The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1916-07-12
With Company L Boys At
Camp Bobleter This Week

By Special Correspondent

Wy OptCldl CUII0SpUuCo1lt)
The unpreparedness campaign
in the mobilization of the Ma
tional Guard units has swung
through it's third week. Last
week the Gazette's correspond
ent stated an intimation, backed
by some official sanction, that
the Minnesota brigade would be
headed south by Thursday Of
the past week. We are still here,
and not unlike others whose
business is to write notes,
present unforeseen circumstances
force us to heartily disavow
those conclusions based as they
were on premature judgment.
The longer we remain in camp
the more immune the minds Of
the men in ranks are becoming
to newspaper prophecy. Facts of
course are facts, but we have
had our gullible and anxious
minds preyed upon so repeated
ly by garbled facts that we are
now absolutely Indifferent to the
published and unpublished camp
rumors which have become as
abundant and reliable as any
town gossip. We believe only
that which we know to have
happened Or which comes to us
in official orders.
Yet because of the peculiar
freedom Of the press" we can
state another probable date of
our entertainment. If nothing un-
forseen happens, we shall prob
ably be out of here by the end
of this week; that is providing
present intimations do not GO
astray. This is Sunday after
noon and the Third Regiment,
the senior organization of the
brigade, which has absolutely
been leaving camp since Friday
night at 600 o'clock have been
breaking camp all day. Practi-
cally all it's equipment has been
sent down to the cars. Camp
tents have been struck and to-
night the men will sleep in their
campaign shelter tents. Ten
o'clock tomorrow morning, the
report goes, the regiment will
have entrained and pulled out OF
the reservation. This actual
probability may possibly be veri-
fed as fact by the newspapers
sometime next week. This is at
least an approach to the truth.
Now with the Third gone the
time of departure for the other
two regiments will not be far
distant. The First Regiment,
now over the physical examina-
tions, is to receive it's equipment
as rapidly as the quartermaster
stores can issue it. And by the
way, it has been the failure of
supplies to arrive from the gov
eminent stores at St. Louis
which has held up the brigade
this week. The Second Regi-
ment is now busy with the medi-
cal examinations, which will
probably be completed tomor-
row. Then after it receives equip
ment it hopes to receive the
longed for orders to move.
Thursday morning a Board of
Survey in charge of a captain
Of the regular army passed up
and down the company streets
of the Second Regiment con-
demning all unserviceable prop
erty. About Is per cent of the
property of Company L was or
dered thrown out, a generous
estimate as much Of the clothing
can be easily patched and made
serviceable for some time. This
condemned clothing is to be CIV
Ell to men at present in posses
sion Of it, under Federal service
men are granted a clothing al
lowance Of $50 a year, and what
ever can be saved on that amount
will be returned to the men.
Men throughout our regiment
are getting in strenuous need Of
different items of clothing. Sew
eral still wear civilian garb !;
some expecting to obtain the
famous regular "tans" came to
camp shod either with tennis
shoes or "clod hoppers." Only
a few fortunately blessed with
big feet are so far able to OBJ
tain the necessary footwear, the
more moderate sizes of shoes be-
ing unavailable. Recently ship
ment Of shoes arrived, but in
stead of being the regulation
kind, they were of all varieties
in color, last and quality of leath-
er. The government, hard press
al =