St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1917-10-13
Chopin Fisher Describes
Camp and Life of
Soldiers. ID.
FORTY THOUSAND
TROOPS AT CAMP.
A City With Modern Con-
veniences and Sanitary
Provisions.

While the following IL a private
letter, We know that all news of our
soldier boys is gladly welcomed by
|'our readers, 20 we give 1t to them
in full.
Mr.. D. H. Mason, Editor The St.
Tammany Farmer, Covington, La.
Dear Mr. Mason:-Have been in
charge Of squad hauling fire wood
with q motor truck all day. Have
just gotten back and. have Q few
minutes spare time before retreat in
which to give you all an idea of our
camp life here at Ft. Oglethorpe, Ga.
We have 10000 here In camp. but
the camp is sub-div!ded into smaller
camps. 1--WE are 5000 of the medi-
cal officers training camp.) Each
branch of the service has their indi-
vidual parade grounds, Y. NJ. C. A..
buildings, camp store or canteen as
it is called, besides chapel, post
Office and everything THAT goes to
make an up-to-date army camp.
There are fourteen Y. NJ. C. AS. here
and no charges for anything except
stamps, the paper, etc., being fur
nished free. A free moving picture
is shown each night, besides vaude-
vile sketches and local talent per-
forming-some of which. by the way,
Is great.
Our Base Hospital Unit is quarter
a platform, and the scenery is great
from here. Eagle Rock and Lookout
mountains tower above US on one
side and the back of Chicamaugua
Park stretches away over ridges on
the other.
We are up at $40, eat at 6, clean
up camp from 6:45 to 1880, and then
comes drill for three hours-which
is no joke on these rocky hills. You
don't notice the hills after a month
drilling on them. We then go to
school, which consists of lectures
and Quizes covering out various hos
pital duties as they will be in France.
Two hours q day schooling, six hours
drill and our days work is over.
When night comes and taps sound at
$3.50 you can hear q pin drop In
camp for each one 10 so tried cot
covered with q sack of hay feels
good
The weather here 10 great but as
cold a. forty" ut $3.50 Q. m, but
thirty minutes setting-up exercise
each morning makes you as fit as a
fiddle. -.
Our food is regular army fare OF
beans and more beans, but we are
all gaining weight on It, getting hard
as nails and an bronzed az Cuban.
Ralph Menetre and myself have each
gained from II to IA pounds in our
month here in this wonderful noun
tain air.
have been made first sergeant, so
have quite a number Of men under
me- Ralph has been made a cor
poral, and both Of Us are working
over time to keep our appointments.
Just how long we will (be here no
one can say, but as long a. here ana
in France my folks have been asked
to forwad The Farmer each week
to me, for receiving letters and
papers are some of our greatest
pleasures here in camp.
Mr.. and Mrs. Geo. Menetre and
Miss Grace Menetre were here last
weekend. We were delighted to
see home forks once again. We took
in Chattanooga and Lookout Noun
tain by auto. besides various other
points of interest.
The first call for retreat is sound
ing (4:4O. and days work overl
then comes mess at five, 50 much
close. (Retreat is when Old Glory
is taken DOWN..
Here's hoping this will find you
and St. Tammany as fine as ever. and
! asking to be remembered to Mr.
Goodwin, / am,
Yours very truly