The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1917-12-12
CAMP LEE WEST V|RC|N|ANS ARE
KEEN To SPEND XMAS At HOME

In n letter to a friend here Claude
t. Ronar. Of Battery c. %l4th Field Ar
,ilIrry. II former Wheeling newspaper
:nan, writes a. follows:
The CHIEF topic of interest among the
West Virginia ur;illcrymcn " the l0"th
l'lnld Artillery Brigade just now Is
holiday furlouEhS." How the boys did
cheer up when It was announced to
,hrtr officially early this week that the
captain Of zach battery may, the or
der ssys grant furlouE chs 10 all of the
men Of their commands during inc
period OF Dec $3.50 inclusive. The tone
OF the official announcement Indicated
clearly. however. that the granting or
christmas leaves would h" conditioned
on tho good record OF each Individual
enlisted men. and there Is n merry race
on to SEQ whose record can be the best.
Isut let IL be said right here that the
records Of the West Virginia boys don't
need much touching up. y colonel or
his brigade told Governor Cnrnwen on
the occasion of his recent visit Ia. Camp
Lee that guard house for a r"Gi-
mcnt ~ West Virginia boys is almost
absolutely unnecessary.
writing home to Dad for money to
go home on IL n popular occupation
during spare moments just ut present
No enlisted man. under the regulations
laid down. can hc permitted to leave on
u Christmas pass unttF1 he exhibits 10
the commanding officer OF his orE'Iniza-
non n return ticket for the destination
al which III" soldier indicates he intends
20 spend his furlouSh.
Maybe some Of the fathers Of these
boys down here. upon receiving letters
asking FOR transportation funds VIII
wnnd"r> what their SOILS nrc doing with
AL their money. Well. here is tho sit
liatiun Some made fairly heavy nllot-
mems to assist In the support Of fam
lilies at home. Thnn, IN the first stage
Of tho second liberty loan campaign,
when Il was seen that the response 10
Tho appeal OF the Liberty loan Was drag
cling. an appeal was made co the boys
uf the National army to contribute Of
their earnings TO purchase these bonds.
In addition to the Sacrifices the boys
had already laid upon tn" altar of
worldwide freedom. So many Of tho
soldiers purchased heavily of the Lib
"rty bonds. ailoting in many instances
half. OF their monthly pny--in some in
stances morc~-to pay for the bonds. SO
they can't say" enough out Of their pays
IL purchase theft transportation home
md hack. II is th"ir last chance. per-
hapS. Ia go HON" h,,'ur" III" wnr IL over.
So they arc making IN" appeal for this
last chance 10 see their loved ONES bib
fore they cross the ocean To 20 into
the conflict. And floods OF kilograms
and letters promising the money are
coming back from home.
1t seems almost Impossible that one
half.of the boys Of the S0lh division can
3 t:ct away from Camp Lee at one time.
With twenty thousand mon going. ont
in. ono day. the railroads. mcaGcr as
their facilities arc here would literally
no swarnp"d. So 1t seems rather prob
able that part of the boys of each or
ganization may go each day during the
, f,urlnuEh period. Zach soldier Will DO
allowed five days lca"" Of ahScucc.
Since il requires Il iull day to make
the trip each WAY. the Wheeling dis
lr:t boys will have but thru days ut
home. but even so short II. stay means
everything tn tht>.l NJ this time.
y ma inrily, OF thu Wheeling boys Of
tn" 3ltJI field artillery have been pro-
divided wiki warm Sweaters. through tho
efforts Of Mrs. Frank schmidt ami Mrs.
Loo Welt Of Wheeling. and other Indies
Of Wheeling who have taken il upon
themselves To see that this comfort Is
provided for the boys. \ number Of tho
soldiers of tlI" regiment wer" prov idcd
with sweaters by personal friends vino
knitted them and mailed them t" their
friends here. Nothing H. more npnrr-
Ciatcd than ono at those sweaters on
cool mornings and in the evenings when,
The boys arc sitting around in their
quarters.
| wish you could Sp"ud n week down
hero. seeing IN" Wonderful sights i'll
Camp Lee. YOU have read So much of
TIA" wonderful entertainments and ar
tillrry rmplIr"m"uIS. and II would pro-
vide you with hours full Of interest