The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1917-10-12

and help in the mess hall. These wait
ers serve a week then they appoint
another set.
They have Y. M. C. A. reading
room large library building some pool
tables and swimming pools where
they give swimming lessons. We only
got couple of lessons while there as
everything was crowded for the time
They Lave shower baths and wash
rooms where one can battle and wash
clothes when time permits.
Labor day we took part in big
parade through the town of Norfolk.
The papers said about four thousand
men from the navy yard took part for
the first time that any enlisted men
were used in such a parade.
September we left Norfolk. About
six hundred of us in fourteen sleepers
a--G had two baggage coaches for our
luggage. We landed right in camp here
just in time for dinner.
They formed a regiment of six
companies of one hundred men each.
l don't know how many regiments
there are, but each regiment has a
mess halls and bungalows to accommo-
date about thousand men each. This
is new camp and everything is in
fine shape. The bungalows are large
enough to house fifty men, twenty five
il each end. The wash room is idivided
so each company has a section also
shower baths ,..
| About all we have done since we
arrived here is to wash clothes and
keep the grounds and bungalows clean.
Each one Of us had guard duty about
once week. was on yesterday from
twelve to four then last night from
twelve to four Ny turn may not come
again for two weeks. - ut.
| Some of the boys have the measles
and see have had the humps since
we got here. Two of the boys of our
bungalow are over at the sick bay
with mumps so we are in quarantine
for two weeks yet that is we can't
go over town.
| We took walk today over to the
navy yard. Saw big French ship in
the dry dock. getting repaired. think
they just got in here. There are lot,
of French sailors with this ship. A
great many of our boys went on the
ship and were treated very nicely.
Some of them got French money as
souvenirs but it was hard to under
stand their talk and hard for them to
get the American. . 1854
We that are in quarantine had Or
ders before we left camp not to go or
any of the ships. There are some of
Uncle Sans ships at the docks; also
some German interned ships.
| Two weeks ago on Sunday we were
over to the navy yard and there was
large English ship and two submar-
ines there. We went on the big ship,
but didn't ask about the others.
We have no idea how long we wiz
stay here as they talk some of send
| ing us to Cuba for the winter and
some of putting us on ships. We are
perfectly satisfied wherever they put
us. We have good place to sleep and
plenty to eat. Today for dinner we had
roast beef, brown bravy, mashed po-
tatoes, peas, celery, bread, butter, jam,
coffee and apple pie. What more could
anyone wish for? 4 gLssE
Ought to take a shower bath and
Swing my hammock so will quit for
, this time. Haven't got round to write
to all my friends but will be glad to
hear from any of them.-William E.
Musser, u. S. N. Training Camp
Regulars 4, Company 7, Section 8,
Charleston, S. C. -..
Camp Dodge, Iowa, Supply Com
pany, 351 Infantry. To The Free Press,
| Mankato, Mimi: Please change my
address from Company D, 351st In
fantry to Supply Company 351st In
fantry, Camp Dodge, Iowa. I have been
transferred and like it fine. In the sup
ply company our hours are more regu-
lar. We only have to drill about two
or three hours a day. The rest of the
time we are checking in and issuing
out clothes for the regiment. In one
| day we issued out twelve hundred
pairs of shoes. Every pair was fitted
| and tried on as in any shoe store
| There are only about 10 per cent of
the boys that have uniforms yet. The
supply company received trousers to-
| day to equip our entire regiment, so
expect we will have hard day to-
morrow issuing trousers out. There
are lots of reports about the food here.
In some companies it is much better
than in others. We always have plenty
of what we have, but the main trouble
has been in the way it was prepared.
The cooks were taken out of the COM
panies. The boys hadn't much if any
experience and it took some time to
get used to cooking such large quanti-
ties of food Glad to say they are i'm
proving and we hope to have regular
meals soon.-Sincerely, Glare V. Fow-
Ter.
| Mrs. Paul Meyer of Belgrade ave-
nue. has received an interesting let
ter from her brother, Walter, who
recently enlisted in the service, and
is now at Camp Mills, Long Island.
Expressing as it does the attitude of
a Minnesota boy who has volunteer
ed his life in defense of his country,
and his impressions gained since the
great change has come taking him
away from home and friends and his
usual pursuits, the letter will be of
Interest to many:
Dear Sister and Brother: Receiv
ed your most welcome letter today,
which | had been expecting for a few
days. / am all over the poisoning
got at Fort Smelling. l was over that
before we left. You asked how /
like this country. Give me good old
Minnesota, or any state farther west,
sooner than the state of New York
You see we are only couple of
miles from what the boys call the
h IL IL -. u