The Robesonian., 1917-09-17
STRENUOUS LIFE AT CAMP

Requirements for End Camp at Fort
Oglethorpe Are Rigid-Men IN
Training VIII No Doubt 60 to
Mr.. R. C. Birmingham, who re;
turned last week from the second
officers training camp at Fort Ogle-
thorpe, having failed, as stated IN
Mondays Robesonian, to meet the
physical requirements on the 1lnai
examination on account OF varlcose
veins, gained the impression during
the IL days he spent at the camp
that there is no doubt at all ABOUT
the men who have been and are now
being trained there going to France
for service. The idea there seems to
be that the war is far from being
over and that the United States is
going to send many troops to France
to fight before the end.
Fort Oglethorpe is IL miles from
Chattanooga, Tenn, Roswell, Ga, a
town apparently about the size OF
Lumberton, being between the camp
and Chattanooga. The camp site cov-
ers 11,OOO acres. There are now
about 5000 men in the officers train
ing camp, $500 surgeons, 10000
regulars, and $500 German prison
ers. The camp where the Germans
are held is surrounded by barbed-
wire fence which is heavily charg-
ed with electricity. Mr.. Birmingham
and Mr.. Enoch Mcconnell of Lum-
berton, while strolling about the
Sunday the former was there, got
called down sharply for venturing
upon the camp of the prisoners.
Thev saw a "No Admittance" sign
but concluded that it did not mean
men in uniform. They were not long
allowed to remain in doubt, and they
were glad to escape going to jail.
Mr.. Birmingham says it IS gener-
allv conceded that the requirements
for the second camp are twice as
rigid as for the first. No one with
a physical blemish Of any kind is
allowed to get by. Three hundred
and thirty-four men were turned
down on the day Mr.. Birmingham
failed to pass, and up to that time at
least 1000 had been turned down
Besides the Instances mentioned in
Mondays Robesonian, Mr.. Birming-
ham learned of lieutenant colonel
of the Georgia national guard, a
member of the Governors staff, who
failed to get by because he was Ia
pounds over weight. DIR. Andrews
of Rowland was sent home on ac-
count of heart trouble.
There are men in the camp from
every walk of life, some of them men
who have gained fame in their pro
fession. DR.. Mayo, famous surgeon
lis in the camp, a first lieutenant
medical corps. There are lawyers
engineers, railroad superintendents
Some of the men took their autos to
the camp, but an order was issued
while Mr.. Birmingham was there that
they would not be allowed and would
have to be taken away.
Hours are. from $40 a. m. to 1C
.. M, and strenuous hours they are
with very little time off duty. The
men are off duty from 1 p. m. Sat
urday till Monday a. m. Sunday is
a big day-pieture shows, ball games
Allowance for expenses is 3 IL
cents mile, which is sufficient tc
cover Pullman and meals on the way
to and from the camp.
Mr.. Birmingham was Impressed
with the activities he observed al
the camp and on the way. His trair
passed IA troop trains, each with l.
or IA cars loaded with troops, on the
way to and from the camp.
No two of the men who went from
Lumberton are in the same company
Mr.. Fred Townsend, who volunteers:
from Lumberton some months ago
is in the Virginia field artillery
which also is at Fort Oglethorpe.