The Columbus commercial. (Columbus, Miss.) 1893-1922, 1917-10-11

pany is only as good as are its re-
cruits. You cannot call on a man
for services he will not render. We
have a road in one part of the camp
that is a model. This was built in
three days by a company of engi-
neers, recently formed and ! know
there were men out there using
pick that had never done such work
before but all seemed willing and
anxious to do it, / have seen wealthy
young men working about barracks,
cleaning windows and doing other
such work, and when they had the
task completed asked to be called
again when such service was requir-
ed. That is the class of men it
takes to make soldiers, and / never
saw a body of men more anxious
than those who have come to Camp
Pike"
With such leader as Major Cen
eral Sturgis, man who lost 800
men out of his regiment in order to
fill two other going to France, lost
his non-commissioned officers to
permit them to attend training
camp, lost his commissioned officers
to regiments going to Europe, and
yet with foundation of 400 sea-
son men whipped out a new regiment
so that in 80 days it was ready for
foreign service and is now in France,
what might not one expect of the
National Army now being trained at
Camp Pike?
When ball and bat appears there is
no homesickness. If this is an in
fallible sign, there will be no home
sickness in Camp Pike. Every af-
ternoon when work is over balls and
bats appear as if by magic and the
great national game is on. All drill
ground is surrounded by those who
come to cheer as well as play, and it
is only the approach of dust or the
mess call that ends the pastime. The
mess call is the popular time at
Camp Pike, and it will put an end
to almost anything.
An appetite is another sign of
'ontentment, for the man with wor-
ries is not the man who eats hearth
ly of what is set before him. 1t
would take a man with deep root
ed ailment to resist the menu and the
cooking of 1917 army cook. These
men are the graduate in cooking, and
as we'll qualified for the service as
the graduate nurse is for the hospi-
tai. If it must be told, some of the
cooks at Camp Pike have done their
bit in the kitchens of the principal
hotels of the South, and many Of
them were dignified there with the
"a larry and classification of chef. One
cook at Camp Pike presided over the
range and the stew pans in a New
Orleans restaurant that is famous the
world over for its creole dishes.
1t cannot be said that Camp Pike
is place of peace and contentment,
for the men are too imbued with the
fighting idea to accept anything on
the peace line, but everyone at the
camp is as cheerful as it is possible
for future heroes to be. They are
getting ready for war with as few of
the signs of future battles as young
American men or officers can avoid.
Sport is the big thing, and the men
are getting plenty Of it. Major Gen
eral Sturgis says it is best for them,
for man who can stand up under
any sort of athletic strain will make
good soldier. To this end they
have the best obtainable instructors
intrak and field sports football, box
ing and fencing.
The men are encouraged from the
start to make their barracks home
like. Of course this will not be car
ried to any great extent until the
companies are definitely formed, but
it is remarkable how the men take to
the ideas. The engineers are making
home and all. They have taken a
log cabin, resembling much the birth
place of many Of the Nations great
men, built in front a portico of cob
blestones, put on rustic roof, and
made other Improvements until they
have one of the most attractive bun
galows in the camp.
Many Of the companies have mold
ed concrete slabs in front Of their
barracks, and on these large flags
are painted. Most all have flower
beds, and all have walks with orna-
mental borders.
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