Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1917-11-22
Good Feeds at Waco

Mrs. H. L. Barber has received the
following letter from her son, Forrest
Barber, who is at Camp Macarthur
Waco, Texas.
My Dear Mother:
We have things arranged pretty nice
in the kitchen now, and schedule
made out whereby | will have a little
more time to write. We have five
cooks and five Kitchen police" for
two hundred and fifty men. The
Kitchen police" peal potatoes and
vegetables and keep the place clean.
Thy are men selected from the ranks
each week, and all privates get a
turn at it. The cooks prepare the
food cook and serve it. One cook is
off duty each day. so that will let me
have every fourth day to myself The
chief cook does nothing but see that
we get the food to cook and prepare
it right He also makes out the bills
of fare" which are usually good ones.
For dinner yesterday we had cOrned
beef and cabbage, mashed potatoes
y
mashed rutabagas, also cranberry
sauce. Not so very bad for an army
dinner, was it?
The boys had little experience in
night trench digging the other night.
They left here about three o'clock in
the afternoon, fully equipped for war
and work, marched about five miles to
d place where officials are laying out
a regular line of trenches, to repre-
sent modern trench warfare. After
stacking guns and unslinging packs,
being equipped with pick and shovel,
they got busy about 4:30 p. M, and
worked steadily until about 10 o'clock
that night The mess sergeant and
went out to serve their mess about
p. m, and believe me it was an i'm
pressive scene, beautiful represen-
tatiOn of what warfare in France must
YJe like at night. Orderlies running
forward and back with their torches,
either on motorcycles, horses or on
foot, as the case might be, over a
half-mile strip of land, mule "skin-
their army wagons around, drawn by
Sour or six mules, hundreds Of men
working blisterS on their hands in the
trench, and occasionally an ambulance
backing up to the trench to pick up
someone who had been hurt with a
pickaxe. I could see most all this
while I was yet a full half mile away;
by the aid Of bOnfres, which gave a
red blurish light to the whole scene.
And, believe me, they were mighty
glad to see US coming, too, You never
saw such a hungry lot of fellows.
While they were finishing the trench,
we made coffee in large cans, over a
fire built in the open air, and when
fohey were ready we served hot coffee,
sandwiches and two kinds of fruit, as
a braCer for them to march back on.
They did as much work in seven
hours as the infantry did in three
working days. Six hundred thirty
three men dug a trench $500 feet long
by y feet wide and 4 feet deep in sew
Sn hours That is quite high aver
age per man, isn't it? Several Of the
boys were quite seriously hurt during
the work, but they will all be all right
soon. The engineers only have two
battalions to a regiment, and three
companies, composed of two hundred
fifty men each, to a battalion. Part
s3f our men were on other details or
special work, the night Of the trench
work. Don't think [ will stay in the
kitchen long, however, because the
other cook will soon be back and [
would rather take an active part in
The engineering work, such as laying
out roads, buildings, camps, and MAX
ing brides. Besides, working in the
kitchen, l miss some very fine lee
lures on engineering which are deliv-
cred by the several dieffrent officers
each day.
If the 32d division goes across the
water, the engineers will be the first
10 cross, as it will be their duty to
lay cut the camp over there. But I
think it will be some time before we
leave. Will try to tell you more about
the engineering corps in my next let
ter. but must close now, with love to
all FORREST.
Co. F 107 Engrs.