The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1917-05-18
Letter From Mankato Boy
Who Joined Army
PLEASED WITH The LIFE
He Tells His Story In Manner
That Indicates Wholly
Patriotic Motive
From Fridays Daily.
WHEATON, WILLIAMS.

4
| WHEATON, WILLIAMS.
Jefferson Barracks, May, g., 1917.
| We left Minneapolis cunday night at
l7:O5 on the 500. The government
furnishes transportation to the bar,
racks via. Chicago. Each man was
given three boxes of lunch for Mon.
iday's meals. / had about $25 with
me and was wondering whether ]
should take more. When l asked
1.-The other four boys if they were go
| ing to buy berth each pulled about
$3.50 out of their pocket and said:
l"No, believe We'll ride in the day
Icoach.' Then l felt rich.
At Chicago we transferred to the
Illinois Central leaving Chicago at
HOOP a. M The trip was unevent-
lful until reaching Springfield when
Especial train carrying Marshal Jof-
fire passed us in the railroad yards.
lit was preceded by "a pilot train. The
marshal was pointed out to us by
some one on the observation plat
form as the train went by. All
Springfield was. at the station. in
honor. of the occasion and quiet
crowd it was too for this large and
notorious state capitol went dry
May IA.
1t was interesting, while on this
| three hundred mile ride from Chi
cago to ST. Louis, to notice how far
advanced the - southern country is
over the northern, as far as crops,
trees, ETC., are concerned After
Ileaying Kankakee the fruit trees
appeared to be in full bloom and
south of Springfield the leaves were
all out. 1t was cold all the way down
and seeding is as backward in South
ern Illinois and Missouri as it is in
| Minnesota, occasionally though one
sees large fields of alfalfa about four
inches in height The wooded hill
sides are covered with sweet will
liams and May flowers, in full bloom.
None of the, farms are as well kept,
as those in Minnesota and all the
roads seen from, the car windows
are in a terrible condition; muddy,
undragged and in poor. repair.
About $50 St Louis boys enlisted
yesterday and hundreds of others
came from other points so last night
the barracks We're noisy with the
Icries, singing and yelling of the
rockies. 1t was dark when we reach
ed the barracks vand each man was
given two blankets and towel and
all were compelled to take bath.
The windows were all raised in the
barracks in which we slept and by
a. m. it was frightfully cold though
lnost-of US slept with, our clothes on.
I Everyone was, awake before $50
a., m. when, treYille is called and a
lot OF alleged jokers began their us
ual line of talk most of which was
| about the cold. I'm so cold I've
got my knees drawn way into my
i stomach" shouts one. 81 dreamed 1
had been shipped to Alaska" calls.
another, and so on, each remark, OF
course, bringing a loud laugh from
the crowd, as they are all in high
| spirits.
| At $50 a. m. we formed in line to
march to the dining room. A milk
wagon appeared and there was a
scram bling for "pints" and quarts"
by all who had the seven or four
teen cents. The milk we took to
mess with, us. Mess consisted of
link sausage, potatoes and gravy,
corn fakes and coffee.
Next we formed in line and our
names were read off + from our reg
istration papers. We were divided
into three groups for physical exam
inatiOn. Two groups are in now
and am waiting for our group to-
be called.
Measured For Uniform.
/ passed the examination o. K.
I've been measured for a suit and
will get one tomorrow. The other Man
kato boys had to wait three or four
days before getting examined. Even so,
you see I've been in luck. / had to-
change at Minneapolis to the. engi-
neering corps which L think l will
like even better than the coast ar
tillery / don't believe / will be
among the first to go to France be-
cause of my ignorance of engineer
ing though the engineers are going
before all others.
From where l sit, in the baseball
grandstand, can see over thirty
buildings all of which belong to the
barracks. Carpenters are busy erect
ing three more bunk houses.
Soldiers in uniform are having
drill in various places of the parade
grounds. Throngs Of men in civil
lians clothes are waiting for exam
ination, uniforms etc. Hundreds of
rockies came in this morning and
about 900 soldiers leave for various
points in the United States. tonight.
They must have examined about
1000 rockies this morning. We had
about the same examination as at
the recruiting station. though a lit
tie more thorough and then each
man was vaccinated and inoculated
with typhus serum.
At noon we had mess again which
consisted of boiled beef, boiled po-
tatoes, gravy, soup, lots of butter,
bread and water. We have all we
can eat and everything is well cook
ed and clean, Men from the differ
ent new companies that have been
formed wait ON tables and wash and
wipe the dishes.
! A crowd of rockies, perhaps 500,
just received their uniforms and the
peddlers have infested the barracks
for the purpose OF, buying old shoes
and clothing From twenty-five