The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1917-11-15
MANY GAMpDoDGE :
BOYS MAY ENJOY
XMASFURL0UGHS
MEN ARE LOOKING FORWARD
40 TIME WHEN THEY CAN
cOME HOME.
HAVE STARTER TRENCHsW0Rk
. - y tlslEN.,As- p -
ROBERT SWIFT WRITES INTER
ESTINGLY OF LIFE AT DEM
ING, N. Nj. @4,ta ~

IRE IS -, =
Camp Dodge, Iowa, Nov. IL. 1917.
Dear Dewey
Had birthday in the army today.
Celebrated most of the time in bed
as. the buses between here and Des
Moines were so crowded last night
that 1 never got home until reveille.
The transportation question is vex-
ing one. The, Sudden stationing of so
many men here has crippled the In
terurban company although they have
tripled the number of employees and
added equipment. They promise a
double track in the near future, but
right now they whirl you at the
dizzy rate of five miles per. hour, and
make "a dozen stops. The last train
leaves for the camp at midnight.
That's generally too early to go back
so you wait for bus and these are
always loaded to the guards, but on
a second attempt we hooked one, was
second soldier inside. but lost every
button on our overcoat hon,s being
caught with another fellow in the
jam against the door. Three things
will remedy this question, and by the
complaints they make, here, they will
follow: Double tracking, completion
of paved road, and the letting of
soldiers off on certain days. Right
now Wednesday and Saturday after
moons are holidays for ALL.
Home for Christmas! Organization
commanders, it is said, have been
granted the privilege of giving leaves
of absence and furloughs during the
period from December "a to January
1. 1t may be that part of the men
will be given a furlough for Thanks
giving and the, rest for Christmas. The
majority prefer Christmas, however.
Fifty thousand pounds of turkey have
been ordered by the government for
the soldiers Thanksgiving and mess
sergeants tips lead one to believe
that this holiday feed will be as near
Ike real Thanksgiving dinner at
home az; possible Thea the anricipa-
ton of Christmas visit Many boys
here have never been SO far away or
even away from home at all. Greet
ing their boy from the army, in a
soldiers suit on Xmas will form scenes
in many happy homes to which
words cannot do justice. Don't be
surprised if "Jim" greets you with a
clean shave, closely cropped head of
hair, shined shoes, cleaned and press
ed suit and tartarless smile. He
viii also say eyes, sir" and "No, SIR
out of sheer force of habit. This is
one Transformation you will not fail
to notice.
These are busy days at Camp Dodge
and evidently the idea is to advance
the men rs faf as possible before cold
weather sets in. The. program in
cludes lectures on gas attacks, care OF
feet and hygiene. manual of arms
guard duty, lectures of why we are at
war and bayonet fighting. It is said
a cofipl etes indoor program has been
mapped out for cold weather. Then
we hear reports of going south
Nothing is certain in the army. The
best rule is to wait for everything
and take things as the are meted
out.
Our companv spent half day doing
trench work this week. The branches
run in zie-zag and straight courses
have squad sections cut out, machine
gun turrets. dug-outs snd are eAact
duplicates Of systems in Europe. Later
when they are completed the men viii
be taught hoW tp sgo over Che top1
throw grenades and use the bayenet
At present only officers Il geins
through the drills here. Thebolds sys-
tenn of bayonetting is, obsolete, SO the
officers it is anew thing. They in turn
will impart the knowledge to the nen
who are getting a great deal of bayou
Fet work assit.is.
A new feature has been introduced
into the morning drill here. not en-
tirely new, but it is pulled more Mr..
uiariy. It is a grand feyisF 30
companies in platoons before either Y
Major General or some high UP army
official. For instance, after break
fast and reveiIle, the first sergeant
blows his whistle and you are ordered
TO "shake a:1eg," and get out in yonr
respective platoon. Squad leaders