Smyrna times., 1917-11-07

Anniston. Alabama.
Sunday, October %, 1917.
To the dear folks in old Delaware
Dear Friends:
am glad that can write you a
little note about our camp. We ar
rived in camp Sunday, October 7th,
1917. l thought l could never stay
in such place. The first thing that
1 was interested in was where we
were going to pitch our tents. We
started right in back of our mess
hall. The squad l am in had to pitch |
their tent on the side of a hill. 1 i
thought this was pretty place for a
home, and that l could never live
here but knew l had to. So we set
to work. The first thing we had to
do was to grub up two big stumps
right where our tent had to go. l
said to myself, you had to grow right
to pitch our tent. But that did not
move them. When we got them out
the next thing was to fill the holes
up. Well, we started with the picks
and shovels. Every place we struck
with the picks were stones.
thought we would never get it level.
But after awhile we got it fixed up all
right. We had to level up all the
ground and had to use picks and
shovels to do it with. never saw
80 many picks and shovels in all my
life. But we have things fixed up
all right now and it looks more like
home now than l thought it would at
first.
Many Mountains and Hills About Us
We have plenty Of mountains, hills,
stumps and stones. The Captain said
there is about thirty-fve thousand
men in camp here. 1t takes one
million four hundred dollars a month
to pay off Camp Mcclellan, saying
nothing about the stump pulling and
other work that is being done every
day. The carpenters are working
everyday here in camp. They work
Sunday as we'll as Monday. They
are putting up electric poles to-day.
We are going to have electric lights
in our camp tents. The tents are
going to have floors in them and
boarded up the sides little piece.
Pay Day Leaves Many Boys Hard Up
We have stoves in our tents now.
There are plenty of stores in camp
and we can get anything we want if
we have the money. We had a pay
day last Saturday, the goth. By night
some were broke and were borrowing
money. They give good interest,
borrow 81 and payday they give So
for it and come get as high as Sd
for 81. 1t is no trouble for anyone
that has money to lend and get $5
for So. The stores are open all week
and all day Sunday, so it isn't much
trouble to spend money. Some OF
the fellows say l am close because
don spend my money like they do.
We have bought lots of Liberty Bond:
and have four. We pay five dollars
a month on each bond. We alsC
have bath houses which are being
fixed up and are being arranged t
have electric lights in them and they
will have stoves in them to make il
comfortable in the winter. W.
haven't done much drilling yet bu
are getting fixed up now and will ge
plenty of drilling and hiking aftel
awhile We have three big hike
ahead, one so, one 100 and one Isl
miles. We will have to break CAM
some night and start on the fifty mil
hike, and we are not to know
ahead of time. We get up at 5. 45 a
m. and are kept busy until abou
$50 p. m. We then have libert
until $50 p. m, then taps bloV
and We have to be in onr tents and q
10 o'clock all lights have to be out
Plenty of Clothes to Keep Comfortably
We have more clothes than we kno'
what to do with and are still gettin
more. Our overcoats are heavy an
warm. They sure have some systeI
to everything in camp. The militar
service is just what lots of the boy
need and believe me they are gettin
t | never saw so many cigarett
stumps in all my life. The tobacC
they sell in camp is sight. I Gel
tainly would like to have the none
that is spent for tobacco. We sa
some beautiful cotton and tobacC
fields in North and South Carolin'
We saw some pretty high mountain
and lots of red soil. The corn is nj
cut off yet down here. The corn
not as good here as it is in Delaware
But, to tell the truth, haven't see
anything az good here as it is in o
Delaware. saw a man trot h
mules up hill the other day with Il