The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1917-10-26
LETTERS FROM THE
BOYSIN WAR CAMPS
From Thursdays Daily.

136th United States Infantry, Camp
Cody, Deming, New Mexico, has writ
| ten the following letter to F. A.
Fisher Of the Mankato Fruit company,
where Private Schmidt was formerly
employed:
Dear Mr.. Fisher: Am somewhat
late in writing, but as they say better
late than never We were all over
to the Sunday services this morning
and heard Chaplin Clemans speak.
Say, but there is one nice sort of a
man, real jolly old gent. l see
where go to services every Sunday
from now on, and besides we have
some real, first class music, the Sec
ond Minnesota band We have
mighty good concerts every night
from $50 to 1880 This is the finest
life on earth, and wish that all the
young fellows back home could only
get little torch of it, and know
they would say the same I never
felt better Plenty to eat, and plenty
OF sleep. Generally hit the cot about
$3.50 p. m. and roll out at 5:15 a. M
which is the first call. 1t certainly
gets warm here about noon.
eve had inspection Saturday morn
ing, and six of the fellows of Com
pany H went down. I tell you that's
one of the hardest things there is to
do in camp-"nd it certainly is hard
to stand still for fifteen minutes out
on this hot sand, and the sun over
head at about 105 degrees in the
shp@o and no trees to be found with
in thousand miles or more. The day
we came to camp the Ord Minnesota
infantry was chanoed over to artillery
and some of the fellows said it would
! not be long before we were charged
also. Well, l wish we were, for I'd
rather be in the artillery anyway, as
there is more noise than in the in
fantry, a''1 surely there is nothing on
earth thu l like better than lots of
notes.-the more the merrier.
"On our way down we stopped at
Omaha Neb, and say, that's sure a
mighty nice place. We took an hours
| walk so you see we were able to
see quite a bit, and believe me the
people soon found out where we came
| from, after we gave them the Mime
sofa yell We had them all looking
out of the windows from the first
stories to the upper stories of the
buildings.
81 had talk with George, the young
Greek, who was at one time employed
at the Candy Kitchen. Say he sure
was mighty glad to see a bunch of
| fellows from old Mankato. When we
passed through Oklahoma I saw a
| lot of oil wells, and must say it is
great industry in that state" Private
Schmidt closes with the wish to be
remembered to all his old friends.
-
A. o. Daehn, formerly fireman on
the Chicago and Northwestern, max
ing his headquarters at Mankato, now
with Company D, 351st infantry,
Camp Dodge writes as follows to w.
G.. Fenger, cashier at the Northwest
ern freight depot:
Scamp Dodge, Oct. 14.-Dear Bill:
| 1 had intended to write to you some
time ago, but have been too busy. This
army life is a good life, but it is an
awfully busy life. have enjoyed this
army life from the start. Some of the
boys feel differently about it.
81 have been making good so far.
I was made a corporal last Monday
and have got charge Of a squad of
eight men. Each one of these, men
is no longer than l am. cr
eve have got our full uniform now.
We had all our pictures taken yes
! terday.
Twenty men of our company are
going to be transferred from mere.
Nobody knows where they are going.
We all might go somewhere In very
short time. l hope we go before colo
weather sets in, as this is going to
be a durn cold place. The barracks
are put up in poor shape. They are
Just like any barn for warmness.
w. J. Bryan is going to speak out
here this forenoon Inwould like to
hear him speak but have got too
many othc- things to do. am about
ten letters behind in writing. | am
going to try and write them today
81 suppose things are quite dead
around Mankato, now that the boys
have left How does H. Butler feel
about being drafted?
| about the only time I have
chance to write is on Sunday. We get
| I'D at D. 10 III IU0 IlOlh lheo' oIoA' " -
ing at TAO and drill until IL and then
from ITO until 4:30. We have re-
treat at sos, officer school from
to and lights out at 9. The few
spare moments we have are used for
studying.
81 am going to get in as sergeant
and if l make good at that | Will
have chance to go to the oftlcers'
training school that is going to DE
started here January 5.
81 get hardly any mail from Man
kato. What's the matter with the
boys around there?
Tomorrow is pay day for you out
not for me- | am trying to figure OUT
how l am going to buy smoking To-
bacco and other things with the sal
airy I am getting.
/ 81 have not seen Fred Meyer Tor
the last three weeks. He is about
"a mile from our barracks. l am go
ling to look up Harry Larson today II
II get time 1t looks as though all
the boys from Mankato that came IN
the last draft are going to Demlng'
Your friend, Albert Daehm."
w. G. Fenger cashier of the North
western freight depot, is in recelp'
of the following letter from Fred Mey-
or foroor third trick onpra tor at this