The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1917-10-10
Kenneth Mckay
Reaches Camp Cody
First Letter From Camp Comes
from Company C. Boy Who
Enjoyed Trip
is FEELING FIT
Company L Reached Camp Tues
day Noon; Thousands of Men
Now on Ground
Deming, N. Mexico.

Demlng, N. Mexico.
Oct. End, 1917.
Dear Folks at home:
Arrived safe in Deming this
morning at Z o'clock. Had a
grand trip all the way through.
We are now nicely settled in our
squad tent.
Camp Cody is sure some great
old camp. | hardly knew how
many are here, but there must
be about ten or fifteen thousand,
just reminds me of a great big
fair. Saw Paul Myers this morn
ing, he is only a few rods from
me. The Redwood Company has
not arrived yet. We made aw-
full poor time up to last night.
| was on guard again last night,
didn't get much sleep, was on
from eight to ten and was wax
ened at II o'clock at Ell Paso,
Texas, to get coffee for the Com
pany, and then went on guard
at one and stayed till three and
then up at $50. But feel fine
after such a long trip.
| can hardly explain every
thing in a letter, but will give
you an idea. We left Winona
and picked up Company D at
Rochester, Company | at Owa-
tonna and the Hospital Corps at
Mankato. We went into sleep
ers for the rest of the way. We
went through Window and then
to Sioux City, Iowa, the first
night. About noon Friday we
crossed the river at Council
Bluffs, Iowa, to Omaha, Nebr.,
and from there to Fort Leavens-
worth, Kansas, and made Kan
sas City, Mo-, about 7:30 Friday
night. The next big place Sat
furday was Tusla, Okla. Before
we struck Oklahoma it was all
corn, but Oklahoma is oil field
after oil field-something l had
never seen before.
i Saturday night we struck the
big state of Texas where we rode
all day Sunday and all day Mon
day, till three o'clock this morn
ing.
Texas is sure some desolate
country. We stopped several
times and walked around or
rather were marched around
some of the towns. We sure
live in luxury, compared with
some, but the people have no
ambition at all. Houses are sure
built for warm weather. The
country looked like all rocks,
sage brush and cactus, and talk
about poor cattle! if our cattle
were there for four days they
. would starve. Saw many Icing
dead in pastures.
Saw one oil well in Denison,
Texas, Sunday, or rather not an
oil well, but a natural gas well
that has been burning for the
last fifteen years steady.
4 We struck Fort Worth about
$50 Sunday morning and rode
all day through a desolate look
, ing country, very rough and
sandy. There was several times
j yesterday we were almost stuck
, and twice we had to leave lalf
the train and go to switch and
then go back after the other half.
! Last night while was on guard
we passed through about the
finest country / ever saw. There
were several times when the
train made almost a complete
: circle around some mountains.
!, There were four guards sta
toned near bridge in deep
! canyon-they seemed to be miles
j from a station. / took several
: pictures on the way; sure hope
they are good SO can send them
home.
Il lis o'clock. Just finished our
!. first dinner. Fed plenty and good
i food. Have big mess house,
where the cooking is done and
we can all 60 in, pass along in
row and each one is served
t and then we go and sit down at
: a table and eat.
4 Each squad 6 men) has its
e own tent and we each have our
: own tent. / was over to the Y.
M. C. A. this forenoon and got
Q this paper. They furnish all
VII writing material so I suppose !
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