Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1917-12-28
PRIVATE RILEY
Is A NURSE
Ladysmith Boy Tells How He
Has Risen Since Leaving
Green Bay Re-
fOrnatOry

Clarence E. Riley about the fall of
1915 was well known youth in Lady
smith He was sent to the reforma-
tory at Green Bay, escaped, was re-
capture. escaped again and enlisted in
the regular army. He is now at the
base hospital at Camp Macarthur,
Waco and writes an interesting letter
to the editor of the NewS-Budget. He
says:
Il have just finished reading one of
your papers that my folks sent me
and thought | would write you a few
lines to show how much | appreciated
reading it. You see it is quite a pleas
ure to hear from or about your ac-
qrIaintances although they are mdif-
ferent as to how | am progressing in
my new place in life. Well this isn't
telling you anything of my past his
tory since the 18th of November, 1915,
my debut at Green Bay refOrmatOry.
You see | didn't like the way that
place was run so naturally | made
my diSpleaSure noted by diSObeying
all rules and regulations. In the 10
months that | was favOring them with
my presence. | was i'll the guard house
t mOnthS-nOt all at once of course
and lived on bread and water. The
first time | tried to take my departure
was Dec. Is. 1916. but the attempt was
fruitleSS and the result WaS-I spent
Il days on diet of bread and water,
my Christmas dinner included. /
waited for another chance and it came
Feb. 26. 1917. | was sick in the hos
pital and it was the first time during
the IL months of my compulsory So
journ that | didn't have Il male chap
erOn on my trail, consequently | got
couple of old case knives and brought
them into play on one of these num-
erOus iron barred windows and the re-
suit was | took French leave.
Il made a short trip to LadySmith
but as some of your brother citizens
didn't care for my society / moved to
Minneapolis and on the 18th day of
Nav started for Seattle Wash. /
arrived there about the Dist and got
real patriotic and enlisted in the
Medical department of the L. 5. Reg.
Army | was sent to FIT. LaWtOn, that
is just ont of Seattle and is a training
station for medical men. | stayed
there until the 9th of September and
then was sent to Fit Riley, Kansas,
where we received instructions in
trench digging and in the handling of
the gas masks We were there 10
DAYS and then on the 10th of October
we were sent to Camp Macarthur to
take charge of the base hospital here
and have been here since, but as you
probably have heard we are not to
stay here much longer. We are to
leave inside of three weeks for some
place. God knows where, but of course
we have a good idea.
Il am a first class private and also
am rated as first class nurse: that
makes my pay $50 per month and | am
rated the same as corporal although
we do not consider ourselves as COR
pOralS.
Il suppose some of my former
friends would laugh to think of me as
Il nurse but just the same I'm there,
believe me.
We'll time is scarce and the hour is
late. but before closing | want to say
that l think the state of Wisconsin
would have been farther ahead if they
had let me enlist i'll the army instead
of sending me to Green Bay because ]
just love this life and will stay right
III it as long as they want me.
My best regards 10 my Old friends
and take lot for yourself. hoping TO
hear from you soon, | remain
Prvt. CLARENCE +. RILEY,
Base Hospital Corps,
Camp McArthur.
Waco Texas