The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-10-23


The following letter was received
by Engineer A. E. Seaburg of the
John w. Seaburg, recruit at Camp
Dodge, Ia, and would perhaps be Of
interest to your many readers:
Camp Dodge, Ia, Oct. 10, 1917.
Dear Brother Ed
Things are a whole lot brighter
now than when we first came here.
At first we had only two thin blank
cts and a bag Of straw to sleep on
and along towards morning we would
&c cold as the dickens and couldn't
get much sleep, but now we each
have a steel cot. two blankets and
one nice quilt and one straw tick, and
it is a good deal more like sleeping
at home. The cooks are beginning
to get onto the job and we get just
about all we want to eat, and there
is one thing you can have all you
want of and that is bread, and when
don't get enough of other stuff, /
use that for filling, and say, never
felt better in all my life.
The drilling isn't half bad now,
that everybody is getting into 1t, and
when the whole bunch goes march
ing down the line they look almost
like real soldiers.
We have to wash our feet every
day, teeth five times, face four
times, and battle at least twice a
week. Inspection comes on 'Satur-
day. Mess kit must be polished,
shoes shined, leggings scrubbed, hat
and clothes clean. shaved, hair trim
med, and If there Is the least little
spot on any of these then you are
CT lnxF
afternoon and Sunday and made to
do extra kitchen duty, that is, scrub
bling floors. washing greasy baking
pans, and you can believe me some
of the boys here will be able to give
sister or the hired girl run for her
money in keeping the SCOT off the
bottom of the family frying pan.
A machine gun company Is COM
posed of ITO men and officers, six
teen machine guns and thirty-two
mules, two motorcycles. There are
ten companies to a battalion. Men
picked for these companies are near
ly all mechanics as far as possible,
and filed in with men of similar
trades. A machine gun is operated
practically on the same principle as
q gasoline engine and is a very deli
cate piece Of machinery, being cap
Every man must be able not only to
name every part on 1t, but to be able
to take down and assemble 1t blind
folded. Machine guns are used in
the first line of defense where infan-
try charges are expected. Machine
gun men do not carry rifles, but a
4b Calibre automatic Savage revolt |
yer, which will kill a mule at 800
yards and is considered to be more |
effective than any army rifle at close |
range, being of larger calibre.
Our company received a letter of |
from Major General |
Plummer on marching, and we are |
the envy of the whole camp, as it |
were. 1t is looked on to be quite an |
honor to belong to a machine gun |
company here.
Hundreds Of people visit this camp
every day and on Sunday thousands. |
They come from miles around, all
bringing something to their boys and |
on Monday a., lot OF the boys have |
roast chicken, jelly, cake. butter and
all such stun that we don't get here. |
Des Moines is thirteen miles from |
here. We have both steam trains
and electric running on the same
track every hour, three cars in a
train, and when the boys are off, (30,-
900 of themG they have fifteen and
twenty cars, and there are also all
kinds of jitney BUSES and big motor
buses which run all hours of the day
and night, and some carry as high
as twenty-six passengers.
At this camp we CONSUME fifty
cows, 800 bushels Of potatoes, 1900 |
loaves OF bread and loads Of other
stuff in a day.
do not go to town very often for
It is a big graft and the car service
is rotten, and we have just as much |
fun, IL not more right here in camp
There are half a dozen organized
bands here disseminating harmony
and otherwise, and a fiddle and an
accordion can be found in almost ev-
cry corner. Our company took up a
collection and bought piano VIC
trola, convertible army style, set OF
boxing gloves, half a dozen base
balls. baseball outfits. books and all
the latest magazines and papers. We
have got a hummer OF a football
team for the most Of the boys In this
company are over six feet tall, but
that doesn't make me the smallest I'm
the bunch, for we have one who is
only five feet one inch in height, and |
Of course answers to the call OF
Shorty. My company is composed |
Of a fine, clean bunch of boys and |
they are going into 1t for all there
ID in Ii. and believe that Is the only |
way for 1t has got to be done and
why not do it right. for IL comes a |
great deal easier that way.
1 bought q Liberty Bond today and |
would buy more If had the price.
/ cav Tom Geraghty the other day |
and to anyone who knows him viii |
say that he is the same old joy dis
penser. Harry Rosberg lives right |
across the alley from me In machine |
gun company, and didn't know IL |
until the other day.
Private Jack.
Me-. Smith Reeenor,evda chan,har-