The Washington herald., 1917-07-19

prepared the National Guard encamp-
ment for the early receipt Of troops
at Annistoh, Ala.
This is really all that a trip consum-
ing many hours showed TO the eye.
The rest must be learned from MAI.
Proctor who carries a tremendous
amount Of detail in his head. Nobody
else about the camps seems to know
anything but his own small duty and
is loath to talk about that.
The Major Always on Job.
Maj. Proctor, who before the war
was skilled in civil engineering. is
hard to find. He travsls a hundred
fits about the camp giving directions
and putting new work under way.
One Of the reasons why he is so
difficult to locate is that he Is utterly
different from the usual commissioned
officer, in that he wears no distin-
gushing marks. When he is about
directing his field work. he is hat
less, with a mop of hair flying in dis
order in the wind. He wears an old
service suit OF khaki, with shirt open
at the neck, pencil behind ear, mem
orandum pad in pocket and a pair of
muddy leather puttees encasing his
ankles.
The great stress Of work has not
robbed him Of a sunny smile, and a
ready laugh, and he Is 50 in love with
this work that he Is willing to talk
about it. Let him tell in his own way
some of the big features of encamp-
ment:
This is by far the largest encamp-
nlent scheduled. You see in addi-
ton to the other branches OF service
who will be here we have to ac-
commodate aviation eventually. which
means a great deal of ground. our
plan is divided roughly in three Sec
tions.
The first section, which is virtual
ly a square lying along the electric
railway tracks and touching Admiral
at a point, contains 1000 acres. Upon
this all of the buildings will be erect
ed for sleeping, eating and other
necessities.
The second section Is the drill
ground. This contains about 400 more
acres, and also Is almost square. ly-
ing across the railroad tracks. This
is not to be touched 1t Is to be left
in its virgin condition and will be
utilized for maneuvering of infantry
and artillery.
In its natural conditions with trees,
roads. fences. houses and elevations
1T makes ideal country over which
to train ,smen. Trench warfare and
other tactics will be illustrated. In
this section We have not asked the
farmers to move. Those who want to
do so may stay. as we shall not dis
turb their homes and farms.
Families Ordered Out.
In the first section we have ordered
all families to move. This means
that less than half a hundred frame
houses with all their other buildings
will be destroyed.
We paid the farmers a rental of
$50 an acre for the use OF their farms
for the first year and $3.50 a year
thereafter, though they are not likely
tn be used more than a year. When
ever a home had to be razed, visit
ed the place with two others desig-
mated by the government regulations
and set fair value upon the property
The third section, which lies across
the Patuxent River. is for the horse
depot. where the thousands of horses
will be quartered. I have just re-
quested the War Department to give
me permission to utilize part of the
drill ground for the horses and then
it will not be necessary to send them
across the river.
One thing is worth noting. That is
that we shall have an adequate sup
ply of the finest kind of drinking
water. We are sinking artesian wells
and we shall also tap the Patuxent
River for our water. We are start
ing construction of four huge reser-
voirs. each to hold 10000 gallons of
water. This will be ample for all
needs.
Our plan of barracks contemplates
two-story buildings, each about 43 feet
wide by 100 feet long. They are mod
eled so that each has its own mess
and kitchen attached though not with
in the same sleeping building.
The complete work is being done
by Smith, Hauser & McIsaac, a big
New York firm, which has sublet
certain portions of the work. The
workmen are living here, in most
cases, though some OF the carpenters
and skilled men are going back and
forth from Baltimore daily.
Two big camps have been construct
ed for the laborers and they have
been working satisfactorily. We only
hada bit Of trouble yesterday when
thirty men started rioting against the
employment of colored workmen, but
we gave them a salutary example of
the way we intend to handle any in
fractions of rules OF law and order,
we called out Company B Engineers
and some of the Philadelphia motor
trucks and hustled them into trains
pound Tor Baltimore with orders never
to return.
At Work on Railroad.
We have begun the enlargement of
our railroad facilities in anticipation
OF the rush Of supplies and we shall
soon have the railroad tracks run
ning right into the camp. When
complete the buildings will resemble
a huge horseshoe, miles around with
railroads and fine roads OF macadam
and gravel interspersed throughout.
1t may be a tremendous task, but 1t
VIII be complete before the last Phila-
delphian and Southern Pennsylvania
is enrolled here.
What Maj. Proctor said about the
purchase Of the land is easily sub
stantiated by the farmers hereabouts,
but many of them are bewailing the
fact that they must move. ]. w. Dia-
mond, farmer living close to Admiral
and owning 1S4 acres. said that he and
others were giving up their farms at
a great sacrifice.
Most Of the farms here are yield
ing from $50 to $3.50 an acre" he said,
at the lowest estimate that makes
at least 5000 for a hundred-acre farm,
whereas the government is merely
giving us 5000 rental for the same
a.. i.