The Carlisle independent. (Carlisle, Ark.) 1905-current, 1917-11-01
CAMP PIKE NEWS


would easily form the conclusion that
the drafted man was seven-tenths a
pool and billiard player and the bal
ance an eater, for what buildings do
not house really magnificent pool
halls are restaurants.
During the Officers Training Corps
school at Fort Logan H. Roots last
summer, the impression the Little
Rocker evidently had Of the student
officer was that nothing so charmed
him as a waXed floor, jazz band and
one of Little Rocks fair maidens with
whom to trip off the fox trot, one step
or waltz.
At first the War Service Board
rather encouraged the dances, for il
gave the young officers a pleasant di-
version on Saturday afternoon and
night, but when it was carried to
the extreme halt was called that
was obeyed with the CELEBRITY that
should accompany an army command.
There are other ways of entertain
Ing the young officer as well as the
young soldier OF course there are
dances, but they are under proper su
pervision, and If the soldiers go to
them, they must pay admission. Moth
ing is free any more. because Major
General Samuel D. Sturgis does not
want it so. He wants his men to be
Independent, not molly-eoddles.
The War Service Board has made
an ideal arrangement Tor the dance
ha!l-or so it has been pronounced by
the authorities at Washington, and
passed on to New York officials with
the request that they profit thereby.
The first step by the local War Ser
vice Board was TO secure an audience
with one of Little Rocks wealthy citi-
zens, the owner of a building covering
almost an entire square. This build
ing, erected for market purposes, was
only half occupied. The owner was
asked to tear out all partitions in this
half, and put in a hardwood floor to
replace that of Mosaic tile, thus con-
verting it into an ideal dance hall
This would require the destruction
of at least $4,000 worth of property,
but the citizen saw where he could
provide recreation for hundreds of
soldiers each evening. and readily
agreed
The next step was to secure the
passage of an ordinance which re-
quires the payment Of a license of
500 per month for the operation of
a dance hall. This was for the pur-
pose of suppressing the small dance
halls that would otherwise spring up
all over the city, and be policed with
difficulty. The owner of the large
building has also agreed to employ
an orchestra of the very finest, and
the War Service Board knows that
citizen of this kind will keep order at
all times. This board does not intend
TO Great mopoly, but any one who
will compete for the business will be
forced to make equally as ample pro-
vision. and conduct a place upon the
same high plane.
Such questions as these are taken
up daily by the War Service Board,
one by one they are threshed out, and
finally solved to the satisfaction OF
Major General Sturgis and his twenty
or thirty thousand charges.
At Camp Pike there are artillery
men by the thousands, but so far their
artillery drill has all been dependent
upon pedal extremitios. The men are
fully uniformed, but there the equip
ment ends. Nevertheless these men
are drilled in the art of manning their
guns. A member of each company
who is nifty with saw and hammer
has constructed hexagon shaped
frames which answer for the wheels
of the gun carriage. The frame work
Of the gun carriage is then construct
ed to look as much like the real thing
rs possible. A four-inch oak sapling
does duty for the field piece. The
men drill with these guns, becoming
familiar with their positions, even
though they cannot mount and be
jolted over the high spots until they
learn to stick on.
This amt like home" unused an
artlleryman on his twelfth day of SER
vice, but the barracks are good and
the meals cannot be complained tf,
though it is not like home to many of
US. What / say though is let's get
through with this thing and get back
home. If it's fight, let's go out and
hoist the American flag in Berlin and
then return to our business"
Just then the mess call was sound.
ed, and this recruit, who thought the
food was not what he was used to at
home did not hesitate even to bid a
hasty farewell to his audience. He
evidently believed that in order to be
in shape for marching into Berlin
with Old Glory he must not run the
risk of being out of condition on the
big day through missing any of his
meals.
Such expressions can be heard all
over the camp. The men are making
the best OF it, and while they might