate room Of
the high school gymnasium, the Ar
mory is being fitted up for athletics
Many of the members of First com
pany feel that it would be more ap-
propriate and desirable to use the
drill hall for athletics than for dane
ing purposes, although dances are
the more profitable, and much mon
ey is needed for Armory improve
ments and repairs. The subject was
fully discussed at the regular Mon
day night meeting Of the company,
which decided in favor of athletics.
The waxed floor has since been
scrubbed, and the field marked off
with white lines. 1t may be found
( possible to use the drill room for
both dancing and ball playing, al
| though II 1t is smooth enough for
the former amusement, 1t is apt to
be too slippery for the latter, In
order to avoid this difficulty, re-
waxing and recleaning will be tried
Lockers are to be filter up by
First company for the use of the ball
teams. These will be placed in a
large basement dressing room ad'
joining one provided with lavatories
and four shower baths Two teams
are to practice each evening, except
Saturdays and Sundays. The firs
practice is to be held tonight by 9
squad of First company players, ant
will be in the nature of a tryout.
ashland has by far the best equip
ped and kept armory in the state,
said Adjutant George A. White t
Captain William Briggs during tn,
latter's recent visit to Portland. Tit
improvements and repairs made II
the building under the present or
ganization in the past year or so ar
very valuable and extensive.
People who attend a meeting o
entertainment at the ArmOry, se
only a part of this important insti
tuition, which is far more than mere
ly for holding military drills. II
addition to several rooms on thu
main floor and upstairs, some o
which are quite commodious, there
is basement under the entire
structure, which measures about 81
by l40 feet. Here is located large
dining room and kitchen, big
equipment room, shooting gallery
or rifle range, and one unfinished
room.
Members of the company, sayi
Captain Briggs, have considered thu
feasibility of turning the unfinished
room into a bowling alley, and have
made tentative plans for such i'm
provement in the near future. Th'
room is 100 feet in length, and a!
yet contains nothing but wrestling
mat, where pugnacious guardsmel
sometimes take fall out of eacl
other. To put cement floor in thi
long room would alone cost $500
This expense item gives good idei
of what it has cost the First com
pany to finish and furnish the Ar
mory.
Both the rifle range and th
equipment room were cement floor
ed, Il large number Of first elias
lockers and other equipment proyid
ed, electric lights installed and mum
erous other improvements made. Tn
electric wiring in the range room
, cost SIS. There are four targets
each made of twO-inch planks, back
ed with boiler plate. The range |
100 feet long, special target rifle
being used for indoor shooting.
The lecture and club rooms az
large and well equipped. The for
mer is used mostly in giving instruC
ton in artillery technique, which
really quite complicated. A slngl
instrument now in use cost 5000
The club rooms has cozy fireplace
a yictrola, one pool and two billiar
tables, comfortable chairs and othe
things necessary for relaxation an
taking things easy.
In addition to numerous Officers
and other rooms for strictly militar
purposes, there is a ladies' res
room just off the main auditorium
The auditorium itself is now furn
ished with zoo chairs. 800 OF whicl
have been recently purchased. Thes