The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-09

in which he is engaged. He says he has investigated this work and finds that 1 his tent at Gulfport, two summers ago,
 was the first tent of this character to be placed in position on a National Guard camp ground. He says his tent is aver aging 2OOO visitors per day. They have record kept so these figures can be ascertained. In this tent the boys are furnished with writing material and the place is filled with tables for their use. On other tables are magazines and news papers and on the center of the news paper table there is a mammoth vase of pretty flowers sent out by Mrs. ". $. Muslin, one of the most generous and popular women of Columbus. It takes a woman like Mrs. Muslin to think of such , things as this and her thoughtfulness | seems to be sincerely appreciated. Down in one corner and plainly audible through out the enclosure, is a photograph which continuously plays selections of various character. This afternoon the soldiers were listening to selections from "The Merry Widow and other popular operas and the next moment the machine would dispense either a "coon song" or some patriotic strain. The place is quite at tractive and the free ice water kept in clean barrels makes it doubly enjoyable. The postoffice is also kept there and Captain Lewis says the soldier boys have received over a thousand letters every day.
 The postal card craze has certainly struck the camp. The local postoffice has had a run on 1-cent stamps and the boys are sending their friends everywhere souvenirs of their life these days. Some enterprising photographer came to the grounds yesterday and made a lot of postal cards of different scenes. The boys anticipate sending these to their friends which will be even nicer than sending the store-bought kind.
 One of the favorite pastimes seems to be that of tossing up the boys in blan- kets. This afternoon a young negro boy was going through the grounds on some business errand. The soldiers grabbed a blanket and threw him in the middle of it. Then the play commenced and he was tossed until crowd of over a hun dred came and joined in the fun of cheer ing and having a good time at his ex- pense. After about ten minutes of this unpleasant fun they turned him loose but he was in as good humor as any of them.
 Yesterday afternoon the ladies of the Stone hotel, where Governor and Mrs. Noel are guests, rendered Mrs. Noel a reception. The affair was a hastily ar ranged one and only telephone invitations were sent out to it. Even then the crowd was in keeping with one which should attend a reception to the gover- nor's wife and Mrs. Noel was introduced l to local social circles for the first time. l Last evening Governor and Mrs. Noel l drove to the pavilion at Lake park and
 watched the- dancers until quite late.
 They went to the park in company with
 friends and were the recipients of many ] attentions during the evenings pleasures, l The Second regiment band played for l last evenings dance and this same or ganization also played tonight.
 Monday comes the big military prob lem which lasts about six hours in the early morning. Last year this was one of the best features of Camp Columbus and General Keesler is working hard on the problem to make it instructive and
 beneficial to the guards. The presence of the regulars will add no little to this maneuver and this event was one part
 of the ten days programme they were most needed for.