Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-08-08

fantry, written to Arthur S. Smith Of
this city is sure to prove Of interest to
Journal readers: :
zapata. Texas, July 80, 1916.
Dear Smith:
Your most welcome letter received
yesterday noon. Believe me, was some
glad t. hear from you. Have kind Of
| looked for a letter from you almost
| every day. That is about all we have
| to look forward to that is out Of the
| ordinary, for this life is more or less
Of a rut unless we have something
happen for excitement
| Believe I wrote you while on the
march. Well. we did it in great shape.
Made 60 miles in IL days. Pretty
| good for green troops sent from Maine
| into this climate, and wearing winter
clothes besides. We slept on the
ground with nothing but the stars for
| blankets one night. got wet through,
and had to sleep in wet clothes an
other. The regulars have nothing on
us, and if anyone says anything about
| Tin Soldiers" when we get back he
wants to look out for his hat. The last
leg Of the march was Is miles. made
in the heat Of the day. Everyone was
| tired, sore. and ugly, but we made it
| in good shape. and everyone got to the
camp without falling out. We were
pretty well all in but very much alive.
| This place (Zapata) has $50 popu-
lation. and but two white families in
the town. It is one-man town.
Judge Spolm is the main squeeze
He is from Maine. Been here for 25
years and judge for 20 years. What
he says goes, and I guess that he
owns half Of the town. We are half
mile from the river, and this river
can be forded at almost any place
| There are at least Is dogs in this
place, and they start in every night at
about 10 P. NJ. and keep 1t up until
the Lord knows when. Then in the
morning about A. M. there are al
most 900 ROSTERS that start at It,.
The best of all are the jackasses. We
call them Border Humming Birds"
Talk about fine music-has anything
beat I ever heard. There is one that
sounds lust like the Islander coming
into dock.
Do not believe that you can find this
|
off it entirely, and are about 100 miles
straight into Hades. This is the best
description Of this country that I can
give. "A land that offers you alkali
when you want bread; sand when you
want breath, a plumb hell heat when
you want water, and death when you
want life."
| The camp is right In the center ct
the town. We are pretty we'll closed
in all around by buildings which we
control, and with the trenches it will
be mighty hard place to get us out
Of The officers are all upstairs in
the courthouse. We have big hall
about so feet square for quarters, so
We have all the room we need, and
plenty Of air-that is, when we have a
breeze. All day there is a guard on
the roof with field glasses to watch
the country. At night we have on 20
guards, and six men on patrol duty
around the outside Of the town.
BY the way, 1 am officer Of the day,
going on at o'clock tonight for "a
hours. At the ferry we have three
men from A. M. until P. M. to look
everything carried over for contra
band. We get up at A. NJ. Men at
6 A. M. Drill from A. M. until 10
A. NJ. officers until 11.15 A. NJ. Nom
CONS school at one P. M, then moth
ing until $50 P. M. when we stand for
retreat guard mount at P. M. We
have a little to do If it is hot here.
| The water Is fierce. 1t is hauled
from the river and has to set "a hours
to SETTLE Then 1t is boiled and fl
tered before it can be used. 1t was
pretty bad when we first came down
here, but we are getting used to it
now. The mail comes in from Laredo
every day by an auto which Is sup
posed to get in at one P. M. and leave
at two P. M. 1t makes the round trip
| Of 120 miles in a day-that is, when
there Is little rain. After every rain
the autos run wild, as the soil does
not take up the water readily, and
there is no vegetation to hold 1T. AS
| a result we are liable to be cut off at
any time.
We have been having 1t pretty easy,
| but tomorrow we start in for the
| hard work. Kind of looks as If they
were going to put it to us in good
shape during the coming month, as
we look to be relieved here and go
back to Laredo about the first Of Sep
TENDER, and they want us in good
shape when we return. The plan is,
believe, to spend a month on the rife
range, and then either stay there or
60 on outpost duty again. Do not
look for any definite orders until at
ter election. Then We will either be
ordered home or there will be some
thing doing in the line Of winter
campaign.
We are now having our regular af
ternoon sand storm. I cannot see so
feet away. Yesterday we had the
worst yet. We could see the sand in
the air miles off, and way up high.
Here in town 1t was fierce. Talk
about the north casters Of Maine
they have nothing on the sand storms.
A man cannot face it as the sand cuts
like needles. and 1t will drive in any
where. Quite often tent will come
down. After the wind the sky opens
and pour" Will not express It
Everything looks like a huge lake.
Well. old scout, there is big time
due when we get back. Would like to
drop in now and have a smoke with
n III