The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, July 5, 1903, Page 11

THE SUNDAY CALL. 11 COMF re, Lankey™ u've got my blanket™ here’s my tent pinT” s right behind you; can't see 1t7” t got your tent buttoned!™ wrr there!” wer than fce wagon.” You're all right! uting goes on lustily from hroats, while Uncle Sam s two birds w one stons out at —giving his boys a strenuous holiday at the same time. y fleld day is well estab- 'w and promises to be a big suc- nd. The biue and khaki clad out in big numbers. offi- <z, cers are Interested, TOWRSPOODIS geot themselves up early to see the § o'clock beginning of affalrs. Last spring it occurred to somé of the powers that be that regular athletic and military contests for prizes would be & good thing. General Hughes issued from army headquarters an official order to that effect. The commanding officer of each post was directed to appoint a com- 3 missioned subordinate to superintend the training of the men and the games. The department appointed an athletic board to supervise this new feature of soldler life. One day in every month was ordered set aside for a field day, on which the enlisted men should compete for prizes. On fleld days all drills were ordered omitted, so that all might enjoy the oo- casion. - U 1) “—rn end of a thousand dollar prise. They sprint, they jump, they throw, they pitch tents, as if their lives and the future of the United States army depended on it 3 haps, they do. The regulation fleld :.polr’t.: t‘l’:n all the athletio world is familiar with take place on these holl- days and some tall jumping and running have been done, but the genuins thrill of the occasion comes with-the military con- tests. Such affairs as an equipment race, tent pitching and striking race, broad sword contest and dead-body-rescue race on horses are the affairs that make it worth while setting the alarm at the un- earthly hour required. For military peo- ple are up while others sleep, and it seems to them a rational idea that one should be ready to begin the day's gayety at 9 in the morning. Each month some of these exciting con- It has proved to be the event to which tests are put on the programme and in- the men look forward from one month to terest grows. The One Hundred and Fifth the next. Not that the prizes warrant Company has already distinguished it- eny such anticipation—they have been gelf, also the Fifth Field Artillery. Peo- modest amounts of from 50 cents to $3 ple are beginning to watch the successful one month or razors and Indian clubs the gnd the promising, looking for bigger suo- next. Glory alone would be quite enough cesses In the future. to work up the enthusiasm of the boys. Thepe Is no contest on the list that cre- Thelr lungs could not possibly make big- gtes as much merriment as the tent ger nolse If they were cheering to the pitching and striking. The first of these % eontests gave honors for pitching to I Troop., Ninth Cavalry, and to First Bat- tery, Field Artillery. The tent striking prizes were won by the Tenth Company of the Coast Artillery and the Fifth Bat- tery of the Field Artillery. A month later the One Hundred and Fifth Company di- vided the honors. The men appeared on the ground with their shelter tents and blankets rolled and swung like big bolsters over their shoul- ders. They were allowed to undo the fastenings before the contest began, “so they tock their time about this first step. At the word they lined up in two rows facing each other, tent on shoulder and the space of eutstretched arms between neighbors. The firing ¢f a pistol s the signal for beginning and end of all contesta The men stood with fingers {tching for the battle of dexterity. Then from the cap- tain’s pistol pointed .igh above his head the report rang out and in an instant the men had reached the next station to bed- lam. The tents were off thelr shoulders, were SHE / [ ‘widely opened, the little poles and pins ‘wers brought out, and the two blankets, for every shelter tent represents & ene- night stand for two men. One big darkey had his tent in neat shape all but the last pin. “Whar dat pin?’ he shouted, whirling around and around on one spot like a kitten chasing its tall. One of his civilian friends stood in the excited crowd of spectators. “You chump!™ he roared, black and per- spiring with the heat of the moment. “Kain't yo' see dat pin In yo’ own pants’ pocket ™" The contesting soldier was too much ex- cited to hear and he continued to whirl as fast the Arab dancer, still bellowing, “Whar dat pin? Yo' took ma tent pin, yo' brack niggah yo'.” While the wooden pin poked its end openly out of the pocket. “You've got my blanket,” complained & slow tent pitcher. His neighbor had, true enough, but he ‘was philosophical. “I know it, but what's the difference? You've got mine. A blan- ket's a blanket, ain't 1t? We've both got & blanket—what's the difference?” But the other refused to be comfortsd, and when he found himself the last man ready he still mads complaint that “he took my blanket” and spent the rest of the day explaining why he did not win the two-dollar prize. After the men supposed that thelr tents were ready they stood beside them, breathless and ready for the decision. Even military discipline found it hard to stop the disputing and get the men to stand in military order. Tent after tent rose on the flat ground—some with barely & second between their completion, others lagging far behind. There was trouble ahead for some that counted themselves winners. For the in- spectors inspected very carefully and re- vealed several sad truths One was that & ocertaln man'shblanket was not folded correctly, and it is an important matter that all the blankets be lald side by side with mathematical precision, the