New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1916-08-30
CAMP CONDITIONS
PROVE WEARIS0ME
EVEN REVIEW CORRESPONDENT
LOSES A LITTLE OF HIS
OPTIMISM.
MESS HOUSES AND READING.
ROOMS BUILT FOR MEMS.
COMFORT.

Llano Grande, Aug. Is, 1916.
Special to the Review:
Taking everything that's coming,
From reveille to retreat;
The dust and thirst and nagging,.
And the workin' in the heat
No wonder you are cussin'
At the way you have to stand;
Rain and Sunshine, Light and Darkness
Make it He'll at Llano Grande."
The above is the last of four verses
written by Battery F boy and it just.
about sums up the way things have been
going the last two weeks.
In spite of all that is being done to
better conditions at Llano Grande, the
men have had to go thru some hardships.
The hurricane which ragged along the
Gulf Coast of Texas, struck Llano
Grande shortly after the men returned
from long hike on which they had been
soaked to the skin. A number of tents
blew down and many of the men were
unable to get into dry clothes for twenty
four hours. The Co. A boys had bad
time of it. They had to go on guard
at Camp Headquarters in the driving
rain and were unable to get into dry
clothes till Saturday night. It is hard
to understand that no body became
seriously sick.
Pay day, which had been delayed for
three weeks came Thursday afternoon.
For once, everybody could be seen with
a smile. Friday morning August rs,
however, the smiles changed to frowns.
A hike in full marching order thru heavy
mud was not at all welcome, but orders
must be obeyed in the army. The whole
division at Llano Grande went on the
Friday morning hike. There was no,
breeze and the sun, already high in the
sky, made conditions almost unbearabIe.
At times, entire squads dropped out of
the ranks. On the whole, however, the
men are in good condition and once
back in camp they soon become cheerful.
All the New Ulm boys were agreeably
surprised Wednesday evening when thew
received letter from Burgs Battery,
stating that two dollar bill awaited
them at Major Pfaender's tent. Major
Pfaender, however, did not receive the
money until Friday forenoon. He hand
ed out the crisp bills as soon as the boys
had recovered from their long hike.
A number of things are being done to-
better camp conditions. Probably the
most important of these in the building
of mess houses. 1t can easily be seen
that one of the most important features
in the we'll being of the boys is the mess.
There has been more or less unpleasant
ness in the cooking department during
spells Of rain, with no adequate shelter
for the boys while eating their meals
About ten days ago work was begun on
three buildings which were to serve as
kitchens and mess houses, one for each
battalion. They were to be erected
gradually for all the companies by men
drawn from the regiment at large. The
work progressed very slowly, however,
as the men had no interest in the build
ings of other companies, and some one
even raised the question of the 8 hour day..
on government buildings.
Major Albert Pfaender of the 1st
battalion brought about change in the
plan, to the effect that each company
should excuse from all other duty it's
carpenters and men to work on it's own
building. AS soon as the men were
working for their own home, SO to saw.
the way they went at it was sight to
behold. Now on the fourth day the
kitchens are all under cover and the
entire buildings will be completed in a
day or two.
Floors are also being put into each tent
and the Government exchange, at which
many, different articles can be bought
helps, to make things more home like.
Together with the unpleasant things
there are lot of pleasant things con-
nected with camp life. Field and track
meets and base ball games do lot to
keep the men in good spirits. Serpt.
Pfelffer, Elmer Cordes, and Harry Bum
made the regimental base ball team
Lieut.. ALT. Pullman was chosen as
manager of the team and is also getting
his arm into pitching shape. In game
between the End Nebraska and the End
Minnesota, Big Bill was put in as
a pinch hitter with two down and three
men on bases. Bill clouted out two
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