Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1917-11-08
Co. T, LOT Engineers.
Camp Macarthur, Tex.

w. A. Hayes, Barabo0, Mr.. Hayes be-
ing superintendent of the Madison di'
vision of the Chicago & Northwestern
| The young soldier was born in Bara-
boo and graduated last June from the
high school in Milwaukee. The next
day he volunteered and joined troop c
Wisconsin cavalry. The Letter is writ
i ten to Charles A. V. AXen, master me-
chanic Of the Chicago & Northwestern
shops, Baraboo, and in part says:
My Dear Friend Mr.. Axen:
Your most welcome letter received
some time ago, but is was impossible
for me to answer before, because I
have been lying in bed in the base
hospital recovering from an operation.
This Old army life sure is a great
game Almost in a day our whole army
was changed To combat with Prus-
sian autocracy we have discarded all
the old formalities and have started
to form what viii be the greatest
fighting machine in the worl..
Today each man is here-why? To
fight-and we will get the chance
don't worry about it. The army is
becoming more and more efficient. No
political gold cords are being handed
out. II you deliver the goods you
get the j0b--if you can't, they don't
want you. The man tha& does the
least work isn't the best soldier any
more
The government has given US all a
chance to come to good training camps
before being sent across "the pond"
Here they acquaint as with what we
will need TO protect ourselves in Eu-
rope. 1t is hard WORK and some of
the fellows are getting it rubbed into
them, but some day, at some supreme
moment, we may need just this train
ing. IF we have absorbed it in the
training camp we will thank our stars
we did If we didn't, and it is our
fault if we don't, we will just be out
of luck, that's all. The other fellow
will get us and we'll be material for
1.-THE Order of the Purple Cross"
Our camp here is much different
than our camp at Douglas. We now
have floors in our tents which makes
it much more comfortable for us. It
almost seems like a little clubrOOm.
The next step will be to put wooden
sides on the tents, then we will be
fitted out fine Now we can keep our
belongings" much cleaner than be-
fore we had floors. The gumbo is ex-
tremely dirty and sticky and gets in
to everything that isn't covered.
The construction of Camp MacAr-
thur will be completed November 1.
The material alone has cost $1,750,-
600. The labor has cost $750,000. The
last work will be the installing of a
heating system in the base hospital.
There will not be a general heating
plant, but hot air heating systems
will be installed in each of the build
ings.
After the camp is completed they
are going to begin work on an avia-
ton field and an artillery range. The
range will be two miles square and
will have accommodations for a COM
plete regiment Of artillery.
Camp Macarthur is situated on a.
tract Of land, slightly elevated, and
about a mile from the city limits of
Waco. We certainly have fine loca-
ton and plenty of room. The civil
ians Of Waco come out to the reserva-
ton to the band concerts and other
The soldiers are al
lowed to go to Waco to enjoy the the
aters and other civilian entertainment.
Waco would probably not appeal to
the average visitor as a typical res
ervation town. The time when you
used to see men in uniform lying
around in an intoxicated condition is
a thing of the past. By doing away
with the sale Of liquor to soldiers, the
government has put proud, self-re-
specting and patriotic, instead OF
disorderly, disconnected, class Of men
in the uniform of the United States.
The people of Waco are of the
BILE and sociable. If possible, they
treat the soldiers better than the peo-I
pie of their own state treated them.
They are continually holding enter
tainments and events of interest to
make the life of the soldier as COM
Portable as possible.
The civilians Of Waco don't appear
to be of the hardy, healthy nature
that the boys of the north show. They
haven't the weather-seasoned look Of
the soldier.
We get up much sooner before
breakfast" than we did at Camp Doug
las. Our drill is very much different
than it was up north. We have first
call at $50 and "reveille" at 5:45.
Morning mess from to $3.50. Police,
which consists. of cleaning up the
ground, until z. We then have in
structions and drill until 1880. Ere
CALI is blown at 1899 and mess at
IL. First call is blown at 1885 and
assembly at ! O'Clock. We drill then
until 4.30. have mess at $50 and