Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1917-10-02
LETTER FROM SfRGT.
EMERSON HESS
Interesting News From Camp Cody,
N. M.-The Town of Deming
is Booming.

arrived in Demlng. How ul1feTent
it seems to look up the company
street now compared to what it did
then! Now the main street or Cody
avenue is like pavement and cars
speed by like in big city but when
we first arrived it was nothing but
sand
Workmen have been busy every
day getting the camp in shape and
always putting in something new.
Our bath houses are now complete
and You might know that they are
used quite often because after few
hours drill in the sun here nothing
feels any better than nice shower
bath.
The drill hours now are from to-
II a. m. and no drill at all in the
afternoon except that three days a
week school is held We understand
that after we have our full quota OF
men-25O-that we will then start
in on 16 weeks training schedule
of s hours day. This will be quite
different and will make it seem more
like last year when we were drilling
at Brownsville.
We have had one pay day and this
being the last of the month the pay
roll will be made and signed today
and we will then soon be in line for
another pay day. That is one day
when every one is happy and this
year it is just twice as much as we
got last year. Makes quite differ
ence when it comes to buying the
little things that we need.
Yesterday Sgt. Tewalt was a busy
man all day. Each man was given
towel, tooth brush and comb and it
is his work of course to see that
each man gets his share. He has
been working all morning trying to
figure what became of four or five
of the towels as he checked up that
many short. But by the time this
letter reaches home we are in hopes
that he will find them. .nd
Recently each man inaa,nA ;.
parry was given another examination
but we did not lose man, although
a few of the boys have to report at
the hospital every day for slight all
ments. There is no serious sickness
in camp at all and considering the
number of people that are here there
is a very small per cent of sickness.
We understand that we are soon
to be issued lumber to board up our
tents and this will make it much
nicer, especially when the sand
blows. About two days out OF a
week we have about an hour or so
of strong wind and the loose sand
blows in through the tent and COW
crs everything. But we are getting
used to this and now nearly every
man has pair of goggles that he
can wear when caught out in sand
storm
1t will soon be time for mail call
to blow. 1t certainly would be in
teresting to the people at home if
they could see the boys, get mail.
The men crowd around waiting for
their names to be called and when
they lose out they go back to their
tent thinking that they have lost
every friend they ever had, as moth
ing cheers us up more than nice
long letter from mother or our
friends at home.
The town of Deming is certainly
booming. Every time person gets
to town he finds a new place of bus
mess of some kind opening up. There
is perhaps fifty different places in
town where you can get glass OF
root beer or something of this kind
to satisfy your thirst.
Just recently on the 18th of this
month a large theatre opened up a
building 75x150 feet--and you have
to start to town before supper il you
expect to get seat unless you make
arrangements the night before. l
have seen line that extended from
the theatre back to the next block
waiting their turn to buy ticket.
But anything for pastime and We are
glad that we have such a place to
go to. There are five o picture
shows and they are packed full every
night with soldiers. You don't see
a dozen civilians in place of this
kind. Nothing but the boys in kahki.
New clothes have been given us
and today we are to get new shoes.
Up to now several of the fellows
were out of shoes and were unable
to drill. but from now on we will all
be fixed in good shape.