The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1916-07-27
CAMP LIFE IN TEXAS.
mike" Writes a Newsy and Interest
ing Letter from Camp Llano
Grande in Texas.
Searching Hot in the Daytime But
Cool and Comfortable
After Sunset.

| After Sunset.
Camp Llano Grande, July 20, 1876
If the home folks could only see us
now they would not even recognize US
Most every man in the company is
tanned up like greaser, burned to a
crisp by the hot Texas sun. From 10
a. m. to 4 p. m. the sun beats down in
a perfect torrent Of heat and it's pref
ty good policy to get somewhere in
the shade and keep as quiet as posi-
bic during this part of the day. The
redeeming feature Of this Texas elm
ate is the cool nights. From p. m
it begins to cool off and by bed time
which is arbitrarily fixed in this camp
at 9:45 p. NJ, it is plenty cool enough to
enjoy good nights sleep-in fact the
U. S. army blanket feels pretty good
along about midnight. Another good
feature Of this climate is the contin-
uous gulf breeze which blows from the
southeast "a hours out of every "a
and makes life bearable for US
Northerners.
We have been in camp six days now
and the boys from the Rum river val
ley are in good shape physically, at
that. Only very few have reported
at the hospital at sick call and these
were afflicted with only minor trou-
bles. Outside Of these small local dis
turbances the boys are all physically
fit and are getting acclimated about as
rapidly as any Of the northern troops.
Captain johnson is very careful with
his men in regard to overwork and a
consequent overheating, and it is prin-
cipally due to his good Judgment that
the boys are standing up as we'll as
they are.
The first few days in camp were
very trying on the men owing to the
heat and the poor water supply. The
work of pitching tents, unloading
baggage and making camp was real
hard work for a bunch of men from
the north who had spent FIVE DAYS on
the train and then jumped right into
hard work before they had a chance
to recuperate from their wearisome
journey. Another drawback was the
poor water supply for the first few
days. When we struck camp the water
supply consisted Of irrigation ditch
water, hauled quite distance by tank
wagons, and not enough to go half
way around among the various regi-
ments concentrated here in the usual
American rush way of doing things
first and planning them out carefully
after it is all over. However the wa
ter supply is better now as the grounds
are all piped and the water ready to
turn, on but not turned on as vet.
The lack of water was also big
handicap in the cooking and washing
game, so all important in this camp
life. Rations were also badly mixed
up the first few days, but this part
OF the camp life is better adjusted now
and the men are being fed better than
at the first and consequently feel bet
ter.
The camp of the Third Minnesota
now presents very military appear
ance, with the company and regimen
tai streets all ditched and graded up
to the plans and specifications of the
army engineers who staked out the
lines, and then each company got out
their entrenching tools and other i'm
plements of torture and proceeded to
do some real road work that would
have gladdened the heart of the pub
Usher of the Union. Each tent was al
so d1tched in good shape in prepara-
ton for the torrential Texas rains
which don't come very often, but when
they DO come are near-cloudbursts. A
heavy rain soaked this part, of the
country just before we arrived but we
have had no moisture since except the
heavy night dews, which are caused
by proximity to the Gulf &C Mex
leo. The sun shines necessarily dur
ing the day time with a few clouds
obscuring it occasionally, and at
night we always have a bright south
ern moon that makes it almost light
enough to read by.
NOTES.