Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1916-08-23
THE PLATTSBURGH MILITARY
TRAINING CAMPS.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE

CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE
During the first week in camp, though
the days were Tonga hot. in the
shade being the average temperature
the men were rapidly initiated into
the ways soldier must go. Obedience
is the soldiers only privilege, and the
sooner the rookie finds this out the
better it is for him. After being
assigned to regiment and company,
the rookie is assigned by the company's
commander to particular squad and
tent. Each tent, shaped like pyra-
mid, and covering about 225 square
feet, houses seven privates and one
corporal, or one, squad. The cor
poral is the squad leader, he heads
the little family and what he says
goes. However, he is as human as
the rest of us and as matter of fact
he plays the part of a good father,
advising when necessary and repri-
handing very seldom. Generally, he
is good old scout and we soon love
him to death. There are sixteen
squads to a company, the even num-
bered squads living on one side of the
company street. and the odd numbered
ones living On the other
After being placed in squad, the
rookie Immediately gets acquainted
with the seven men with whom he is
to share the pleasures and joys of his
tent home and camp life. The dirt
floor of the tent is evened up. bitches
are dug Immediately outside the tent
boundaries in order to prevent water
from coming in in time of severe rain
storms. Next, a crude form Of gun
rack is constructed and cross-arm
placed on the tent pole for hanging up
the bIouses which are worn at the even
ing mess and on special occasions. In
camp each rookie sleeps upon a cot
provided with mattress, pillow and
pillow case and two blankets. The
tent floor is apt to be damp, so the
rookie imprOvises means to keep his
personal effects-which be must place
| for the most part on the ground, under
| his cot, as the tent provides very little
room other than that taken up by the
eight cots-dry and from being ruined
by the dampness. So he places Stats
upon the ground, here he places his
suitcase or other travelling bag, if he
| has one. Sometimes an egg crate
taken from the rubbish heap outside
the company's mess hack, is stood on
end under the head Of the cot one end
serves as chiffonier or Washstand top,
while the partition does remarkably
we'll for a shelf where toilet articles
may be kept. To each man is issued
a camp bag into which may be put-as
one does in the catch-all at home-all
other articles for which there is no con-
venient location. In this regard it
might be said that the wise recruit
leaves home attired in his uniform and
carrying with him the bare necessities
of his sojourn of month. Otherwise
the rookie either has much of his
personal property ruined or lost or
he finds absolutely no use for it and it
takes up valuable room which he can
i'll afford to part with.
At one end of the company street is
water for washing, just a simple
spicket sticking up out of the ground.
Warm water is not to be had, so one
and shaved without it. The companies
! struction of wash stands where the mer
! may not only make their personal
toilets but do the weekly wash. Be-
cause Of trouble the camp had with The
: town laundries, each man found il
necessary to wash all his own clothes
or else go unclean. During the hot
, weather the men sometimes made as
many as three changes day, so that
the wash stands were constantly ir
use. Mother at home would have
smiled to witness the frantic efforts
her son made to whiten the under.
clothes and towels which strangely
enough took on that familiar yellow
hue. Every tent rope disappeared
under its heavy load.
Perhaps the most important feature
of the company street is the rough
stand where the men may clean their
rifles. No matter how clean ones gun
is at taps or bedtime it will be found
to be in horrible condition at morning
assembly. Woe be it unto him who
fails to keep the rust from every metal
part of his piece, and who allows his
gun barrel to show dust! Inspecting
officers must have visions extraordin-
airy, for they have eyes that see every
thing. Sometimes it seems they are
able to find rust on a gun one could
swear was not there before inspection
Men improved physically. Practi-
cally all Of the men in camp were in
excellent health. Some lost from three
to fifteen pounds, but this loss was in
the nature Of superfluous flesh. Muscles
were suddenly hardened, shoulders
made straight, a good healthy color
was taken on, and the rookie made to
look more like hardy son of the soil
than a pale-faced office clerk or worm
out business man Blisters, large and
small, upon the bottoms of ones feet,
were perhaps the most plentiful all
rlents. but even these and practically
every other similar annoy ance human
beings may have, were carefully looked
after by the camp doctors. Every
man was urged TO report for sick call
even Though he had only slight
headache. Thus the camp is kept in a
healthful condition, A large percent
age Of the men took the three typhoid
prophylactic NEGOTIATIONS given in
camp. In addition many talks have
been given by the officers On personal
hygiene and camp sanitation, so that
there was no reason why men could
not keep well and clean. Excellent
-L-->