The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-05-07
CONDITIONS IN TEXAS.

Stanley Miller, editor of the Mt.
Pleasant Free Press, who is in Texas
observing the military manoeuvers as
an officer of the Iowa National Guard,
writes interestingly to the Des Moines
Register and Leader concerning con-
ditions there. He confesses at the out
set that it didn't take him long to
find out why General Phil. Sheridan
once said that II he owned both hell
and Texas he would rent rent Texas
and move to hell Mr. Miller has
joined the army of knockers, and he
! knocks hard and long. He declares
that Texas can produce more kinds OF
| weather in short space OF time with
| both hands tied behind its back than
Iowa can with free hand, and we
think of Iowa as state which furn-
ishes all kinds Usually March and
April are dry months there. This
year seem to be an exception. Ac-
cording TO the native weather liars.
quoted by Mr.. Miller. this is the wet.
test spring that part of Texas has had
for ten years. The situation as regards
the soldiers is thus described.
The army division to which the
Iowa officers are attached has been
here six weeks and the soldiers say
it has rained every other day So
the day landed here it seemed more
like old Camp Cuba Iibre. Jackson
vile, Fla. back in 1898, than like the
camp of a quarter of the regular
army. Rain makes a regular army
look as disconsolate and bedraggled
as the volunteers, except that the pro
family with the regulars is pitched in
a lower tone of voice than that of the
volunteers.
The maneuver camp is just east
of the post, on comparatively level
ground and there is no more grass on
the ground than there is on billiard
bail. If there ever was it has long
ago been crushed into the ground by
the 20.0oD soldiers, not to mention the
thousands of horses and mules and
hundreds of army wagons.
The ground is black gnmbo. The
Iowa farmers think they have black
gumbo land. Why, Iowa land is white
compared with this And this gumbo
must have been mixed with fish glue.
IT is my opinion that when God made
the earth He used glue to cement the
earth together When He made this
part of Texas there must have been
an accident 10 the glue pot and this
soil got the impropers mixture. Why,
If you try to walk across this camp
ground ten yards during rain your
feet become az big as the suit case
upon which I am writing this letter
Mr. Miller anticipates that there
will be lot of sickness If all the
men are kept there for any length of
time. despite the excellent sanitary
conditions which prevail. unless the
rains cease. On paper there are 90
900 men in camp. In reality there are
about II 900. Recruits are being sent
there as fast as possible, but men are
icing discharged every day owing to
expiration of enlistment: so that most
companies have from sixty to eighty
men, when they should have foS all
told to each company.
The Ninth cavalry. colored, is camp
ed near the troops to which Mr.. Mil
Ter is attached. He was told that the
percentage of re-enlistment is much
greater in the colored regiments than
in the white. He explains this by
saying that the army means 2 good
career for the negro. Uncle Sam
feeds and clothes him and pays him
besides. There is little to worry him
and he is contented So there are
great many colored soldiers who have
been in the army for years.