Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1917-12-16

Preston Gibson.
The Croix de Guerre with two star |
citations for gallant conduct has been |
awarded by the French to Preston
Gibson, American author and society |
man, who is chief of section of the
u. S. army ambulance corps. Gibson
in the early days of the war served |
with the Horton Harjes unit
to you and make you feel that you are
in company with a gentleman who Is
endeavoring to acquaint you with all
the details. that nothing may be hid
den, and the visitors impressed with
things as they really are.
l arrived at the camp on Monday
Dec. 10, paid my respects to General
Irons, was given in charge of Major
Cummings, and conducted by him
through the camp. l was shown
everything there Is, introduced to
Lieutenant Davis and then taken out
to the drill grounds. We found there
men practicing in the art of throwing
bombs; others drilling, marching, and
we saw a typical trench, and also the
target practice and were taken into the
target trench and shown the effect of
new bullets and the whzzing thereof,
on a small scale, impressed one with
what real war would be, as you read
about
A STRENUOUS LIFE.
The men have a very strenuous life.
They are on duty from about 8 o'clock
in the morning until late in the after
noon, and on the target ground we
saw the men eating their lunches in
order to save time and not have to go
back to the mess house in the middle
of the day. Everything is action. Men
marching. going and coming, hospital
corps, road builders. sidewalk build
ers, and they expect to have, in a very
short time machine guns and field ar
! tillery and have a real, genuine. min
iature battle ground at Camp Lewis.
After inspecting the grounds. we were
taken back about IL o'clock to the
mess house, where the Idaho boys
were largely partaking of their re-
/ freshments. Myself and party sat
down with the balance of the boys and
ate out of the same field dishes and
partook of the same eatables as the
| boys did, and l am free to say that it
was as wholesome diet as | ever ate
in my life. The string beans and
meat were excellent, as good as you
can get in any first class hotel. The
bill of fare for dinner on Dec. 10, for
supper on the same day, and breakfast
on Dec. II was requested by me from
! MIR. Chandler, and 1T Is here given in
full.
THE BILL OF FARE.
Dec. 10, 1917.
DINNER.
Boiled Ham, Boiled Beef
Country Gravy.
Mashed Rutabagas. String Beans
I Apple Sauce.
Bread. Butter. Tea
Hamburger Loaf. Fried Potatoes
Stewed Hominy Grltts.
Cabbage Salad.
Stewed Figs and Apples.
, Bread. Tea.
Dec. II, 1917.
BREAKFAST.
Fried Pork. Fried Potatoes
Biscuits. Honey. Butter.
Bread. Cocoa.
IDAHO BOY IN CHARGE.
The mess house is in charge of Mel
vim Chandler Company c, S61st in
. fantry. He halls from briggs. Ida.
and is one of the faculty of the briggs
| high school. The remarkable thing in
the whole camp is that men from
every walk of life are there in the
ranks, doing their duty without grum
bling, putting all their might in order
that they may become efficient and
having but one object-to serve their
country and help win the war.
7 hn ,ice
of Lieutenant Davis that ! would be
allowed to meet the Idaho boys at 6: 80
on Monday afternoon. excepting all
those who are in quarantine for the
measles, and that afternoon I met 166
Idaho boys at the mess house, talked
to them and shook each and every
ones hand and, by the way. the boys
are all getting fat, their clothes get
ting too small for them, and there was
no preparation made for extra size
clothing. but that is now being looked
after and some of the boys have got
their clothes buttoned on them very
tight and they will have to get along
that way for several days yet. They
are all wearing the khaki uniform OF
splendid all wool cloth, most of which
is made in Oregon City. Ore.
American Lake Is in a humid at
mosphere. 1t rains there nearly every
day. The rains are warm and they
don't seem to mind the rain. I asked
them what they did when it rained
and got but one reply; DO like we
do when it doesn't rain" Rain is not
taken into consideration.
The camp has good sleeping quar-
tiers. sanitary water tanks and wash
\ basins, sewerage everywhere, and
every precaution IL taken to keep the
place as sanitary as any modern home
s. can he in any large CITY in the United