The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1917-06-06
A DAYS WORK ".
. BEFORE SEVEN
Men At Ft. Smelling Up And Doing,
While Rest Of World Sleeps
Peacefully.
ALL GET UP At SAME HOUR
Are Acquiring sturdiness Of Body
keenness Of Appetite, Clearness
of Eve and Good Habits

Of Eve and Good Habits
Hugo Boettger, who is in training
Mt the camp at Ft. Smelling, Minn., has
sent the Review an interesting article
which appeared in a st. Paul publ
cation. dealing with the work at the
camp, which will be of interest to the
parents and friends of the young men
from Denison who are there. The ar
ticle follows: Z.
TT. Smelling, Mimi, May 22. 1917.
A man with unmistakable signs or
professional training and wearing
clothes of military tendency liked
along the dusty road in company with
one hundred and fifty.odd others SIM
ilarly marked until they stopped to-
pether at one of the fort barracks
about a week ago. He took OFF his
peaked hat, mOpped his brow win
handkerchief and emitted soul-felt
"Whew!" he said. Il did three days
work this forenoon and hope dinner
is ready"
Dinner? Forenoon" scoffcd the
companion. "Why, the day has JUST
begun. It's only half past ten and
there'll be no dinner for two hours
And thus hundreds of men who had
been lawyers, bank employees or men
of other leisurely walks in life and
who had been accustomed to reaching
the office at 9 a.. III. after a late bfeaK-
fast of dainty things. found themselves
tired, ravenously hungry and almost
completely done for physically at
1890 a. nj. after five hours OF activity
with two hours yet to so before there
was any chance to eat. wash up or lie
down. It was one OF the early DAYS
of the Resolve Officers Training Camp
at Fort Smelling, which opened week
ago Monday.
This Is the Life.
II any OF the $500 men between Il
and "A years who were accepted for
the camp fail to obtain commissions
in Uncle Sans fighting forces at the
,4y.y.iose t,f the three month tour. at@least
they viii have acquired sturdiness
Of body, keenness OF appetite, clear
ness Of eve. correctness OF habit and
every other desirable thing that goes
with and follows clean living, proper
hours, careful and bountiful nurture
and abundance OF exercise.
But most of those admitted did not
need extended upbuilding; they were
n picked lot before they entered and
the course laid down for them had not
been pursued far before their natura
yigor had responded to the heroic
treatment of the United States army
regime and all but few toed the
mark every day like the good solalers
and officers they are striving 10 De
come.
More Coming
Looking back over the first weel
here at the camp it has been marc
life but comparing the program or ina
neriod with what is to follow. the IN
tiuence of some staying, gentle hant
is to be seen. The men may have
thought they were receiving prett!
stiff treatment but it is as nothing be
side what is In store. Rough and gruf
army officers might have laid dow
more rigorous curriculum, but TN
daily routine called for moderate DC
ginning. increasing daily until nothing
will stop it except the end OF tne term
Daily newspaper readers are NOR
or less, familiar with what mas Dee'
going on at the camp. but | am goin
to give more OF the intimate details o
the otIieer;students daily routine tha'
'' n reporter Ordinarily would have Of
portunity to pick up-that is. so Ia
as the Fourth company Is concerned
The routine is not precisely the sam
for all companies, except that the en-
sought by each is the same. Certal
differences exist in rules and methods
For instance we have been lnstructe
that we must not wear civilian clothe
N,s1 Nt
ever we may be. while certain othe
companies have been told that civilia
clothes may be worn OIL the lort II
serve, although not at the POST.
That is only one instance. Their
also are differences of mess. but !
the main the rules are Identical.
Get Up at the Same Time
On certain things they agree pc
fectly The men get torn out OF pe
at the same cruel hour or the msi
q refuse to call it morningl an
clamp the lid on waking activities 1u:
when they are getting interesting.
we live for, the sole purpose of OF
existence, is that we may be able
move 'our feet. hold our heads an
handle our guns with a certain pr
cisfoii,, and all else in the world ma
ters not at all.
In tile face of knowledge that nea
" all the men here are college ST
dents or men in the professions, thel
is a strong suspicion that there are
number of milkmen among thei
Rising time at daybreak is sufficient
early to discourage the average perse
from further efforts toward aiding Il
country in the capacity of an ottic'
in the army, but there are always
certain number who vie with the blr'
to see who stirs first in the mornln
There is no need of being. in line
front OF barracks before 5:15 a, n
but long before 5 o'clock these restle
ones are about, and one after anoth
others are awakened, to sleep no mo
\ (till next conference period, al
presently each room is astir Witllo
\ aid of bugle or laundering sergsaI
Hard drills and repeated marches ha
made no difference with these ear
risers nor have the threats OF tn