The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1917-10-10
LETCERC1Tom The
R0SSmhe SERu:SE

Earl Turner son of Mrs. w. D.
Turner, Wheatland, writes home
about as soon as he reaches Camp
Logan, Texas. He tells of the trip
and of the life in camp as he found
it-not quite ready but it will soon
be ideal" That's the spirit and just
what one would expect of a boy born
in Cass county.
Earl was graduated from the Fargo
high school with the class of 1910.
He was a senior at the Illinois Den
tai college when he Joined the 4th
ambulance corps, N. G.
1917.
Dear folks: We arrived in camp
yesterday afternoon about 2:30, un-
loaded and marched out to our camp
site in the dust. That is or 3
inches deep everywhere. It's not so
very hot now although it is summer
weather with cool nights.
We had very nice triR and a fast
one. Sunday we ran through Missis-
sippi amid cotton and cane fields
and arrived in New Orleans at in
the evening. We left at about $50.
Yesterday morning we travelled
through lower Louisiana and Texas.
mostly heavy timber country. We
saw many new things-cotton, sugar
cane, rice, Louisiana pine and hem
lock, niggers, poems, oil towns with
derTicks and huge reservoirs and
many other things l can't think Of
just now.
The camp is situated about miles
from Houston in a huge grove,
originally timber land but cleared of
underbrush with all the big trees
left, so we have plenty of big shade
trees.
The whole thing is beautifully
laid out in streets. In fact, 1t is
complete city of several thousand
men. Electric lights in all tents, mess
halls, showers, etc. Streets are named
and numbered. Headquarters divi-
sion, with infantry brigades and
regiments, artillery regiments, en-
gineers, supply trains, signal corps,
sanitary train Chats us), remount
stations (horses). I'll send map of
the camp and, of course, pictures
and many things Of interest.
or course, we are not settled yet
and won't be for possibly a week.
Tents are going up now. Our mess
halls, showers and kitchens were
ready for us. Tents here but not up.
Some of us slept in the mess halls
last night and some in the open--so,
it isn't very cold down here. VIII
have tents tonight.
There is plenty Of work to do but
no one is overworked as we have
700 men to do it.
All in all, it's the best thing I've
struck yet. This mail isn't censored
so can say that it's simply great.
DON'T believe the censor would cut
that out. We are fed excellently-
better than l could afford in civil
life. When we get settled and equip
ped completely it will be ideal. Will
have drill each day and lectures on
sanitation and first aid. After even
ing mess we are at liberty until ii
o'clock and can go anywhere or TO
town.
From Saturday noon until Monday
morning we have liberty, I'm told,
except when detailed for guard duty
or something like that.
None of us know how long we will
be here, but it will be several months.
All the units are not here yet. Every
thing will have to be thoroughly or
ganized and every man equipped
completely. That will take weeks and
weeks. and then weeks and weeks of
drills and training.
OF course, all the guard divisions
are ahead Of the drafted men and
will be ready to go before they will.
We can figure on spending most of
the winter here.
viii write often as I'll have plenty
of time. Feeling fine.
With love.
D. EARL.