Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1917-12-17
Especial to The Argus

comes grandma,
And cousin Lizzie. too, with Aunt
Hannah!
There's mother and father, too, with
all those little brothers and sisters,
who have shaken the snow of Straw
berry, Point, Mimi, from their feet
and are hurrysng to Camp Dodge. to
spend Christmas with their soldier
relatives.
Happy is the soldier, these days,
who owns a Pierce-Arrow, or lives
within trolley distance Of the can
Torment. For unless his clothes have
the odor of gasoline, or he can pro-
duce an automobile license as proof
OF his ownership of a tin Lizzie, his
chances for spending Christmas on his
native heath are practically nil. That
is. unless be lives in some metropolis
which can be reached by trolley.
The decree of the war department
at Washington, which seems to mean
/ that no soldiers in national training
camps shall be granted Christmas
1 leaves IL their homes can be reached
only by train, has thrown soldiers
at Camp Dodge into state Of con-
sternation Plans for spending the
holidays about the domestic hearth
4 have gone glimmering. Visions OF best
girls posed beneath buzches of
mistletoe have been shattered. AS one
recruit put it, These are evil times,
and Sherman had the right hunch.'
Walking parties are contemplated
4 By soldiers who don't live many hum
dreds of miles distant, and others are
planning an appeal to sonless mothers
and philanthropic spinsters, to send
motor cars for the accommodation of
soldiers who crave Christmas dinners
with their families.
Those men who live in Polk, Story.
Jasper, Boone and Webster counties,
Iowa, are fairly gloating, for nearly
all their home towns are accessible
by trolley. But the fellows who live
some distance from the eantOnment
are confronted by the thought that
even though they cannot leave, the
folks from home may come to Des
Moines for the holidays. That takes
great deal of the sting from that or
! der, you know.
There will be a regular hegira
from communities in Iowa, Minnesota
North Dakota and Illinois. Devoted
families will make Santa Claus, that
we'll known Christmas travelling man
look like a rank amateur. They vii
. bring with them loads OF gifts ani
baskets Of indigestible dainties, sucf
3 as never have been assembled before
, in Des Moines Christmas won't b.
r dreary time fer the soldiers. It vii
: be time to be remembered.
- Those who stay out at the CAM
% for dinner will have an opportunity t
revel in good things The camp quar-
4 termaster is ordering Christina
G elbow" galore. and there will b.
c enough food disposed Of to make an,
e hungry man fairly lose his sense 0
proportion The boys out there viii
h eat 10000 pounds Of turkey, 1900
q pounds of cranberries. 10000 pound
Of potatoes. several thousand pies
l. and all sorts of vegetables, salads
puddings, cake, candy, nuts an
l. fruit Nothing which goes to make u
It real Christmas dinner will be omit
s ted. It's going to be a great day.
l. Christmas at Camp Dodge will b
& no dreary occasion. There will be NOR
excitement, more festive dOings tina
Il have been seen for some time Al
e sorts of holiday customs will be OF
J. served; there are to be special relip
If ious services. and a lavish hand w
IS distribute gifts to everybody.
" DOings at the ~Y.''
y Under the general direction Of tn
- Y. NJ. c. A. administration, at the car
'" Torment, every one of the eight ~
buildings is arranging special feature
., for Christmas day. These will II
~ clude stunt program, Christina
trees, services, presents for everybod,
~ and a general get together tim
" Holiday decorations will cover bar
walls and rafters. There will be holl
evergreens and mistletoe on ever
al side. No detail Of holiday cheer wi
DR. be omitted
.h The communities from which Cam
Up Dodge soldiers come are being aske
h. to aid In making these Christmas cell
brations successful. Philanthropy
l. folks have been urged to send Dol
ar corn. candy nuts. decorations and ii
IN expensive little gifts to the Y. NJ.
n AS, so that no soldier will be forgo
L. ten.
. Every Y. NJ. c. A. building wi
s. have one big Christmas tree ar
Or some of them will have some lit
ed trees also. Secretary Guy Aldrich
or building No. 81 is making arrang
y. ments for securing these trees.
&c And those Negroes. from Alaban
needn't be lonesome, either. For b
es sides having the best Christmas di,
m ner they've ever dreamed Of, they.
s. to have real Christmas party
RS their own building, No. 90 There wi