Estancia news-herald. [volume] (Estancia, Torrance County, N.M.) 1912-19??, 1917-11-15
LIFE AT CAMP FUNSTON
Estancia News Herald,
Estancia, New Mexico. /.

Estancla, New Mexico.
Gentlemen:
Your paper was of interest tC
me when at home, and of course
it is of still more interest in
camp.
Of course, this is new life to
the most of us. We live as it
were in a different world. Many
of the boys at home no doubt
look forward to the time when
they must answer the call of the
colors with a feeling of dread,
and it is naturally so.
Those Of US who have gone be-
fore can sympathize with those
boys, and too, we feel that we
can encourage them when we
tell them that conditions, the
ordeals that they must go
through, are not so bad as many
imagine.
1t is true the soldier-boy as he
sits in his room or camp at night,
enjoying his evening smoke, the
faces of loved ones at home form
so distinctly in the lazy curls
and rings of smoke that he often
forgets the real situation. In
those moments his mind wanders
across plain, dale and mountain
faster than the flashes of light
ming. He lives in his old world
again. But suddenly he comes
to himself with start. He is
facing the reality of things
again.
AS time wears on the soldier
boy begins to lose his restless
ness. The weird, daredevil
spirit begins to assert itself. He
says, I'VE are not here because
we are blood thirsty, we are not
here because we haven't the en-
ergy to make living any other
way. People haven't the right
to look at us as they do the pro-
fessional Tin Soldier " We
are answering the call of the
colors. The hand of fate has
placed us here. She has broken
us loose from the ties that held
us at, home. We are separated |
from those that we care for.
Now we are ready for business,
yes, any kind of business that
will help our cause. Who and |
where is the coward, the knave,
that, when the threatening
clouds overshadowed our great
Republic, even though imperfect
as she is, would not bare his
breast to the angry blast and do
his best willingly to help her
stem the Storm"
AS we sit this day and look
back over events of the long
past, who do we admire? Is it
the knocker, the blackguard, the
muck rake" that would injure
the cause of our country, that
we admire? No, it is the man
that stands true in time of peril.
The great discomfort in the
army is misunderstood by many
people at home. 1t is not that
the boys are not willing to fight.
No, not that, but it is the long,
tedious task of training, coming
under the orders of officers, hav-
ing to stand whenever an officer
comes in the room, saluting
every officer he meets, etc., etc.
OF course, all this is necessary,
but it is peculiar life to a boy
of the free range. He often
forgets to do these things, and
is then called to time for same.
However, the most of our officers
are real men. Those that | can't
speak well of l shall let the other
man describe him, or let you
draw on his own imagination
l thought New Mexico was the
windiest place Of all, but Kansas
has her beaten-wind and dust
indescribable. To the man that
is discontented with New Mex
leo, would advise that before
permanently leaving that he go
and look out a location. Of
course, New Mexico Is not de-
veloped yet, but she is going to
be the garden spot of the great
west in the course of years.
Where she lacks in some ways |
she excels in many and her av
erage will bear inspection.
With the best of wishes to the
people of New Mexico, and es-
pecially of Torrance county.
| am yours truly,
DXIn ID nIIEI L AAIC