Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1917-08-16
CAMP FORD.C.DRAE:T
SOON TO Be READY
Work Is Being Rushed on The
Cantonment at Peters, e
burg, Va. Y
45,O 900 MEN TO GO THERE

Camp Lee. at Petersburg. Va. where
the District of Columbia quota of the
National Army Ni1l go into camp with
troops from Virginia. Maryland. New
Jersey and Delaware. will be ready to
house and train for service abroad its
allotment of $4,000 men after Septem-
Der ]. This assurance comes from ma
f. X. Coe United States Army Re
serve. instructing quartermaster in
charge of the big cantonment. There
are now 1900 men. many OF whom
work overtime. throwing up with All
possible speed the barracks and other
buildings. nearly 1900 of which are
needed to make wooden city capable
of providing necessary protection and
comfort TO the draft army.
Midway between Petersburg and
Hopewell. the cantonment occupies n
site on high elevation. Much of the
land has already been cleared to make
way for the buildings, and that Por-
ton now covered with woods and un-
derbrush VIII he cleared after the ar
rival of the soldiers.
Work on refnount station 10 be To-
Gated adjoining the cantonment VIII
not be undertaken until after the cam
Torment is in operation.
In Form of Horseshoe.
In the form of a huge horseshoe. the
barracks of standardized type are being
built. each designated to accommodate
one company of infantry or one bat
terry of artillery or one unit Of any
branch of the service. Many of the
buildings have been finished and are.
now ready for Occupancy. but no troops
will be sent there for training until
the entire camp has been finished.
There is now one company of en-
gineers recently ordered there from
New Jersey, on DUTY at the camp.
is about 30 per cent completed. and say
there is no indication that there will
be any delay in having every detail
finished for the reception OF tne Ma
lation of water and sewerage systems is
nearly completed. whfie the electric
light equipment is placed in each bufid-
ing as fast as the carpenters move out.
The camp will not have its own eiec-
trio plant, but will receive current
from Petersburg. three and hair miles
away
Cars of the Petersburg and Appomaf-
tox railway pass within walking dis
lance Of the camp, but a new line from
Petersburg direct to the government
reservation is now in the course OF con
etruction. and il is expected that ~
viii be in operation when the canton
meat opens or very soon thereafter.
Miles of Track in Camp.
Within the camp there are now seven
miles of trackage. which is constantly
being extended By the Norfolk and
Western railway in order TO handle the
enormous quantities OF building mate
rails which are arriving daily
Within the rough semf-circle OF
buildings is huge drill GROUND. ana
flung out afield from each of the or
ga animation squares resembling a csty
block, which house a regiment or some
other tactical unit, are great fields that
are to be used for drill purposes ana
maneuyers. including trench training
re
in abundance for the citizen soldiers
! called to the nations defense y NJ
| C. A. and knights OF COLUMBUS recres-
ton halls anA rest rooms are now
ready and VIII be in charge OF trained
secretaries. There will also be attn
letic fields Of all sorts. Outside the
limits of the camp the citizens OF
Petersburg have organized to provids
and to make them welcome In their
| homes
Petersburg Progressive City.
When the District soldiers reach
Petersburg they will not want for to-
bacce, because Petersburg IL in a dis
trict which has for many years pro-
duced immense quantities. IL manu-
factures annually more than six million
| pounds of plug ard twist tobacco Three
| billion cigarettes wSre MADE IN Peters-
burg last year. Petersburg cures.
pounds of Cuban and Porto Rican to-
bacco annually. 1t manufactures about
TWENTY-FIVE million cigars each year
The city's tobacco industries employ
about $500 persons
petersburg is a city which has UNDER
taken to improve natural advantages. In
order that the large industries upon which
the prosperity of the city is builded might
thrive the control and ownership has been
/ held by native citizens OF Petersburg
Petersburg takes pride in her health
record and no pains are spared or expense
begrudged when the health of her citi-
zens is at stake. For example. when
large factory was recently estaolishea tne
city made extensive appropriations Tor
ma yements in the vicinity in order TO pro-
vide proper facilities for young women and
girls at the factory
Petersburg's initial development was due
in large measure to her resources of lunl-
ber tobacco and peanuts, and the fndus-
tries which grew up around these harrests
have attracted an abundant supply OF Ia
Dor skilled in these particular lines
Petersburg has three trunk lines of rail-
road and deep-water transportation TO the
Atlantic; vessels plying directly from
the port OF Norfolk. She has daily steam
boat and hourly trolley communication
with Richmond There are four banks
with total RESOURCES OF Ss,65e.545.52.
! City Is Well Managed.
+ Sound principles of convervatism mark
the management OF the citys finances,
and as a result the tax rate WAS reduced
some years back from sl.6o to Lao per
500: 5000, 900 of municipal bonds recently
maturing have been paid. and IN aoditlon
the city has been able TO make liberal APP
propriations for various municipal I'M
provements. Within the last few years
$3.50 600 have been expended for new
school building and $780, oo additional Will
ke spent during the current year.
Shtrr