The Dickinson press., 1917-10-06

sion houses to furnish the supply re-
CURED. These firms will have tc
scour the country for foodstutfs. This
additional effort in conjunction with
their regular trade will draw heavily
upon the food products of the central
west.
Much Money and Many Workmen.
When the vast undertaking is com
pletcd it will have cost the govern
ment about five million dollars. Work
began about July LIST and since that
time a daily average of $500 men has
been employed. Of this number 1900
were carpenters. Since the beginning
of the work the pay roll has been
about $25 5000 a day. 1t required
1000 cars of material and for the fur
nlshlng and equipment for the men it
required hundreds of cars additional,
All of the freight has been handled di-
rectly by the Interurban line which
put in five miles of side tracks to
make it possible to handle the bust
ness. The freight business was all
handled after the workmen had been
taken away at the close of the day.
me lnterurban company expended
$15O,0OO in additional preparation to
handle the business and is now plan
ming to double track the road leading
into Des Moines. In order to make. it
possible to get to Camp Dodge at all
seasons of the year the city of Des
Moines is expanding $1S0,000 in paw
ing Beaver avenue and the board of
supervisors of Polk county is planning
to expend $250,000 in completing the
paving from the city limits to the
grounds, something like five miles.
No Labor Troubles.
Among so many men gathered from
all parts of the country it would nat
urally be supposed that there are
some d~lsturbers and agitators present,
but such is not the case. Everything
moved along without friction. The
men realize that this is no ordinary
job. They arc working for their coun-
try. The carpenters received sixty
two and one-half cents per hour, and
II hours constitute a days work.
That makes $6.S7h per day. When
they. work Sundays and holidays they
receive double wages or $13.75. Com
mon, unskllled labor receives $685. per
day and teamsters $3.50. The work
at the Cantonment stripped Des
Moines of all available labor and this
resulted IN tlcing up most Of the i'm
provements contemplated early in the
season.. Paving contractors have
found it impossible to get the help
required and the street car company
failed to carry out the terms of its
franchise because Of the labor string
ency. Government agents from the
arsenal at Rock Island are here to Of
fer work to every available man who
will be out of a job upon the COM
plction of the work here. Private
contractors are also making vigorous
efforts to procure men.
Health and Morals of Soldiers Safe
guarded.
The government takes great care of
it's men. The first lesson given the
recruit when he makes his appearance
is how to take care Of himself. He i:
taught the value of personal cleanli-
ness. The shower bath is exalted and
his personal appearance is given
much prominence. He is told how to
eat. A good many people think they
know this already, but the average
soldier gets some expert information
along this line. He is urged not to
%over-eat, to masticate his food proper
ly and to give scrupulous attention to
regular habits. Regular hours to bed
and regular hours at rising in the
morning are a fixed principle in mill
tary circles. Meals, or mess as such
things are termed in military par
lance, L served without the varia-
ton of a minute. Every mar is vacci-
mated for typhoid fever and smallpox,
The men are taught how to take care
Of their feet. The teeth come in for
special attention and the tooth brush
is as essential as a rifle. Hospital
service is insisted upon when the
least ailment develops. The govern
ment is constructing a huge base hos
pital at the cantonment to care for
1900 patients. In addition, it has
turned Fort Des Moines, the regiment
tai army post near Des Moines into
a general hospital where some of the
leading surgeons and physicians OF
the United States will serve theil
country.
The war department gives careful
attention to the morals Of the men
1t encourages Y. M. C. A. activities
provides chaplains for each regiment
sets aside stated times for religious
services and guards with as much care
as is possible the conduct of the men
when off duty or leave Of absence,
In order to keep lewd women away
and to suppress the bootlegger Sheriff
Griffin has established an office at the
Beaver avenue entrance and also at
Herrold, on the extreme northwest
Competent deputies are stationed at
these places day and night and the
government provides a strict police
force for the camp. The department
has also delegated a number of SOL
diers for police duty in the city and
these men will give special attention
to the soldiers who are down town on
leave of absence. The city Of Des
Moines is raising a fund of $4,000
to provide amusements and entertain
ments for the men at Camp Dodge
The government urges wholesome
recreation and soldiers with dramatic.
musical or athletic ability are en-
couraged to provide "home talent
stunts.
Sanitation the Important Thing.
1t is important to note the care the
government takes in guarding the
health Of it's army. The most potent
sanitary force in the world may be
found in the army medical corps. II
was the army medical staff that ex'
PEELED the yellow fever from New Or,
leans and other southern cities. The
same force made life possible in the
Panama Canal zone and the residents
of Cuba and the Philippines r wit.
nesses to the transformation wrought
,,poo +hoco ;c1opIc A. Corr nodue