Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-12-08
TOLINE EXPECTS TO
WRITE FROM BERLIN
WITHIN SHORT TIME

That Sergeant Theodore Toline is
dee-Iighted' with his experience thus
far in the service of Uncle Sam and
that he hopes If won't be long until
he can postcard mis- friends from Ber-
lin is contained in letter which Mo-
line friends have received from him.
He is located at Camp Bowie. Fort
Worth, Texas, and is in the ordnance
7 department of the government
+ Among ether things he says: This
lis a regular field camp. and every
body sleeps in tents, from the briga-
der general down. The tents are very
comfortable, all enclosed with boards
and are fcored The camp covers an
area OF about twenty-five square
miles. There is room for 10000 troops,
but at present 10000 are interned
here The country is rolling hills
and / am on the hill nearest town,
about a block from the car line. This
makes ii handy when go down town.
which is not very often. can get a
/ pass in the evening until next morn
ing. this being privilege which only
commissioned and 0B-cOmmissiened
officers have
eThe south is quite different from
the north. All the towns ara full of
soldiers, no matter where you go |
have been al Camp Bowie about week
and like the place very much There
are several English and French here
TO instruct the boys One Of these in
structors, an Englishman, sleeps in
cur tent. He is Just full of good war
stories and ] listen TO him for hours
at time He has been in the war
three years and can relate some very
tough experiences. There are three
aviation fields nearby, so can see
| aer0planes and many OF them any
time during the day This afternoon
about ; O'Clock I counted more than
twenty-five Of them in the air at one
time So y0u understand my neck
has become accustomed to stretching
] have seen some very good flying
regular stunts The other day one Of
he BIRDS had a slnashup about a GUAR
Ter Of mile from our camp. | did
not see the fellow fall. but ] saw tbs
wreckaee a few minutes after tht
j. plane bit the ground The aviator wa:
;, cut up little, but was able to wall
around. I suppose he is flying agar
by now.
THE troops here come from Texa,
and Oklahoma and have been herr
since AuS s. They viii soon be read.
u to go across. and doubtless some il
our detachment viii so along whel
r they embark
We have a good detachment. he
D cause we have had the pick Of tn
= camp to I'LL the vacancies We ar
almost fulI-Beed only a few NOR
privAtes to complete the organization
Il have been appointed ordnanc
;, sergeant. which is the highest grad
6 Of non-comm .ssi0nad officer in til
, ordnance department. | am workin
- in the Offices and have the opportuDi
. ~ of getting acquainted with a lot o
red tape army work The woTkin
: hours are frol4 to 50, with an hon
of for dinner These are the hour
for the warehouse men. while the eth
7. er boys are kept busy from to 6. TIL
:, only things I miss when I am throug
work are The soft chairs and the hear
PLAYERS who infast the Moline ciu
!. eve Y afternoon
D Well, after a couple Of years yo
r, VIII see me comfortable al one OF IN
= tables. | have cut out playing card
N because l DO not Ike the game ii
Texans PLAY, Every once in a Will
a live craps game is started and som
POOR sucker loses about half year
nj pay This IS sure a gay life.
% There are five boys from the Tn
versity Of Illinois. four of them con
ing here when [ did. We are all Sc,
= geapts and stick together We hay
a separate table in the mess hall an
cur food is served to us on enamele
dishes. Our mess IS the same as Of
officers only they must pay $50
week for it. and we get ours for n0tl
ing. Our food is very good and v
get all we can eat. After a fellow h;
lived in the open a few months he ca
do justice TO a good meal, and it
surprising TO see how much some
the fellows can eat
GIVE my regards to the boys ar
tell them / am still very much ali
and that | hope to some day be able