The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1917-06-29
Cowell Writes From
Jefferson Barracks
Jefferson Barracks, a few Miles Out
OF st. Louis, 10 the countr's Larg
est Recruiting Center Ill h
SOLDIERS IN CAMP | IS
HAVE WORK TO DO
Time Of Recruits Well Taken Up.
Each Hour Has Its Duty and
Work 10 Interesting

c. c. Cowell, former Benedict
boy, private Co. IS, Jefferson Bar
racks, Mo-, writes the following In
teresting letter to the Benedict Ban
her: - ,S5 u
Jefferson Barracks, Mo-, is situated
on high wooded bluff in the Mis-
sissippi river and is considered the
most beautiful spot along the entire
river. Cement walks and long ce-
ment stairways, lead to the post from
the depot on tn eIron Mountain and
Pacific Railroad. A campus of about
a half mile in diameter is surrounded
by the different Company Barracks,
store, restaurant, base ball park, race
track and athletic park, theatre and
hospital buildings. Behind these are
some go officers homes. The officers
homes are for captains, Meutenants.
and sargeants (married) as we'll as
the colonel's house of 26 rooms. The
other officers houses are of IA rooms
and surrounded by large lawns and
trees. All of the heavy work at the
post is done by the guard-house pris-s !
oners. On account of the large num-
ber coming, moving pictures are now
shown out doors and the theatre build
ing is used for barracks. lasr
The recruits upon arriving are Civ
en- shave, haircut and bath at the
receiving barracks. This is all for
them the first day except assignment
to sleeping quarters-which consists
of 42O tents each containing 10 beds
and 40 barracks each with a capacity
Of 40 men. Each man has q bed
alone. On the second day the re-,
cruits are divided into sections Of 100
each and marched into the receiving
barracks, where their clothing is Or
dered off and checked. All they are
allowed to have in is their clothing
check and perhaps smile or two.
They are then numbered from / to
100 by painting their numbers on their
chest This painted number they are
also permitted to wear-that's all.
There are 81 doctors in regular army
uniform ON the job here in small
booths along the walks where the re-
cruits pass from one to the other ac-
cording to their turn to be examined
by the different specialists. These
doctors are considered the best in
the world and they certainly do not
overlook anything. II anyone wants
to find out what is the matter with
them, Just try these boys out. They'll
surely find something. They are then
vaccinated and put through various
PHYSICAL exercises. And next comes
the typhoid vaccine, Each recruit
gets three injectionsseven days
apart. The first one comes in right
here. These inoculations cost S24
each at the hospital, but here they
are absolutely free and given willing
ly. NOT only that but you can't get
out of 1t. sorry to say. After the vac
'cination and the three .shots IN the /
arm" comes another in the back. The
direct object Of all this ID being kept
q secret, but It Is presumed by soma
Of the boys to make one immune to-
pain caused by holes ID the body. Az
ter going through all this certainly no
German can hurt a u. 8. soldier to I
any great extent. After the examina-
tion they are measured for uniforms.
The next day they are given their
uniform and clothing and assigned
to their permanent quarters. The
clothing is all Of the best and there is !
not . man on the place outside 81 the
guard-house who is not thoroughly on.
joying himself. Il. Il the outsiders real.s
" knew Just what army life was real.sS
II like the United States Army would
increase to about Il. 900. 900 j mem
within two weeks.
TWELVE THous AND lore
81 CARS IN STA T:l.is YEAR
8 Bismarck, 2. june lore
1 than i n 900 ears have been resistsrs