The Delta independent., 1917-11-02
DELTA COUNTY BOY
WRITES FROM CAMP

Camp Funston, Kas.. Oct "a, 1917.
My Dear Brown:-Your letter contain.
ing the money order for five dollars
came to hand last week and since that
time ! have ben trying to find time
to acknowledge its receipt and thank
you for your part in securing the funds
needed to make such gifts possible,
and thro you convey my thanks 20 the
citizens who made the donations The
five bucks is very acceptable for there
are many incidental expenses in the
army life and the pay we receive is
not large.
Sid and Leonard and are still
with the organization to which we
were originally assigned and consider
ourselves fortunate in having come
when we did. Sid is sergeant. an
a corporal and Leonard is acting cor
oral. following a period of duty as
battery carpenter.
We have strong regiment and bat
terry organization, are amply fed and
provided with bed clothing and uni
forms, from wooden underwear and
socks, o. d. shirts. cotton br,cches
and blouchers, overcoats and slickers
Our woolen uniforms are coming in
installments of varying sizes and we
plete winter outfit. We have pair
of tan marching shoes and one II
heavy field shoes with thick hob
nailed soles. The army shoes are
wonders in fit and in maintaining the
soldiers feet in good condition. Our
lieutenant told us that the officers
had to pay $12 per pair for service
shoes like ours.
Our barracks are two story frame
buildings. each housing about 200 men.
They are well built and provided with
a ventilating system. heated by steam
and lighted by electricity. The camp
Is divided into units and each Init Is
heated from a central heating plant
of four large boilers, the steam being
conveyed thro pipes hung on poles
just as are telephone cables. Thus
far our barracks have been without
heat for the reason that we moved to
the outskirts OF the camp near the
stables where our horses viii be
housed. The boilers are in place and
an army of pipe filters. who receive
75c per with double time for overtime
and Sundays, and who seem deter
mined not to exhaust themselves I'M
less 1t be by standing around visiting
are at work in our unit. We nope to
have heat by the first of next week
Our regimental officers are mostly
regular army men and of course the
u. s. r. men are able to learn much
from them in addition to the exDer-
ience they themselves have had in
military afafirs. AS a whole they are
bright conscientious group Of men.
going at a big job with the usual
American ability and ingenuity. We
had the first regimental band In camp
and II now numbers about 40 pieces.
We have strong teams in various
branches OF athletics and games end
I.play are encouraged among the men.
Originally oar regiment was made
up entirely of Colorado men but a
change In orders made II necessary to
fill up to war strength with men from
Missouri and South Dakota. The sec
ond 40 per cent of Colorado boys were
assigned to the Depot Brigade and
some OF them have since been moved
to other camps. A part of this num-
ber go to Linda Vista and others to
Fort Sill.
About 10000 men are now In camp
and 10000 OF them are being moved to
make room for the same number Of
negroes. Considerable opposition u
the coming OF the colored men mas
men in camp are prohibited the pos.
been made but without results. All
Uncle Eben.