The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1917-09-29
Letters From
"Our Boys"

Camp Cody. New Mexico. Sept 10.
Dear Friend:
1t was very kind OF you to send me
The Diamond Drill so promptly. and J
am now sending you my humble
thanks. The day may come when l
eanSreturn your kindness. You can
.sHeye what little news from
Sy4x home town means, when so
many miles away.
Camp Cody is large Camp Of about
10000 men. and more coming every
day. BY fall. the officers say, II will
grow to at least 10000 strong.
We are getting the real stun here,
such as trench lighting, bomb throw
ing, grenade throwing and rife prac-
tice. like the rifle practice OF course
best OF ALL could shoot all day and
never get tired. The hardest practice
of all Is when we have to crawl for a
couple hundred yards. keeping as
close to the ground as possible. l
tell you it's hard strain when you
have your pack and rife to drag along
with you.
It's not all fun In the army, nor Is
II all work either. We have our hard
drills and our real sport also. In this
camp it's toe the mark" while under
orders. and go to 1t in time OF sports.
Our sports here are good, healthy
sports, - playing ball, swimming.
boxing. horseback riding, shooting.
and all such, OF course to keep all OF
us Interested. There are prize medals
given out to the best men, so we all
go hard after the medals in our time
OF play.
New Mexico has very hot, dry
climate, and nothing Is grown only
under irrigation. The water is pump
ed from very deep weels by wind
mills. II is very windy here always
on account OF being so high-we are
between four and FIVE thousand feet
above sea level--so 1t gives us plenty
OF wind for the many windmills. II
seems queer that the small scrubs
and cactus stay so green on the hot
sand plains where there is so little
rain. 1t sometimes rains within a
month, and 1t sometimes forgets to
rain for two months.
Creeping creatures are very plenti-
full here, as the rattlers, bull snakes,
centipedes and scorpions-all deadly
poison. A centipede is about foot
long and has eight legs on each side,
every leg Is deadly poison, and the bite
Is sure death Every night before go
ing to bed we are ordered to shake
our blankets well for fear fear we
may have creeping visitor for a bed
partner.
AT 10 o'clock every one OF Us must
be In bed and all the lights are put
odt of our camp OF about three miles
square. AT $50 o'clock a. m. we must
all be on our feet ready for our
breakfast and then for our regular
drill.
The southern people are very far
behind those OF the north In every
way. They seem doggy and slow;
houses are poorly built, roads are poor
and everything seems to be left to go
as IL looks.
We were out one Sunday for lit
tic stroll over the sand prairies, and
we had many new sights, for us boys
OF the north, to see. We saw plenty
of jackrabbits. and prairie dogs are
about the same size. The jacErabbits
have IL all over the dogs on the run.
1t would be great sport for a bunch
OF fellows to 20 out after the rabbits
with shotguns. but all we have IS our
army rifles, and they are too fast for
us. wish our old Stager gang was
4 here, we would sure have some sport.
: we are all happy and hearty ana
hope you arc all the same
Regards to all,
ALBIN sPANNER,
=, ~ srtoot,. for Tho nrui