The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-09-17
New Cantonment at Des Moines is
Wonderful Place According to
Letter Sent to The
Gate City.
WELCOME FOR OTHERS
Those Drawn From Lee County VIII
Never Regret Being Chosen to
Serve Uncle Sam, Writer
Declares.
The Keokuk boys who left

IT. The Keokuk boys who lett
1IyE. for the cantonment at Des
E Moines early in September
are having great llme'
their spokesman, Edward H. Hartrick'
asserts in letter to The Gate Clty.
"You can tell the boys who are
coming that they won't regret that
they have a chance to serve their
country for everything is as nice
here as in everyday life" he writes.
The letter follows:
CAMP DODGE, Iowa, Sept. l5.--Io
The Daily Gate City: :,
Just to let you know we are all
alive for although we had shot IN
the arm, we all revived from the Ell
feet.
I think we are the luckiest punch
up here By that l mean tnat most
of us are together, only three OF INC
bunch were taken from US. Jonn
owen Is in the engineer corps, WIN
Ingram in the medical corps, Cnas.
Griffin in the mounted police, Majors
DUBOIS, Miller and myself IN tne
supply company for the 359th r; "A.
artillery, and Westerhoff, Walsh,
TJrtt and Sutherland in the batteries
of the same regiment. Also WIN
Franks is in the supply company.
This is surely a wonderful place
and we all are enjoying it even II we
have to work hard. We have Wet
nesday and Saturday afternoons OIL
and all day Sunday. and can go 10
Des Moines every night Il we wish
to. That is pretty soft, don't you
think?
There is too much to write about
so rather than take up all your
time at once we will write you 1T
tie later when we get settled down
for good, and try to give you an
idea what a wonderful place this Is.
You can tell the boys who are COM
| ing that they won't regret that they
have chance to serve their country,
| for everything is as nice here as IN
everyday life.
The only difference is /. that the
| BOYS have not their mother to wash
their clothes and get them up in the
morning and see that they have their
hair combed straight; and carry all
of their troubles to her to help them
out You learn to be man and how
to take care of yourself.
The Y. NJ G.. A. is certainly doing
it's share in. this great struggle. 1t
makes us all feel at home, furnishes
our stationary and everything to
make life pleasant for those who get
lonesome, and that Is every one of US.
We get The Daily Gate City from
home so we keep up with the news
pretty well, but if some Of you would
take an evening off and write the
bunch, they surely would be tickled
to death.
Before I forget, we all want to
thank the ladies who put up our
lunch boxes the morning we left.
Believe me, we certainly all thought
a whole lot Of the ladies who were so
kind to think of us.
Starting next week we will have
review parade once a week and each
company is anxious. to make the best
appearance, and as we all had about
the same amount Of training, we are
about classed the same, so no one
has 1t on the other. So watch what
the Keokuk boys do.
Before / close | want to write you
a parody which Is sung to the tune
Of ITS a Long Ways to Tipperary:"
It's long ways to Germany,
It's long ways to go.
It's hard thing to whip the kaiser,
The allies all know;
Goodby little Italy,
So long England, too.
There is but one flag can whip the
kaiser,
And that is the red, white and blue.
With best wishes from the whole
bunch, we remain,
Your friends,
BY e. HARTRICK.
Our address, Supply Co., 339 F. A.,
Camp Dodge, Iowa.