Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1916-06-26
PENS AND PENCILS
EMPLOYED AS WEAPONS
OF PEACE BY SOLDIERS
Letter Writing at Camp Brum-
baugh Taxing the Mail Fa-
cilities at Mount Gretna
to Their Limit
MOTHER AND GIRL I LEFT
National Guardsmen Keeping Their
Promise to the Folks
at Home
By LISETTA NEUKoM
Evening Ledger star Correspondent


HEADQUARTERS CAMP BRUMBAUGH,
MOUNT GRETNA, Pa. June 26.--Tt may
have been 'Tramp, Tramp, Tramp the Boys
Are Marching" when they left Philadelphia
Saturday and Sunday, but today in Mount
Gretna It is. Write, Write, Write the Boys
Are Writing"
Never in the history of Mount Gretna
has there been such quantities of mail A
special messenger came from Washington
today with $4,000 worth of one, two and
special delivery stamps. Edward Dissnger
is postmaster here.
On every stump in the woods adjoining
Camp Brumbaugh, the rustic little
bridges, sitting at the tables In the Chau-
tauqua Park and on cots In tho camp
proper. are seen khaki-clad men and boys
writing. e.
Some write on their knees, some on books
some on the tops of upturned suit cases
Thousands of them are writing to mother
and THE Girl Left Behind"
Many of them know what the mail and
the mail men mean to those at home
Many made promises at the trains or at
their homes that they would write. And
they are keeping their promise.
Postal card stands in the park adjoining
Camp Brumbaugh never did such a rushing
business. The summer encampments have
been good for business in the past but the
summer OF l9lb Will go uOWH Ill HloNplS lol
the postal card men here.
The proprietors have improvised tables
roughhewn, to be sure, but tables neverthe'
less--for the lads to write on. From early
morning until taps at night, the first two
days of camp, there never was time when
there were not men waiting their turn at the
tables
The regular routine of the camp has not
actually started, so the boys have had time
to do more writing than they will be able
to do when they are under orders all the
time. If they do not write home az often
after the first few days. 1t will be not be-
cause they do not want to write, or because
they have lost the desire to hear from
home 1t will be because they can't get a
minute to do tat least that is what one
of the new soldiers told reporter today.
ST am afraid the folks at home may
worry If they don't hear as often from us
when we get down to real work as they do
now" he said. but we will do the best we
can. Folks backN home who only have to
open their desks or typewriters, little
realize what it Is to write a letter even
a postal card here. Then. too, there are
some people we hate to write to in pencil,
and not all of us have fountain pens, and
often IL we have fountain pens we have no
tnk-so there you are.
Writing in camp and writing at home
are two different things, and / do hope
that the people at home will not walt foI
answers, but will write any way" continued
Che lad, mere boy, with rosy cheeks and
brown eyes, which looked wee mite home
sick II intend TO write all | can. If we
go to the front especially If we go down
into the Mexico country proper, it will be
harder than ever to send and receive mail
Here we have no trouble sending IT, even
If we do have a little trouble writing it,
Because the Mount Gretna postofiice, a
tiny little building Nesting among the
trees. is SO swamped with incoming and
outgoing mail substation has been es
tablished for the soldiers All mail, letters
or parcel post addressed to the men al
Mount GretnR, in care of their respective
companies and regiments, will be sent to
the proper place. Boxes of eats" from
home are as welcome as the flowers in
spring