The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-05-17
F FAIRGROUNDS CAMP ONE OF ATTRACTIONS .OF GREAT REUNION Thousands Fed and Cared for With Careful Atten-
 ton to Comfort ESTIMATED 5000
 THERE LAST NIGHT Few Cases of Illness RepOrted-Red Cross Nurses and Physicians
 Are in Constant
 Attendance

While many hundreds of veterans may be seen on the business streets Of BIT
 mingham, the greater part of the sol diers are camped at the State Fan grounds. Here is where the private may be seen, loungng around the camp, or
 stretched upon his cot for a nap. It was estimated yesterday afternoon that there were at least 5000 veterans in camp at the fairgrounds. They are being well cared for They sleep on the folding cots be- longing to the government, just as the United States regulars do when in bar
 racks Everything is being done to make them comfortable.
 All the exhibit halls have been con verted into sleeping barracks for the Confederate army, and the old men seem well pleased with the arrangements, many of them saying they thoroughly en- loved the life in camp. They were fur nished with an army blanket each and other things to contribute to their com fort
 So far everything at the army camp is being carried on with good system and
 discipline. The veterans are not unruly in the least and make their way
 wherever directed. The cots are not as- signed them. but when they arrive they are allowed to seek out their own bed
 wherever best suited.
 Compliments are heard on every hand over the manner in which Birmingham
 is feeding and looking after the veter- ans. All the space underneath the grand
 stand is being used for a mess hall and is filled with long tables with seat ing capacity of 1500 The veterans form
 at the end entrance and march in by twos until the mess room is filled When
 they have been served they pass out at another door and others are serve3.
 Those in charge of this department de- serve much praise for the way in which they are handling the crowds. Jack Phillips is chairman of this committee
 and is being assisted by c. c. Fleming
 and R. S. Mathews.
 The food for the veterans is well sc lected, carefully and thoroughly pre-
 pared by a staff of competent cooks
 and is served by large corps of trained negro walters. The menu for yesterday s
 breakfast was: Bacon and eggs, Irish po- tatoes, hot rolls and coffee. It took 15 cases of eggs, 50 pounds of bacon, soc gallons of coffee and approximately 5000 rolls. For the three meals served yes terday more than seven croker sacks of Irish potatoes were consumed. For din- ner the veterans were served with hot fresh baked cornbread. Beef roast and
 other meats were served, while they were treated to a fine Brunswick stew for supper.
 In order that the veterans may be looked after day and night relief sta
 tion has been established at the fair grounds by the American Red Cross and corps of physicians and nurses is or duty at all times Monday night and yesterday the total number of veterans
 receiving treatment at this station amounted to 20 some of which called for medicine and some were sent to the Hill man hospital for treatment None of the cases were thought to be serious, all though one or two of the patients were very sick. In most of the cases they were fatigued from travel and worry, and a few hours rest was sufficient to put them on their feet again. This station is in charge of Miss Josephine Ames, and under the supervision of pr. J. D. Heacock.
 The Boy Scouts are on the job at the fairgrounds as they are in every other part of the city. They are winning much praise from the old soldiers for their manly bearing and ever willingness to as- sist.
 The committee at the fairgrounds fed $500 veterans breakfast, 470O dinner and 360o supper yesterday, according to fig ures submitted last night by those in charge