Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1917-10-04
Don Fisher Writes to
Free Press Telling of
Experiences in Army

The following letter, written to the
Free Press by Don Fisher, Grangeville
boy, who is in the Second Idaho regi
ment of the federalized national guard,
was written September 20, while the
boys were in Nebraska enroute to Camp
Greene, at Charlotte, N. c., and no doubt
will prove interesting to Free Press
readers:
We left Boise at 1890 Monday morn
ing after parade from the barracks
to the depot amid the widest demon
stration that Boise has ever seen, and
while we were standing in the streets
awaiting orders to entrain we had the
pleasure of shaking hands with DR.. w.
b. Sims and | tell you it surely seemed
good to meet n friend from Grangeville.
Fred Meader rode the troop train
from Boise to Minidoka and we had
quite farewell visit with him. We all
regretted to see him get off the train.
At Nampa the citizens gave us
hearty welcome. We felt grateful to
them for the welcome and also for five
boxes of apples. Five boxes were
brought to the train for the Idaho boys
and Company + got them all.
1873 Men and Three Officers.
Our company has 1873 men and three
Officers now, Lieut.. George |. Bowling
is acting as company commander The
boys are enthusiastic about him and are
determined to win the distinction of
being the best company in the Second
Idaho infantry while we are at Camp
Greene. Lieut.. Clyde Hodge is attach
ed to us as is Lieutenant Porter.
Tuesday morning we arrived at KEN
merer, Wyo., and the coal mines at
tracted much attention. From there to
Rawlins we were seldom without some
thing that was new to us to keep up
the interest of the trip. At noon we
were AT Rawlins where we took
little run to timber us up. At night We
were at Laramie and it was quite chilly
as the elevation at this point is 1850
feet. We reached Cheyenne about 80
in the evening, but no one was allowed
off the train. The next morning found
us at North Platte, Neb., and from there
on throughout our trip through the state
we were accorded the widest welcome
that soldiers could ask for. AT each
town crowds met the train and gave
the boys magazines and lunches and
did everything that they could to make
the trip pleasant.
On Union Pacific Railway.
We followed the main line if the
Union Pacific railroad until we reached
Gibbon, and there we took branch line
south, passing through the towns of
Hastings and Fairfield, and at each
place the crowds were out in force
especially the mothers, to bid us a good
journey and safe return and in nearly
every town they met the train with bun
dies of reading material and fruits.
Many of the mothers asked us to be
sure and write to our mothers and told
us that they had boys III the Nebraska
guards and how proud they were of the
fact. Several of the boys who have
parents in the east will meet them in
st. Louis as they have wired ahead.
This country is surely great coun-
try, but give us Idaho to live in as here
it all looks alike The cornfields are
too big for us To handle. We would be
lost in them.
1t is reported that we get six hours
off in st. Louis and are to be the guests
of the American league at baseball
game.
We have had no sick men so far on
this trip and all are surely having the
times of their lives from what they say,
especially the native sons of Idaho.
One of the ears was without electric
lights and we used candles for lights un-
til Stanley Smith had the conductor
wire for supplies and as result we
have electric lights.
On our train are companies +, G,
machine gun and headquarters, with
IAdiutant General Moody, Colonel
Edleblute, Captain Travis and Joel
Priest, who is connected with the Union
Pacific railroad.