Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 50, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 March 1917 — COMPANY M LOOKED GOOD AT INSPECTION [ARTICLE]

COMPANY M LOOKED GOOD AT INSPECTION

Young Men Came From Long Distances to Appear Before U. S. Army Colonel Wednesday.

Company M of Rensselaer was inspected by Col. Carl Reichmann, of the United States army at the Rensselaer armory Wednesday night, the first inspection it had undergone since its return from the Mexican border, where it served with other units of the national guard from June 19th to December 29th. All of the officers and forty-two of the fifty-four enlisted men of the company were present, a number of them having come from considerable distances to respond to the call for the federal inspection. If in the past Rensselaer citizens may have looked upon the local militia Organization with some unconcern, certainly there is now much reason to change their attitude and to have a feeling of great pride in the organization and great respect for the splendid manhood represented in its members. The average citizen makes little sacrifice for the welfare and safety of his country and state, but these young men are performing a duty that calls for many inconveniences and they are the men upon whom our country would have to depend for its early protection in the event of serious foreign complications. Surely the inspection of Wednesday night showed as fine a collection of physically perfect young men as have gatherel together in Rensselaer for a long time and the marked improvement over the drills of former times was noted by the citizens present at the inspection. There was snap and cadence and erectness and firmness that was absent in the former years and the officers and non-commissioned officers who gave commands had a ring and positiveness to their commands that borught the same spirited response from the company and the exhibition was a real delight to all who witnessed it.

The citizen who pursues the even tenor of his daily pursuit is not given to much moralizing on the proposition of preparedness and might thoughtlessly pass' over a gathering of this kind unless the importance of it is pointed out and attention is therefore called to the fact that a number of those who appeared here for this inspection were young men who held steady positions here before the call into federal service but who found upon their return that others were holding their ojbs and so it became necessary for them to go to > other places to find work. Frank Yeitsr came from Huntington, John Eigels- , bach and Fred Ballard came from Lebanon, Chester x Wolf and Orphia Gant came from Gary, Stephen Walls came from Belvedere, 111., Wade Furnish came from Gas City, Orph Maxwell and Bernard Mellon came from Remington, William E. Clinton came from Brook, Archie Lee from Mt. Ayr, Lawrence Blacker, Gary; Arthur Bissenden, Chicago; Henry J. Hurley, Lafayette; Burl Blackman, Newland; James R. Criswell, Remington; Sam Kellenburger, Monon; Leland McClanahan, Hammond; Dale A. Norris, Greenwood, Ind.; Emmet O’Brien; John Smith Monon; Harry Beebe, Hebron; Arthur Kennedy, Thomas Kennedy, Gary; Elmore Lutes, Monon, and Paul Spangle, Hammond. " And all of these young men are subject to call for first line duty in the event the present threatening crisis should break upon us. There should be in Jasper county at this time a thousand men in training and during the time the officers of the miiltia are here there should be a school organized and every young man should devote himself energetically to acquiring all the information possible in order to be of the greatest service in the event of the catastrophe of war. Surely a look at the, splendid young men who were unde?’arms at the armory Wednesday evening would have justified any one in joining the militia or in offering to submit to the drills that build up perfect physical manhood and result in a more patriotic citizenship. Indeed, the benefits these young men received in the training is a strong argument for universal tarining for the benefit resultant to the physical well being. The young had not yet lost their border tan and their military set-up is in striking contrast to the appearance of a hastily gathered bunch of untrained men.

Captain Tuteur at the conclusion of the drill expressed his thanks to the men who had come here at considerable expense and sacrifice. He had been advised by Colonel Reichmann that he had the largest number that had yet been gathered together for an inspection since the troops were mustered out, with the exception of the South Bend company, and he had equalled that number and his per cent was considerably better, having only 12 absentees whereas South Bend had 21 absent. The inspections of the Third Indiana will conclude today and tomorrow with the inspection ofthe Monticello company, which along with Company M was rated one of the best conipanies on the border. The captain of the company there is Dr. A. B. Cray, who gave up ap extensive practice of medicine to *go with the troops to the border. It is hoped that in the future the local militia company will receive greater encouargement than in the past, for it is a credit to Rensselaer and Jasper county and the position is occupies makes it an important or-

ganization inthe nation’s need. The soldiers are now under federal pay, receiving pay ranging from $3.75 to $11.25 per month for the enlisted men. To draw this pay they are required to perfor ma certain amount of military dutv. .. _ In addition to the Inspection of the local company Major Healey’s battai ion lioad Quarters were inspected* The inspection involves the listing of every article an officer is required to have in order to enter the field immediately, and includes in addition to clothinv and arms, field' glasses, watcb f compass, mess outfit,and the horse equipment for mounted officers, such saddle, bridle, saddle blanket and cloth, nose bag, saddle bags, curry comb and brush, spurs, etc. There are almost one. hundred articles on the list of requirements for a mounted officer. I