Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-08-01
A PERMANENT CAMP.
Adjutant General Byers is Heartily
in Favor Of Such a Move.
WILL URGE LEGISLATURE TO ACT
Soon as Camps Are Over He VIII
Make a Tour of the State and IN.
vestigate Locations-Has Three
Places in Sight. .sb!

Of late the question of permanent
lcamp for the Iowa National Guard has
been discussed with much vigor when
ever group of guardsmen get togeth'
Ter. Adjutant General Byers has also
taken the matter up, and he is heartily
lin favor of such move. He even
| hints mat such thing may come to
pass by next year. In recent inter-
| view at Dubuque the general said:
| THE camp this year is not all that
| !, could wish and owing to the unusual
conditions existing the boys have suf-
fered considerably. 1t has caused
much discomfort among many OF the
men and although we have done every
thing possible the dust and heat make
it very uncomfortable and this fact
has brought the proposition of a per
manent encampment grounds before
me in very prominent Manners II
place of this kind were secured, and
it is in several states, it would result
in many advantages. For instance
buildings would be erected for the
horses, quartermaster's department
and cooks; good water facilities would
be provided, and location would be
secured that would be convenient for
all the regiments of the state, Il al
ways have been opposed to this per
manent camp because the soldiers dc
not get the touch of real camp life
that they do when we go to different
cities each year, but as we are situat
ed now the facilities are inadequate
for proper drilling and on this account
we are suffering very much and are
not doing all the work we should
cat the conclusion of the ecamp.
ment this year I will make tour of
the state and visit places that would
1 be suitable for permanent eneamp-
ment and in my annual report to the
state legislature will recommend that
they secure location and establish a
permanent camping grounds for the
Iowa National Guard
Have you any places in view that
you think would be good locations ~
was asked. atT
Eyes. Waterloo, Clear Lake and
Perry all have excellent grounds, and
They are conveniently located for all
! the regiments of the state.s5a e
/ How will these grounds be deter.
mined upon?'
well, the way they usually do in
other states is t0'select a number of
these suitable sites and then PROPOSE
ton is drawn up and submitted to all
of the towns. For instance we'll agree
THAI if this city will deed tract OF
land for the use of the guard that the
p encampments of TALL the regiments in
i the state will be held here for a period
of years.. Now, Of course, that means
thousands of dollars for the merchants
of the town annually so you can see
that it will be a big thing for the place
that secures it, Another thing in Sc
lecting these grounds, one of the most
important thing to be looked into will
be good, healthy place. That is, well
have good water supply, good drain
age and an altitude where the air and
surroundings will be as beneficial as
any in the state.
will really mean a saving to the state
, of large sum of money, won't it?'
was asked.
Certainly. The way things are now
we are paying out much more for trans
/ portation than we would have to il
the future. Each year we also expenc
, a large sum of money for lumber, cart
age and other things necessary to gel
tue camp III IululHS OTu6T, Wn1Cf
would not enter into the expense Of
! the new camp. In fact the expense Of
fixing up a permanent camp would al
J.. most be covered by the money saved
In one year"
; G.. w. Brandon, editor of the Nation
al Guardsman and Volunteer, who is
J making his headquarters at Cam
Henderson, expresses the same opin
:. ion as the adjutant general Mr.. Bran
don is thorough military man ant
! lives in Minnesota where the state
militia has a permanent campins
; grounds. 1t is located at Lake View
and although the state officers Were
formerly opposed to the idea, now tina
they have a permanent camping place
| they are much in favor of it,
If a permanent camping grounds il
i established in Iowa one regiment viii
go into camp at time.