The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1916-10-13
LETTER FROM 4 SOLDIER ROY.

Ross McCaIiister Tells In m Inter
estiDg Way - Doings ii. NogaIe3.
Nogales. Ariz.. Oct. 9
Editor Times
If you will kindly snare me snacc
In your paper will try and espIain
In few enough sentences the every
day life of a private on the Mexican
border with the Second Idaho.
We are awakened from orr dreams
of Home Sweet Home" by the sound
of a trumphet at 5:30. "Fqll in" for
reveille at 5.45 and Mess" immedi
ately after. Fatigue call at $50.
Fatigue In the army has several
meanings, such as picking ur rocks
pieces of paper, cigar stubs or anv
other piece of organic or inorganic
matter that can he found in the
company street and let me assure yo-,
that there is ALWAYS rlenty of fati
que for company HI"
Drill call at LIE. Ii you can, inst
imagine us formed In a "skirmish
line" out among the cacti covered
hills of Arizona. having q sham lat
tie with the First battalion OF our
regiment, distinguished as our en-
envy by their white hat bands Or
else the pumping plant seven miles
out in the Santa Cruz river has been
attacked by an imaginary enemy, and
we must hurry to their rescue.
Such is life, crawling on our stom-
achs, rolling over and over to get in
our proper places in the firing line
Hear the clicking of those Spring
field rifles and the bang of blank
shells. But when the trumphet
sounds Charge hayonets!" we gc
tearing along thru prickly pears and
rocks, over such places that surely
God never made for nothing to trod
over except horny toads and cent
redes. Nevertheless we get thru ye'-
ling like wild Indians. just to paral-
gyze the imaginary enemy
The battle was won or lost. lust
which ever way YOU want to put it
To the private it is both-he has lost
the skin off his elbows and knees; be
has won the affection of all the sand
burrrs and thorns that can possibly
find clinging space on himself and
clothing.
OH yes, that INSPECTION, that
comes every Saturday just as regu-
lar as First CALI disturbs your.
sweet dreams. You must have your
head up, eyes to the front, all dolled
up with a brand new shave, hat on
straight, shoes shined and everything
regulation But of all things. don't
be found in ranks with a little dust
in the screw heads of your rifle butt
A military looking major comes
down the line matching the rifles
with a man, and if any one ever
"gets by''with dirty gun and mis-
sed one of those lovely ballings out"
it was simply because he wasn't
there.
Did you hear about our little hike
over to the fort?We get good mauv
that you do not hear about. If l ever
felt like pack horse or mack rat
either. it was after I had walked five
or six hours. under full pack. But a.
that we still sing. This is the lifel"
Sometimes something else. the title
of which wouldn't look good in
print We have grown use to the
full packs, even fatigue work has
become second nature to us. We
also realize the importance of in
spections, must become accustomed
to crawling on our stomachs around
rocks and brush to the firing line
For if the time should come when
we will cross the border. we will be
able to do our duty with a much
greater advantage and see the ex-
act meaning of all this training.
Sincerely
ROSS McCALLISTER.