Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1916-08-01
RUN CAMP
LIKE STATE
EXPOSITION
Concessions Have Right of Way
at Mercedes Tex,
as. a.
TOO MUCH POP
CAUSES SICKNESS
BY Staff Correspondent.

~S3S~AS~ ~S~
BY Staff Correspondent.
Camp Llano Grande, July 31.-The
United States government is conduct
ing more or less of a state fair at
Llano Grande, the camp where the
First North Dakota regiment is To-
Gated.
Concessionaires, operating in little
frame buildings on grounds controll'
ed by the government just west OF
the camp, are selling pop, lemonade.
pie, cakes, smoking tobacco, timed
goods, curios and other things.
Regimental exchanges have been
established but the men operating tho
refreshment stands have first call on
the Mercedes ice supply and drinks
in the stands are colder and more
popular.
Pop Causes illness.
Regimental physicians with whom
have talked are unanimous in declar"
ing that much of the illness in camp
comes from men eating and drinking
at these refreshment stands. They
wonder that the government has per.
mitted their establishment.
Here is why the government per-
mits the stands to operate-in way
it is another chapter in unprepared-
ness:
When it was determined some four
weeks ago to bring militiamen to
Llano Grande the problem of water
supply faced the federal authorities:
One quarter of mile from the camp
ground is main lateral canal OF the
Mercedes irrigation project. This
was the nearest water
Promised Water Supply.
The government asked Mercedes
citizens about water. In Mercedes are
a number of hustling business men.
For the last two years their business
has been disrupted and the settle.
ment of this country has been held
up by bandit !outrages. The business
men naturally wanted the troops to
come to Llano Gande. They collect.
ed $1,000 and told the government
they would lay pipes and supply the
camp with water. ~ ~
The government, instead Of laying
its own pipes at a cost of $1,000 &C.
copied the offer. Then, in order to
enable the business men to get some
of their money back, the government
permitted the establishment of con-
cessions. ..- ...
Nobody can blame the business
men of Mercedes. In fact to the
towns credit it must be said that
prices have not been raised in Mer-
cedes as they have in some of the
towns, where the militiamen are
camped. The people of the town are
doing verifying they can to make the
stay of the soldiers pleasant.
But how about the government?
| Penny Wise Policy Again.
Physicians say the men should be
limited to camp rations and to emon-
ade made under official supervision.
They say that this is particularly so
at this time when the men from the
north have undergone climatic
change.
For $4,000 the government could
have established its own water sup.
ply and limited retail busineSsa in
camp to the post exchanges.
Following the run Of ptomaine pois-
oning in the Third regiment the men
of the First and Second regiments
and the Second battalion of the First
Minnesota Field artillery are ''rap-
ping on wood" The health of the
other two regiments is good and the
officers are taking no chances. Even
the cooks have attended school. They
have been told how to watch for faint
ed can goods and other food not flt
for the men. ~ .-.a,[n
Kitchens Are Unscreened.
The cooks are somewhat handicap.
ped, however. for they have no
screens for their kitchens and are
compelled to handle meats and other
food in the open. Flies are numerous
and latrines are still missing.
The fault does not rest with the
camp authorities. General E. H.
Lewis, who is lieutenant colonel in
the regular army and who is camp
commander because he is brigadier
in charge of the Indiana brigade, is
on the job at all times and is doing
his utmost to get the camp into
shape. Captain W. A. Carleton, camp
quartermaster, has requisitioned
everything the men will need. But
the supplies have not arrived. The
men are still sleeping on the ground.
Some of the army officers here say
things are all right and add, 'uf the
troops go into Mexico things will be
much worse than this"
SO far as can be learned, however,
the troops here are not in Mexico
and this is to be a permanent camp
where the militia will stay for
months.