The “City Guard” participated in the regimental encampment held at Sacramento from September 18th to the 22d, 1878, inclusive. This camp was named after the Commander-in-chief, Governor Irwin. It was at this camp that the State Agricultural Society gave two prizes for a competitive drill. Each competing company was to drill for an hour, three regular army officers being judges. Company “D” of the First took the first prize of $300, and the “City Guard” the second of $200. The first prize was won by but a very few points indeed.
April 5, 1879, found Captain Dickinson and First Lieutenant Selleck re-elected, and Henry A. Plate as 2d Lieutenant to rank from the same date, vice Townsend.
The company was on duty again during the Kalloch-De Young troubles of 1879. The members, with few exceptions, placed their pay direct into the treasury of the company.
On August 1st of this year the company removed from the armory then occupied to No. 428 Post street, north side, between Powell and Mason streets. The building was once known as Mrs. Mirasole’s dancing academy. Many a good time was had there, too. Here the company remained until June 1, 1881.
Camp Walsh was the camp pitched by the First Regiment at Sacramento, from September 10th to the 14th, 1879, inclusive. The members of the “City Guard” enjoyed themselves very much indeed at this camp.
During the ten years covered by this chapter the “City Guard” of course paid considerable attention to the social features that necessarily take place in an organization of this kind. Parties, picnics, target excursions, out-of-town trips, camps, and rackets claimed their proper attention. It became hard, however, for company commanders to keep their companies up to a proper military standard, and the attention to these duties was of a lukewarm nature. A great many things worked against the making of prosperous commands. The “City Guard” felt the influences of these conditions, and continued to feel them, too, away along toward the middle of the eighties, when new life was gradually let into the organization, and conditions became more encouraging and satisfactory to those who took the deepest interest in company affairs.
CHAPTER V.
FROM 1880 TO 1894.
EARLY in the year 1880 the company experienced quite a boom in membership, the roll reaching to considerable proportions, prizes having been offered to the two members who would do the most recruiting within a given time. The company had in view the new uniforms to be presented by a committee of citizens, and it was the general desire that the roll be increased. The “City Guard” duly received its proportion of these uniforms, which were the regulation as previously worn.