The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1917-08-02
TROOP e" PASSES MUSTER
Letter from Sergeant Bailey Reports
That Kenosha Company Was Found
Physically Fit for Service Under
Old Glory" CampIs Ideal Place

No matter how ole boy is when
he goes to war, he IS a man when he
comes back home. - This epigrammatic
statement of Kenosha man is finding
daily verifcation at Camp Douglas
where the local "boys0 are rapidly be-
coming army men, under the scien-
tifc feeding of Lieutenant-Colonel Will
liams and the systematic training of
General Boa-dman. The tearly tob bed
and early-to-rise idea SO characteristic
of military discipline is working won
ders with the Badger gardsmen and
bringing every one Of them to higher
maturity of body and mind. This ad-
mirable development under proper re-
straint is one of the, compensations of
war and is proving great con-
ISOLATION to fathers and mothers with,
boys among the Sammies.
General Boardman is deserving of
the highest commentator for his adj
mirable conception of discipline. "Sys-
tenn and order, with certain hours for
work and certain hours for play" is
the basis of all regulation at Camp
Douglas. The privates are not allowed
to leave their troop streets without
permission or to absent themselves from
camp without furlough. IL they wish
to be out after ten O'Clock they must
secure a pass or run the risk of court
action and the guardhouse. This is a
bo+ of ~ III NO faly a
and as consequence the Sammies are
living life of sufficient regularity to
guarantee efficiency and happiness.
In nothing is the development of the
local volunteers more apparent than in
their letters back home. Boys, who in
high school and college days sulked and
peeved under the Slavery of the
''one-page- theme, are writing letters
four or five pages in length and of de-
cided literary merit. In the things that
they say, too, a growing maturity Of
mind is easily discerned. Their sent
ences are surcharged with a philosophic
resignation to the rigors of war and a
grateful appreciation Of the benefits of
army life. Such communication has
recently been received by Mrs. E. E.
Bailey of this city from her son,
Sergeant L. P. Bailey Of Troop &C.
First Wisconsin Cavalry.
Perhaps the most important news to
be gathered from the sergeant 5 letter
concerns the federal examinations late
ly held at Camp Douglas. early yes
terday morning." the Sammy writes,
"the company was physically examined
'by the federal physicians. We were
all more than glad when we passed with
out any difficulty. After the examina-
tion had been completed they took
impressions of our finger prints, and in
noculated us for typhus and smallpox.
AS consequence Of the latter most Of
the boys have sore arms today. ~
The letter brings an interesting de-
scription of the environs of the camp
expressed as follows: Tuesday morn
ing before the order prohibiting alb
sence from the troop street went into
effect, Harry Metten, or better Cor
poral Metten, and climbed up to the
4
top Of the rocky ridge which at one
place is only about quarter of mile
from Camp Douglas. From this emin-
ence, which is more than a hundred
feet high, the entire camp can be seen
and it certainly makes a pretty picture.
The land in this region is level and
not sandy AS we were led to believe
from reports which came to Kenosha.
OF course, there is some sand, but it is
covered with grass and is consequently
not SO monotonous or warm as it might
otherwise be. To the east is what APP
pears to be dense forest and to the
north a low marshy country devoid of
trees. On our way back to camp Cor
poral Metten remarked, If our folks
could only see us now, they would stop