Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1917-10-31
ACKNOWLEDGES RE.
CFIPT OF SWEATER
SOLDIER BOY Is GRATEFUL FOR
SWEATER MADE BY MRS. LIS.
TER AND WRITES LETTER.
RED CROSS STORIES .UNFOUNDED
Efforts Being Made to Trace Stories
About Red Cross Work to Their
. Source.


Source.
Mrs. Geo. S. Lister. who has been
one of the faithful workers of the Man
chester chapter of the American Red
Cross, attached her name and address
to one of the sweaters she completed
and which was turned into headquar-
ters and distributed to the soldier
boys in the training camps and last
week she received letter from Thos.
P. Hayes, an Iowa boy now at Base
hospital at Camp Grant, Rockford,
Illinois. stating that he received the
sweater she made, and expresses his
appreciation for the article. Through
the kindness of Mrs. Lister The DEM
ocrat is able to give the letter. written
by the soldier who now wears the
sweater,
Base hospital, Camp Grant, Rock
ford. ILL.,, October 18TH 1917.
Dear Mrs. Lister:
| am wearing the nice comfortable
sweater that you made. l just receiv-
ed it this evening after retreat and l
wish to thank you for it. 1t just fits
me and have been needing it so much
the last month. am night nurse and
the first heat we have had was turned
on Sunday The barracks have been
awfully cold at night.
Now am going to tell you little
of myself, since enlisting, for l know
you are interested in the boys or you
wouldn't have joined the Red Cross.
My home is in Iowa, at Manila. | was
born at Wiser, Nebraska, and my folks
moved to Manila before l was two
years old. My father and mother are
still living, and have three brothers
and five sisters Three sisters still
at home My youngest brother and
left home May 14th and enlisted at
Omaha and from there we went to Ft.
Logan, Colorado. near Denver. l was
there seven days, when was sent to
San Francisco, California, and my
brother is>still at Ft. Logan. He is
q and am rs years OF age. l was at
San Francisco seven weeks and liked
it fine became real we'll acquainted
while there and made lots of really
good friends. From there | went to
Presidio, of Monterey, California. and
that was great. The fort lays along
the Monterey bay and l don't think
there is prettier place or more per-
feet climate anywhere. II enjoyed the
eight weeks l was at Monterey. Then
| was sent with $50 others in spec
ial train through to Omaha. where we
were divided in two trains, 100 OF us
coming to Camp Grant and the rest
going to Ft. Logan.
We have had it pretty rough here
so far. but | think it will be better
from now on as we have moved into
the new hospital OF course we have
been kept awfully busy. and will be
right along. The draft has made a
lot of work, as there are lot of men
coming to the hospital that ought not
to have been sent at all. At present
am the head nurse in ward IL 1t
is a surgical ward. I have seventeen
patients. There are about two hun
dred patients in all of the 40 wards.
Each ward has "a beds. They are not
all in use however The base hospital
covers fifteen acres of ground.
Camp Grant is the largest camp
have ever seen. The Preside at San
Francisco was larger, and very nice
place and I liked it much better. l
would like to go back to California
again but don't expect to ever see it
again
I have been in the army five months
and have never seen anyone | had
seen before | enlisted since leaving my
brother at F't Logan. l have been here
for six weeks and have been out Of the
post only three times. The camp is
built up like city and there is little
need of going out. ~
am sending you snap shot of my
self at Pacific Grove. California, so
YOU can see what kind of rack your
sweater was being hung on.
In closing l want to thank you again
and saw God bless you and what you
have done and are doing for us sol
dier boys Goodnight.
Your thankful soldier.
THOS. P. HAYES,
Base Hospital. Camp Grant