end turned down. Another soldier had left his flaps unbuttoned, so he was counted out of the race although he had stoocd)beside his pitched tent first of all Btriking the tents was & quicker matter. The buttoning of the flaps was undonse ‘with one quick zip and buttons flew. Pins and poles wers put away, blankets and tents rolled again and the competitors stood as in the beginning, tent on shoul- der. The tug-of-war is always a big event and it draws the crowd even when jump- ing is going on near by. It seems very appropriate that soldiers should be taking part in & tug of war, although it is really more an athletic than a military contest. But they make it a genuine tug-of-war; the blue suits give the genuine color wanted for verity and the straining shoul- TER S et ders and beaded brow bear witness to the tug. These boys have ne floor with cleats for their tug; they battle it out oo the bare ground, digging their sturdy shoes into mother earth for a hold. The hand- kerchief hangs accurately above the cen- ter chalk line; the revolver cries “Tugl™; the handkerchief sways, jerks, jerks the other way, is over the center again, then with a swift movement as if one hand pulled it, it slides over one of the outer Fun and Frolic of the Thrilling New Evolutions That Uncle Sam’s Fighting Boys in Blue Are Now Being Put Through to Train Them for Daring and , Dangerous Work on the Battlefield. lines and the revolver is heard agal as one of the lesing side loses his foothold and siides while one of the winners top- ples over backward, bruised but triumphs ant. The Twenty-fifth, Twenty-seventh and One Hundred and Fifth contested hotly for the tug-of-war and = honors fnally went to the Twenty-seventh company of Coast Artillery, which lately = from Manila. The equipment race mak B amon of fun for the onlooker a. wpire for the men in it. From being 4 3 heavy marching order 1 down a line, getting rid of . ment as they go, then retur up again. Gloves fall at the .t station, and one by one the blanket, cartridge Lelt, leggings and hat are dropped. Pegs mark the spots where these must be left. What's the matter with those lacings? Never caught like that before,” one mut- ters while he grows scarlet over his leg- gings that won’t coms off. Then he gives an extra jerk, pulls it off and hustles on to the next station. A hoot goes up from the crowd. “You've got your other legging on,” he distinguishes in the chorus of shouts. And there it is, sure enough, entirely forgot- ten and still neatly laced. The turn is made at the other end of the line. Hatless, the men start to take up their equipment. The lacing of the leggings s even slower than the unlacing was and the cartridge belt Is ages to fasten when one’s fingers are all thumbs. At the very end of the routs, when the whole lot of the racers are puffing and red-faced, the gloves lle walt to be Sjumped into and it is no wonder If the right one persists In gett'ng on the left bhand and the left one on the right. The winner stands at attention, panting and a good deal disheveled, but in the form of heavy marching order. A box of ci- gars and & knife awaited the winners at the last equipment race. The spare wheel race brings Into play great quickness and deftness, for it A knack of itself to roll the great wheel, the fingers holding the hub so that it siips through and balances while the man runs with {t. This wheel is the one carried on & wagon in time of battle, ready to replace & damaged wheel, and the traine ing in carrying it quickly is essential, as HE PREMIDICO —= it must often be taken to a place where the wagon cannot reach. A man rolls it while he runs posthaste and a cleves trick it is to keep the heavy thing roliing beside one. Relay races and blank cartridge races are popular events at every Presidio fleld day, and the running races are first-class schooling for men who hold the welfare of our nation in their hands—and feet Some good sprinters are being developed in these contests. The afternoon of each fleld day is given over to a baseball game and great crowds assemble then. But although the time s more convenient, the late comers miss the sight of these vigorous army boys of ours in the splendid freshness and enthusiasoy of the early morning. If you have been stirred by thelr em- citement at one of these events, you will grant that 9 o'clock !s nons too early fos the pleasure of it all. — e Are You a Gawk? Grace of manner and ease and dignity of poss are largely mental and depend & great deal upon one’s confidenca. Shy o® sensitive people cannot easily evercome awkwardness because of their self-con~ sclousness and sensitiveness to what oth- ers think. T imagine everybody is watching them, ri why they ing where they wers reared. The first remedy I8 to get rid of seif- consclousness and to belleve we are whag we would like to be when our awkward- ness and ungainly bearing will gradually Archbishop Whately, who suf- fered untold agony from his natural shy- ness and sensitiveness and regard for what people might think of him, could not find a remedy until he made up his mind to utterly disregard people’s epin- fons, to ignore entirely what they thought of him and not to think that everybody disappear. ‘was watching him; he then quickly overe came his handicao. A great many people ars so sensitive and highly strung that they cannot bear to be harshly criticized. They never want to know what anybody has to say abous them. However, all the caricaturing and criticizing of the press and pubiic could not swerve Grant or Lincoln one lota from his purpose. If Columbus had been sensi- tive the western hemisphere might have still been in oblivion. No amount of eritl- cism or ridicule could convince him thea$ his convictions wers misapplied