Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1911-05-03

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a show place, but a useful in
1 stitution to protect the pioneer set
tiers from depredatiOns of rowing In
1ians and organized cattle thieves. the
warlike enthusiasm OF San Antonians
| can readily be understood The peo-
pie We're as much aroused by the mob
/ ilization of troops as they would be II
The United States had entered upon
he greatest war of its history. Tex
ans are ready to fight the Japanese or
the Mexicans or anything they can
ind to fight.
When the troop trains rolled into
San Antonio hundreds of citizens well
coined the soldiers and cheered. Texas
wants to fight 1t doesn't make any
! difference who is to be fought, so long
as some powder smoke follows all this
war-like display Beyond a doubt, If
every terrible prediction Of Richmond
Pearson Hobson as TO the intentions
Of the Japanese were TO be realized
tomorrow Texas would simply mob Fort
Sam Houston to enlist and start for
the front
Certainly, II was an interesting sight
to see the trains come in, one after
another, and the soldiers come forth
and organize with the speed of auto
nations and march away, II they ar
rived at night, their tents had al
| ready been prepared for them by the
I comrades who arrived before If they
arrived in the daytime they marched
to the place marked out for them and
} pitched their own tents Everything
I proceeded as il this mobilization had
been planned months ahead. One
would never think 1t was set in mo-
ton by kilograms flashed over the
country in a single night.
The telegram which set Fort Sam
! Houston in motion was received at
one o'clock in the morning. An hour
/ after dawn officers were surveying the
parade ground of 500 acres and mark.
/ ing IL off for tents Two hundred men
began work shortly thereafter to lay
water mains. They worked night and
day until their task was completed.
Bids for supplies for 10000 men for
/ four months were asked. The con-
tracts are still being let. All this was
carried through according to the
letter of the law One firm which
came in five minutes late with bid
for several thousand of dollars worth
of supplies was denied permission to
submit it's proposition.
EpOxrry, - nh a.
clans and engineers has been taken to
keep the camps absolutely sanitary,
and as an extra measure the soldiers
are invited to take anti-typhoid serum
and thousands of them are taking the
injections
OF late the camp has been a sea
of mud. The mud however. is bear
able The dust which preceded 1t was
not The amount OF dust thousands of
marching men and hundreds of vehi-
cles pulled by from four to eight
mules can raise is beyond the under
standing of those who have not tried
10 breathe in 1t. The dust was sim
ply sitting. But It is settled now,
much to the delight Of the men.
An amusing feature Of this mobiliza-
ton is the fear It aroused in winter
tourists The mobilization is certainly
not an unmixed blessing for San An
tonic, because at least 1000 tourists
went home. They ieared trouble of
some vague nature and they did not
want to be near it They scurried
away from San Antonio like ducks
after the hunter bad fired his first
shot. The ignoranco Of the average
tourist is a matter Of much amuse-
ment everywhere, but 1t is particular
" amusing in Texas because visitors
do not understand Texas distances.
The ride by railway from San An.
tonic to Laredo. the nearest point on
the border, CONSUME an entire night,
but the tourists, even after residence
Of several weeks IN san Antonio, were
stilI Of the impres IN that a stray
bullet from across The line might
strike one Of the local hotels. Troops
coming from St LOIS and bound for
FL Paso are or'v oae-fourth Of the
way to their destir ion when they
reach the Texas l.le
Visitors are coming rom every town
and city in the state to see the big
camp. Many Of them are discharged
soldiers. One OF the fayorite occupa-
lions Of these veterans in this city is
that of street car CONDUCTOR or motor
man. They are also scattered about
as walters. cooks. bartenders and ice
wagon drivers. Meeting on street
corners, they discus among them
selves the possibilities Of the troops
going into Mexico Many Of these old
campaigners are worried lest by not
reenlistng they have lost an oppor-
tunity TO get under ere.
II the parade grounds on which the
troops are now en,amped are not
large enough the maneuyer grounds at
Leon Springs, about twenty miles
from this city. will 5e used This
mobilization has impressed upon the
officers and the war department the
urgent need for having larger accom-
mo6aions for the troops at this point
Already arrangeIne ms have been
made for the construction OF addition
al barracks and further arrange
Of q similar nature will be made soon.
san Antonio looms UP as the strategic