The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1911-05-12

lversity, West Brattleboro boy, has writ
ten for the Mortified News the folowin.
Interesting account OF his recent trip I,
Texas to attend the army maneuvers -
IL was my good fortune to be selected Il
represent the signal corps of the Y. \. G.
at the JOINT encampment maneWers am
field instruction of the regular army anu
militia at san Antonio, Texas.
| left Mortified on the afternoon trair
April |, 1911, for st. Adams where | wa,
to meet Captain Pell of Company h, First
Infantry, V, n. G.
We started from there at s p. m. ant
Travelled by way of Montreal and Chicag,
on the Grand Trunk railroad. We Travelled
from Chicago by the way OF the Wabasl
and from ST, Louis to san Antonio hy way
of the Missouri, Kansas and Texas, max
ing the trip of about 1900 miles in a little
less than four days.
1t showed nearly all day Sunday and il
seemed as though Mortified weather wa.
bound To follow us. after leaving Chicago
the weather cleared and as we came into
Oklahoma the trees were all leaved out
roses in blossom and the contrast between
this and the winter we Just left. seemed
very great. We left about foot of snow
IN Mortified and the temperature through
the middle OF the day down there was
around 80 or 100 at this time of year.
On arriving at San Antonio, Texas, a
thriving city of about 10000, one could
not help but notice the easy going way Of
the people, and the many little parks with
their shade and palm trees scattered about
the city gave the place an air of ease and
comfort.
We reported at division headquarters at
o a. m. April D. Captain Pell was assigned
to Company ], Tenth Infantry, and ! was
assigned to Company ID, Signal Corps
There, were many other national guard
officers from the different states who re
ported at the same time, each one being
assigned to some army officer for instruC
ton.
About the first question asked us was
Are you going to take the typhoid dope?
which is compulsory for the regular army
but is optional for the national guard otli
GERS. Although 1900 men have been in
camp over five weeks there has not been a
case of typhoid. Recruits on reporting are
given their first hypodermie of the typhoid
prophyactic, then at the end of 10 days
a second is given and 10 days later the last
one is given. This treatment, according
TO German scientists, gives a person i'm
munity from typhoid for nearly seven
years. If one has had typhoid it may make
him feel little sick. but a person who has
never had the fever will be able to attend
to his regular duty. Army officers who have
seen as high as 80 per cent Of their com
mand sick from typhoid are the ones who
can realize best the value OF the inocula
ton; it is also business proposition fol
business men.
The water in camp is taken from artesar
wells and very good, but the water out on
the road is not as good; in some cases it is
hrD t,1b md aIg and
the water from the streams which are moi
very numerous is usually muddy.
The sanitary conditions in camp are very
good, crude oil and hay being burned in
every place where flies might carry intec
tom lime is also used as disinfectant
The soil is of an impervious nature and
each kitchen has its open fire with crude
sort of fire box dug out and lined with
coarse stones in which fire is burned most
of the time, the coarse refuse from the
kitchen being put directly on the, blaze
and the kitchen Stops poured on the hot
stones.
The division bakery cooks all Of the
bread used by the soldiers, the bread being
made in a tent and delivered about camp
The cooks are enlisted men and make bread
of the best quality. The 10 stoves used fol-
this purpose have a capacity of nearly T.,
600 pounds of bread each day Mesqult and
scrub oak which cover nearly all of the
waste land are about the only wood vaua
BILE for fuel.
The daily camp routine begins with re
veille at 6 a. M. then after breakfast, sta
bic duty and drill take up nearly all the
morning: after dinner there is more drill;
guard mounting by regiments Is at . p. m
and retreat at $50 p. m. The evenings the
men have to themselves,
Each outfit has its drills in close and eeX
tended order, and the cavalry drills Tor the
most part with provisional regiments OF SIN
and nine troops. ,..
in turn on hikes which last from two &c
seven DAYS; and this is the time the sigma
corps is of particular value as means o.
communication between division ana pfi
pade camps, One wireless section remains
in camp, while the other section goes VIII
the head of the column. BY this means inc
commander at division headquarters can al
rect the movements of the brigade IN tht
field from his tent and have his map spreac
before him. The wireless pack sets are pll'
ON pack mules. When communication Is de
sired with another point OF the commanST
all the wireless section has to DO is TO Ia,
out. set up its wireless instrument ana eai
the home station In this way nave seer
communication esldDilsHeu bCtv"NN' -
tions % miles apart in seven minutes iron
the time the section dropped out OF thl
marching column. The pack sets are eill
Gent for distances not exceeding ~ miles
and the power for these sets is produced by
a small hand generator. They also have a.
part of their equipment a large, wireless
set which is mounted on two-Wheel car
tbe mower for this machine being maze by
gasoline engines attached to the motor
with this instrument at division headquar
ters communication is easily carried OF
With Eagle Pass. also FL Paso which Il
over 1870 miles distant One advantage o
tbe wireless lies in the fact that commuhl
cation can be established and taken doWII
verv quickly and the march with tne COZ
INN can be resumed with little loss OF Tune
However. in many instances the wire OUT
ft i more practicable and the wire can p'
laid with great rapidity. Even. while t ne
wire is being laid communication, can pt
held between the man at the end OF tl M
wire and the man on the wire cart altnougl
The cart is going as fast as the horses ca
RIM In this way the movements OF til'
reel carts can be directed by the person II
Command of the wire section, and he car
also receive reports from as many parts o
the field as he has wires. - = A.
improvements are being made all Oh w
time SO that the signal corps is proving II
self an indispensable branch OF the arm army
7 Of me cite an example of its durablllty
I~' -, +ba vVire1ess mack set was pu