The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1916-09-14
LETTER FROM BORDER

j. II. Hubbard recently received the
following interesting letter from the
Mexican border:
San Benito, Texas, Sept. 7, 1916
Camp life as a whole is very agreeable.
We are the most of the time all well
physically and are on tap for work.
The only disagreeable thing we have
faced is a large rain storm some three
weeks ago, when tents were let down
and we were taken to school houses
and public buildings for the night. Last
Sunday and Monday we had a good Old
fashioned rain storm, which wet up
things properly.
At present everything is in proper
shape for a real camp. Permanent
kitchens and dining halls, and incu-
majors of brick, floors for our tents
and boxes or sacks for our clothes.
This was completed last week and is
now in actual working order.
Our school proposition is shot in the
head as far as we know. On Septem-
Der /, an order came out, overruling
the other and giving us no chance at
all. We are at present trying to find
out if our application before Septem-
Der /, 1916, is void or no good. We
heard that application handed in be-
fore August 81 was good and if so We
will fight to a dead finish.
The dormitory almost completed! 1t
doesn't seem possible that the time has
gone so fast as all that. 1t doesn't
seem possible that it is nearing the
time to commence our college course of
1867. And we will not be there to
the first OF the year. That
worse yet, am hoping though
some changes will be made.
We received that draft $4,000 some
time ago and it is already spent. All
our dining room dishes, etc, had to be
bought out of the fund. Also we spent
more than usual for eats this last
month. The reason for this is all our
boys have been working pretty hard
and you know how they will eat. This
Is an off season for truck garden stuff
and so it must be all shipped in from
other places. We get most of our vege-
tables from Colorado. Potatoes, flour
and some other articles are high and
hard to get and when we do get it, it
takes the dough.
We still have a canteen fund, also
we receive cash returns from the COM
missary department of whatever re-
main of our allowance.
Each man is allowed $.29Ss per day
now. Last month it was $.2903. We
hand in to the commissary rations for
a period of ten or fifteen days and
take for instance, If my rations came to
$50. 90 and the allowance was $4,000
we receive a cash return on the other
$50 90, ten days after that period is up.
That allows us to buy other places be-
sides the commissary. We try to do
away, as much as possible. with the
meat. for meat cause too much heat.
The boys go out and sweat 1t all out
We 20 pretty strong on vegetables.
Well now here comes to those ques-
tons. San Benito is situated on the
old Rio Grande valley. The valley must
about 100 miles wide and 1t is all
irrigated. They have an old channel of
Rio Grande running through the
This canal is two feet lower
han the Rio Grande river. The Rio
7rande river in past years has changed
ts course every eight years, taking
his canal as one of its courses. This
around San Benito seems to
,ct al the delta on the Mississippi
It sure is a great irrigation
,rob,em. At present this canal mas 10
= bumped out at the mouth. This o.
means a great expense to the
armers. s.r,rv
They are mostly farmers having