El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-10-21
SOLDIERS LOOK
INTO OLD GRAVES
Camp of Arizona Guards
men Is Unique; Militia
Work at War Games.
d HURERT HTNTER-

BY HUBERT HUNTER.
Clifton, Ariz-, Oct =I.-lY1th the tents
overlooking yswning graves of an
abandoned cemetery, camp No. ? Of the
Arizona national guard, on strike duty
here, is perched on a high shelf over
looking the Arizona Copper company's
massive smelter just across the San
Francisco river. Camp No. J. the bat
Iahon headquarters, is located adjacent
10 the court house Included in the
TWO camps are about 200 troops every
man hardened and Drowned and
trained TO the minute, for Arizona
troops get far more and sitter train
ing than do militia OF most other states.
In camp No I are about so enlisted
men; IN camp No about $50. In the
first camp is company L, with a num-
Der Of men from companies X, ID and
z also. attached for service. Capt
Frank ". Hall Of Yuma is in command
lieutenant
The Headquarters staff.
An office in the court house Is being
used for staff headquarters OF MAJ. II.
H Donkersley, commanding the troops
in the district. He is aided by Lieut..
E. R. White Of Yuma as battalion ad-
lutant and Lieut. c C Wakefield of
Tucson as battalion quartermaster. The
battalion sergeant major is Maynard A
Frazier Of Phoenix.
Sick Report Is Smnll.
Capt. I Z. Huffman, twice mayor
OF Tucson, is also attached to the head
quarters camp although, as medical
officer, he has a company OF Is men
at camp No. . He has charge of the
camp sanitation, and so thoroughly is
his work done that only two men OF
the entire command have thus far been
on sick report
The drainage at camp No has been
made practically perfect In addition.
the company kitchen has been screened
against flies and all dana geable sup
plies are kept inside. Such as are Of
a particularly perishable nature are
protected in a big ice chest submerged
in a pit with cover over IL
The Camp kitchens.
Both camps use the regulation field
camp fires, excavations partly filled
with loose rock upon which the fires
are laid. over the flames are irons Tor
the pots and kettles The fires are
used to dispose Of waste materials also,
and any waste liquids drain down the
rocks. Field stoves for baking are also
part Of the kitchen equipment in each
camp.
Camp No comprises companies F,
and B. a and B being combined TO
form one company The officers are;
Company Capt. E n Robson and
first Lieut.. H L Haupt; Capt. l. J
and first Lieut. F. L. Zim-
norman: B-Capt E. J. Helslcy. first
Lieut. John 5 Mathews and second
Lieut.. Harold A Briggs. Capt Robi- !
son as senior officer, is in command OF I
the camp.
Camp Difficult to Lay Out.
Laying out this camp proved diff |
cult. The ground slOped sharply upward I
and was very rocky, and in addition, ]
the grave pits took up considerable /
valuable room These were avoided as q
much as possible, however, in leveling /.
the ground into semi terraces Latrines !
were constructed on each side Of the &
camp and the ground around each tent (
was trenched after the manner Of the !
regular army camps.
Description OF Camp
a field telephone has been installed. :
water has been piped through the camp
and lights have been provided One
tent has been fixed up as a camp eX-
change; another as a Y NJ 9 A read
ing room, a third as a camp dispen-
sary while a fourth, adjoining the
third. is occupied by the men OF the
medical company In a fifth, shower
baths have been installed above a
slOping board floor.
Regular army rations, mighty good
1nes at that, are furnished at both
amps. The correspondents here COW
srinE the strike messed with the Off
sers Of first one camp and then the J
other and found the experience ex-
gratifying
War Against the Flies.
With no disorders Of any kind TO 1
luell the militiamen Of both camps /
have had nothing 10 kill but flies. !
There are fly swaJters everywhere and /
the boys take turns at getting into |
the game
DIiIitiamen Get stiff Drills.
The daily round is pretty stiff, how /
ever There are drills and maneuvers /
in the mornings. more drills and camp I
policing in the afternoon, short drill i
in the manual of arms at retreat and I
guard mount And then at night the /
militia boys taken out Of high school i
for strike duty 90 to night school con- 1
1ucted for their benefit by Capt. HOlz- /
Tarth in order that they may not fall /
behind in their studies
War Problems Worked Out.
War problems figure in the daily |
Ways Of handling almost I
any situation that might arise in their 1
7icinity have been devised by the off
,ers and worked out in the maneuvers-
On the parade ground the companies
irill smartly. If there is any edge"
{ goes to company L, from the United
States Indian School at Phoenix, for /
he indians have been put through mil
tary drill ever since they were mere l
nfauts in the primary grades In bear
ng and precision, however, all the |
here have the appearance !
Il regulars.
A competitive field meet for the bat
alton is to be held Saturday Base /
,au and football games viii be added