The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1917-09-13
A PRACTICAL PROPOSITION
Departure Is Business Like and Sensible
Officers Conspicuous at Station
Messages from Alexander and
Pitcher Tell Story.

Happily and hopefully, Troop "E"
of the First Wisconsin Cavalry moved
one step nearer the trenches of Truth
today, when they entrained at Camp
Douglas this afternoon for Waco, Tex.
The long journey to the sunny south
began at three p. m. Coldly, militarily
and periodically, the horsemen gath
cred at the little station and left the
tented barracks of the training school
for the new entertainments of the federal
army. There was little if any emo
tiopalism. The entrainment was a
practical proposition for men who have
learned that war is business and was
accomplished with precision and disci-
pline that spoke we'll for the weeks of
training at Camp Douglas.
A number of Kenosha people were at
The upstate school to witness the de-
oarture Of the patriots. With smiles
and cheers they said Goodbye as
the boys marched by to the coaches,
Since the train left promptly on sched-
ule and the soldiers were occupied un-
til the last moments with the work of
breaking camp, there was little time
for sentimental demonstrations so de-
moralizing to the feelings of men who
are leaving for war. There was just
enough on this, however, to convince
the volunteers that their services were
appreciated and that they had not been
forgotten by the people whose lives and
liberties they will fight to save.
Captain Coney, Lieutenant Steinert,
and Lieutenant Alexander, were CON
spicuous among the officials of the de-
parting regiment. Soldiers from "top
to toe" they were busily engaged with
orders for their own company and
higher business with regiment COM
manders. Military in appearance and
authoritative in bearing, they hand
led the details Of entertainment with a
promptness and efficiency that mark
ed them as officers Of present worth
and future prominence.
The troops which left Camp Douglas
this afternoon will probably proceed
to Waco by way of Winona, Mimi,
Omaha, Neb., Kansas City, Mo-, and
Little Rock, Ark This means that
they will pass through neither Kenosha
nor Chicago and that local people who
had planned to see them on their way
to the new environments will be disap-
pointed in their hope. Although the
latter contingency is to be regretted
the route chosen by the military
authorities is much more direct than
a Chicago itinerary would have been
and is consequently the better part
of wisdom in wartime.
News of the boys last day in camp
has been brought to Kenosha by two
dispatches, one night letter from
Sergeant Zenas Pitcher to his mother,
Mrs. Mary Pitcher of Eagle street, and
The other letter from Lieutenant
Alexander to Alfred Terrell ,one of the
ocal sponsors for the troop.
The former reads in part: ''We are
leaving today at 800 p. m. for Waco.
via the Chicago and North Western
'oute. Everything is in fine condition.
We have had considerable work in get
ling ready for entrainment but every
thing went so we'll that we feel real
proud of ourselves. Our health could
hardly be better, and we have every
Thing that we need for both eff
iciency and comfort.''
The telegram is interesting because
It indicates the spirit of the troop,
which has made it unit Of real fight
ers and one of the most popular aggre-
cations at the upstate camp.
The letter from Lieutenant Alex
ander is naturally more enlightening
han the shorter message by wire. IT
states that the soldiers slept last night
under their pup-tents" and gathered
from their experience some conception
of wartime winters in camp. These
quarters were made necessary by rea-
son of the fact that the larger tents
had already been struck and packed
for Waco and the smaller shelters were
the only things that still remained to
them. The lieutenant says further that
the boys enjoyed the improvised sleep
ing quarters and were in fine spirits for
the entrainment of this afternoon.
The departure of Troop ''E'' for
Waco marks a second stage in their
progress to France. They will possibly
spend several months in Texas before
embarking for Europe and several
months more in training there before
they are ready for the firing line.
This means that they will possibly not
see real fighting for as much as a year
yet and then perhaps in an unimport-
ant salient. These are only suppose
tions, however. 1t may be that the