Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1916-09-14
SANG ALL NIGHT.
How Half-Clad. Mud-Bespattered Men
Kept Their spirits ID.

writing from Eagle Pass, Texas,
August 81, one of the secretaries Of the
army AMI navy department OF the inter-
national committee Of the Young Mems
Christian associations SAYS:
To increase the capacity of the Army
Y. NJ. G. A. building with the First YER
mont Infantry, In camp here. and to add
to its attractiveness. a matched porch
12x24 feet has been built across the front
and the electric lights extended. so the
porch is available in the evening for
games and reading.
The inside of the building has been
made more homelike and attractive and
a lot of waste space has been utilized
by the building of racks along the sides,
Just above the writing desks. in which
magazines and papers are kept. Two
large double-f faced blackboards, con-
structed of wall board and painted black
for the purpose of posting notices and
baseball scores, have been added re-
Gently
A piano has been purchased by con-
tributions from the officers and company
funds, through the efforts of the chaplain,
and has been placed in the building.
Quite a bit Of interest centers around
two large screened cages in our building
in which are gophers. horned toads.
turtles, crawfish, little rabbits and a bird.
Watching the antics and habits of these
more or less happy families and feeding
them. furnish no small amount of
diversion for the men.
A pajama party was held recently and
during the evening between 400 and 5oe
men were in the building: most Of them
were in regulation evening attire
are well supplied. through friends IN the
old Green Mountain State.
During recent terrific wind and rain
storm at Eagle Pass. when many tents
and a mess hall of the First Vermont
Infantry were blown down, the Y. NJ
c. A. secretary. Harry H. Brown, kept
open house all night. and before morning
the building was the refuge of nearly zoe
men. Lights were kept on inside and
out; the piano was pressed into service
constantly from 200 a. m. until 100 a, m.
and half-clad, soaking wet mud
despatched men sang heartily all night
to keep up their own spirits and those
of more morbid dispositions. Much OF
the equipment and many OF the maya
zines were water soaked and muddy be
cause of sections of taxpayer blowing
from the roof. but for all that the build
ing was by far the dryest and cheerest
place in camp and when at noon the
next day the shutters were opened and
lights turned off. for the first time since
early the evening before, 1t seemed al
most as II history had repeated Itself
and once more the ark had rested OF
Mt Ararat.
A mother dog and her seven little day
old pups. which were imprisoned al
night under the wet. muddy canvas of g
fallen tent, were brought to the associa
ton the next morning and 1t has beer
| their homo ever since
Our large American flag. 7xl2 feet, pur
chased for the inside Of the bull ling by
| the Vermont State Y. NJ. c. A. com
| mittee, was used recently to cover tn,
gun carriage and casket at the time OF
| the funeral OF Private Henry Lawton o.
| St Adams, VT, and will be shipped bach
| from St. Adams.
\ checker tournament. to determin,
the champion Of each company. then O.
battalions and finally Of the regiment
| is being played off