The twice-a-week Twin Falls times. (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1916-1918, 1917-11-29
HERBERT HARDIN WRITES
AGAIN OF ARMY LEE
Second Letter From Kimberly Boy
Reveals Vivid Pictures OF Army Life
In Training Camps.

In Training Camps.
The following from Herbert Hardin,
son of John w Hardin of Kimberly, is
second letter received this month,
telling of the interesting affairs and
activities of American army life in
the great training centers of the ma
ton:
Dear Dad:
Will try and write to you a few
lines concerning my army life at the
present time; my pleasure, work, mis-
fortunes, etc.
To begin with, since l have trans
ferred l like the army much better
than at my old station as | enjoy the
work l am now dOing-office work
for Sam" My days work begins here
at a. m. and leaves off in the after
noon at 5:45, having between IL 40
and 12:45 for dinner and recreation.
After these hours l am free to do as l
like and am permitted to leave the
post at that time every day if l so
desire, which makes it almost like
any other position in civil life.
NV work consists almost entirely
of typing and clerical work, which,
owing to my commercial education in
four years of high school, enables
me to handle the work without any
difficulty, and, as l like the work
the army is for from burdensome in
my estimation However, Uncle Sam S
clerical work is in no way similar to
,, that of civil life, and it requires some
time for a new man to become accus-
;, toned to the forms, etc. used.
1t would be rather hard to explain
;. all my work here in the office. / am
,. filing clerk and assistant correspon-
4 dent clerk. Every letter that goes
- out of this office / enter in the cor
respondence book and file a copy OF
= the letter, so that / can find any let
- ter written from here within a mo-
n ment's notice, although there are
from fifteen to thirty written every
% day Besides this l issue the canteer
! orders. A canteen order is an order
o on the Preside Post Exchange where
n the men can buy certain articles thai
@ they might need, such as tobacco
h towels, soap, and in fact most any
1t thing that soldier has any use for
r This order is entered in a book fol
i that purpose and is taken out of thu
,e soldiers next pay If he so desires
he is permitted to draw one-third o
ar his pay in this way, and as some o
l. most of the time, this canteen idei
I'd comes in very handy to them. Thes
Y, things that | have mentioned consti
tute the larger part of my work, al
e. though have considerable odd typin
Id to do besides, along various lines.
S; Now as to recreation. For sol
e. der in San Francisco, there is some
an thing for him to do at most times
n The people of San Francisco have Ger
tainly opened up their hearts and al
tie so their pocket books, and are tryin
at in most every way to make soldierin
- more pleasurable for him. Most ever
. night in the week, there is a dance
program, house party or somethln
similar for the soldiers. At thes
places the boys meet respectable PEG
pie and some, in fact a great many
very nice young ladies. If anyon
! does not care to dance there is al
ways something else for him to d
which he might enjoy more, such a
music, and singing, etc. These mat
= ters are absolutely free and the sol
n der is put to no, expense, whateve
4 in going, outside of car fare.
? Also there are four soldier clubs
the down town part of the city, wher
no one is allowed but soldiers an
sailors. In these clubs there ar
lounging facilities, books, papers an
magazines of all descriptions, poo
tables, games, writing material, mus
in abundance, and in fact everytnm
to make it possible for a soldier
enjoy himself. Besides these we haN
the army Y. M. c. A., which is gre'
deal on the same plan as the CLUB
So between the clubs, Y. M. c. A, an
the entertainments, house parties an
dances given by individuals, 1t is
very easy matter for one OF Onc
Sans men to enjoy himself to the fu
extent.
E | have met here some very nice pc
pie, people which l suspected in II
first vision of San Francisco, did n
exist, for l must say that upon n
first arriving in this great metropo
I was far from pleased with 1t and
longed to be back in Sunny Soutne
l Idaho. However, l found that F'rl
) co was not so bad after becomi
. acquainted and that there were sol
very nice people living within !
= bounds, and people who take an
terest in Uncle Sans men, and pa
haps some poor chap who has new
been away from home before and
- times has a longing down In his he
"a to be back home again and be W
his friends and loved ones Not ms
tioning any names, but / have kno
IS some fellows, one fellow am sure
g who looked very disconsolate, wi
. his mind happened to wonder back