Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1916-07-06
TYPICAL CAMP OF
WESTERN FRONT
Seen at Suck Creek on Wald-
ems Ridge.
Progress Of Work on Section
Of Dixie Highway.
Story Of Tramp Of Six Miles
Over Country Inhabited by
Snakes and Things.

Situated in the Suck Greek ,gulch.
near the main fork of that rough and
winding stream, can be found Suck
Creek camp, containing ninety-nine
tk,victs, and. dozen or more guards
and foremeu. If one has the ability
to climb over rocks. over hills, and
cross creeks without the assistance OF
even f,otlog. and keeps going long
enough. he will reach the Suck Creek
camp. But for the information of
those who might take 1t upon them
selves to go out to the camp some fine
day. q little bit of information as to
the geography and 'ssnakeology" OF
the country might be of interest. 1t
would be a good thing to start to Suck
Creek camp about 5 o'clock in the
morning. That will give good long
day in which to climb around the
shoulder of the mountain, and to take
the needed rest and recreation along
the way. Another thing, it would be
a good idea to take along plenty OF
good snake medicine. Reptiles OF
various breeds are plentiful in that
region, and reporter who journeyed
down that way on Friday afternoon
killed two on his walk mp the noun
tain. The men in tho camp say tney
average two snakes day, and no one
ventures outside the camp after night
fall. The camp is one typical OF the
frontier settlement that once predoml-
mated the west. Sometimes that KIND
of camp is shown in the motion pic
tures. Cabins built of logs roughly
thrown together; a long stockade in
which the prisoners eat and sleep; the
officers quarters, with little bit OF
home like decency; the warehouse ana
stables and, in fact, all the essential
things that one would expect in con-
struction camp. One OF the cfief at
fractions of the camp and one when
everyone is proud Of prisoners ano
officers alike. is the big spring just be-
low the camp. The water, they say
is the hest in the state, and when the
News man, arrived at the camp, tired
and thirsty, and partook of long
draught of the water, he did not deny
the assertion.
Work on the road through the Suck
creek gulch is progressing nicely anu
the men have made splendid progress
during the time they have been In
camp. Rain has interfered somewhat
with their work. the officers say, out
DESPITE the rain, they have managed
to make a good showing for the ten
days spent there, Through the rough :
est ground imaginable, and right
among rocks almost as large as the
cabins in which they sleep, the men
have graded road that will Do one Oh
the most picturesque along the DIXIE
highway route, Immense ciiffs' nigh
and covered with spruce pine, are on
either side of the road. At one juno
ture the road makes turn around a
bluff on one side, while some distance
below the waters of the Suck creek
rush down toward the Iennessee.
When finished, the road will AFFORD
pionickers and tourists an exceilent
camping place, for camping faciiit'es
are excellent. -
According to the superintendent OF
the camp, T. B, Parish, the sun SHINES
only about three and one-half hours
in the gulch. This, he says. makes
the work easier for the men, Ihe meas
for the past few days has been intense
and the suuerinten5ent said the men
AZ first suffered some difficulty in get
ting used to the heat and the work.
Thev had been used to indoor WORK at
thI nanitentiary, and the sudden
change ftom indoor to outdoor WORK
was hard to get accustomed to. Iney
are becoming toughened, he said' anu
now are able to do much more work
than they did at the beginning.
Each guard has fifteen men anu
thirty men are given each foreman.
Each convict, on the average moves
about i've yards Of dirt each. day. Tue
suoerintendent says that more can pe
moved by them when the men become
lHtter accustomed to the work. On
the Marion county side, about l.9oV
feet Of the road has been built sew
epty.oonyicts are used on that conn-
tvs side, and are making the dirt ny
in their construction of the ROAD To-