Mexico weekly ledger., 1917-09-13
LIKES NAVY
LIFE, EVEN THE SOUP

Tie Mexlce hoys WAo recently left
for Newport + J. FOR navy training,
have had der heads shaved and are
fan 6s5ceS rockies HerSe-t Plum
kest one Of then. writes his parents,
Mr. and Mrs. J ". Planke1 that he
likes everything fine They have
scap cu1ce a cay and he 6kes H. he
SyS Following IS 4 psTt Of the let-
ea-c
Ian ses1ts and a full le5ced rookie
new I an red as a beet and peeling
off, bit haven't heen very ore We
have onty the Waite uniform here and
ne caps are very snail. 50 everybody
s AiSseul They gave Us guns the
secOaS cav ana hare worked Us hard.
They aoaS usually give them guns
For vuo weeks don't know what It
means Yesterday morning the whole
tex thousand marched 70 the parade
rrozsd and drilled in review before
he Captain It WAS quite an impress
Svs Srht-SH II white with hands
sa5 d-un oo-pS and 5 big crowd
watching. They said we did well and
gave Is shore leave and we went over
10 Newport st > o'cloSk
We an CHARTERED in long barracks
zhoat % by 50 feet, each holding a
hEs1red nes. or one company. There
are nine companies 10 = regiment, and
al the barracks an built in a row,
making streets between the regi-
nsn& Mary more barracks are be-
iag bUlt.
The mess hall is an immense thing.
They feed cafeteria style and we stand
up to eat II you don't get enough You
car 50 around and so through again.
Everyone takes bis turn in the kitchen
for three CT four days. They have
soup twice s day and It is good; cof-
fee for breakfast sni dinner, tea for
supper. Today we had for break
fast navy beans, corn bread, an
orange and coffee For dinner we had
roast beef. gravy, peas, asparagus,
boiled potatoes, light bread, coffee,
soup and a small piece Of brick ice
cream.
The daily routine is about like this:
Bagle at 5 a. m; have to jump right
up and take a shower bath, then make
up cot, shine shoes, etc. Messcalliss at
$50. Then go back to shack for mus
ter; all out for drill at 9, drilling till
1880 or 12-mess agsin-drill again
lis 10 $3.50; then free to wash
clothes, shave, etc. Have mess again
at $50; back for muster at 700; then
free until 9, but usually in bed and
asleep by $50. for the drill is hard
and the marches long.
Newport is a quaint old New Eng
land town Of about 10000; the streets
are only 20 feet wide. paved with
round e~obblestones and the houses
are built right along the sidewalks
with beautiful hedges around them.
The stores r mostly shops about 20
Zee. square. thoroughly enjoyed the
trip ashore" had a square meal, saw
a vaudeville show and did some shop
ping; but mostly eating ice cream and
sweets Of some kind, for they are
scarce out here. We march thru town
in a labor day parade for the drafted
men tomorrow.
The Y. VI. C. a. is a great thing
here and very popular with the boys.
They give entertainments, furnish
writing materials, sell you stamps,
have reading rooms and the Army and
Navy Y. NJ. C. A. down town is a big,
splendid building with the conven-
fences all free to enlisted men. 1t is
a great work and people should do
more for it.
We all marched TO church this
morning for an hours service. This
afternoo2 ! rent swimming in salt
water for the first time. / like it out
here fine, and I'm going to get some
thing out of it.