The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1916-06-30
United Press Dispatch

st. Paul, Mimi, June 23.-Stillwat-
er's company of the Minnesota Ma
tlonal Guard was the first to reach
mobilization camp at Fort Smelling
early today. All day the waves of
olive drab swept through the capital
city, en- route to the fort. There the
members of the guard will be trained
for service on the border or in Mex
leo, starting about July 1.
Winona' company was the second
TO arrive, this morning. The boys of
both companies detrained at the st.
Paul union depot. To the roar of
martial music, the companies march
ed through ST. Paul's principal
streets and to the fort that has been
abandoned two years
Six thousand dollars has been made
to convert this abandoned fort into a
sanitary tented city. Only tents will
be used by the boys. The old musty
barracks, into which few humans
have ventured since the last of the
Fort Smelling garrison was sent to
the Mexican border two years ago,
will remain the musty abode of mem
cries and rats.
The Sanitary Precautions.
Sanitary precautions taken by Cap
tain ]. A. o. Preus, of the quarter
masters squad and General F. B.
Wood, commandant of the Minnesota
contingent, have been thorough. The
entire grounds of the fort, jutting out
as it does into the intersection of
the Minnesota and Mississippi rivers,
has been moved and rolled. Weeds
have been entirely eliminated as the
first step for safety. Grass has been
moved to form a pretty green, where
the boys will loll and rest while wait
ing for the order to send them to the
grim business of war.
Thing underlies the entire cliff up
on which the fort is located. These
tile terminate in the side of the cliff,
and their sewage runs into the rivers
Plumbing has been fitted up for bath
ing and for the kitchens, it being con-
nected with the perfect sewage sys-
tenn
Two shower baths have been ar
ranged in tents. Fifty-six kitchens
were being erected today They are
contracted for completion Saturday
While held at the twin city armor-
les, guardsmen who are expected to
row, paraded the streets daily, for
preparedness. Bands played martial
music and headed the parades
where's your suit of olive drab?"
was the question on the wagons of
several of the companies, which are
held away from mobilization camps,
it is said, because they are not re-
cruited to minimum peace strength.
Reminded of Their Policies.
Reminding the soldier boys of the
grim business they are about to en-
ter, State Insurance Commissioner
Works today warned them to look at
their life insurance policies, before
they went to Mexico. He says some
companies pay the face of the policy
when the soldier is killed in military
service and some do not.
But in the face of this warning, and
the thorough realization of the seri-
BUSINESS of their task, several batter
les have volunteered to take the fed
eral oath, which valves their pres
ent right, as militiamen, to service
only on United States soil. Indica-
tive of the seriousness of the situa-
ton, Governor J. A. A. Burnquist to-
day announced he would not go to
the governors conference at Seattle,
June &c.
Some of the younger recruits are
having merry times of it. Most OF
them have learned army singing be-
fore they learned to handle musk
et Army singing is quite a bit diff
ferent, too Here's Minnesota's mess
time song, which was sung in ultra
solemn noon day chant, today:
"Porkee, porkee, porkee, without a
streak of lean;
Coffee, coffee, coffee, without bit
of cream;
"Soupee, soupee, soupee, without a
single bean;
urphys, murphys, murphys,
@, cooked in cottolene."
SIDE LIGHTS OF MOBILIZATION.
n Sci