El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1917-12-06
THE STATISTICAL
NAN 8 TROUBLES
In Camp He Must Locate
Everybody for Everybody
and a Few Others.

lamp LEahA-r San @A4+LDlaaNr 4EA=
Dec. 6.-One of the most interesting
features Of an army cantonment is
the statistical work connected there
with This work is handled through
what is officially termed a "statis-
teal office"
The statistical office serves a
double purpose. For official use it
collects and complies all information
that is or may be OF value with re-
spect to every recruit. For civilians
seeking knowledge Of the location of
friends and relatives, It becomes a
valuable Information bureau. II thus
affords a point OF contact between
the public and the military.
Must BE Detective.
The statistical clerk must have
many characteristics Of q detective,
since requests Tor information come
TO him with but . clew as TO the
name OF the person about whom IN
formation is desired-the county he
is from, the city. the regiment he is
in or. better still. the battalion
-Stith" easily becomes smith" when
taken over the telephone. as many
official requests for information are
Herd may come IN as Heard or
ItAEQs ana DeCL EAdnQ may lose
De entirely in transit. With 10000
names 10 choose from the clerk is
obviously At q DISADVANTAGE But
there is a concentration Of wits and
a stir of deft hands and a comparison
Of data from all sources. and identi-
ties are established a timid senOrita
is looking for Juan Juan whO2 She
does not know; she had never thought
his last name could be so important
There We're three Juan Garcias from
one western county alone, but Marie
found Juan.
Must Be a Genial Nan.
The statistical clerk must be genial.
despite the fact that he IS q soldier
ana has, therefore, every opportunity
OF being hard boiled" The where
county is often desired by
prominent citizen Of that county
often afflicted with nothing more
that a desire to find somebody. but
who, come TO think OF IL. doesn't
know whether he wants to see Robert
Garrett or Allen Fisher. Could he
find out about both2 They had both
been transferred to another camp.
Then, there were the Perkins boys
from across the ridge" that he
knOwed" pretty we'll And in the
Of forgotten or unthouEht of
friendships recalled. he manages 10
learn about all the -- county
boys and leaves with n warm. civilian
1andshal1e with the Obliging clerk.
Wasn't Just Sure.
All requests, although they must be
listened to with a straight face. are
not ultrasensible. as is shown by the
following incident A visitor 10 the
camp who evidently had time hang
ing heavily on his hand as well as
some vague curiosity. discovered the
modest Information" sign over the
statistical office door and perceived
in it at once the solution 10 his bore
iOm and disquiet. He wanted TO end
he Grant boys. He wasn't sure about
he first name Of either. although lie
thought one was Nose But a diliEeut
search failed TO reveal any infOrma-
ion OF Nose Grant. Further inquiry
discovered that the inquirer was iE-
lOrant of the county the Grant BOYS
JAILED from. though they had once
lived in Collin. Then followed an
,ther search through all the Grants
nd Gr's and even all the G's in every
lie Another TRADE OF skiIful Ques-
ions brought to light the fact that
he wasn't Jest sure the Grant boys
"a i'm camp. but rhe Grants have al
Ways been great fighters"