The Clio messenger. (Clio, Mich.) 1907-current, 1917-09-28
SOLDIER LIFE At A
MOBILIZATION CAMP
FLOYD GOODFELLOW WRITES AN
OTHER INTERESTING LETTER
Tells of the Arrival of Thousands OF
Men and of Their Patriotic
Spirit
September 81, 1917.

Mr.. Chas. H. Reed, Clio. Mich:
Dear Friend-Received the paper you
sent me and I certainly enjoyed getting
the news from home. have by now
become accustomed to camp life and
find it good and healthy and am enjoy
ing it fine. Our boys are all in the best
of health and spirits and that surely
goes long way towards making things
agreeable. We were innoculated and
vaccinated Saturday morning. and in
the afternoon some of the boys devel-
oped a little fever and were quite sick.
but by Monday we all felt normal again.
We receive two more innoculations, at
about ten day intervals, which furnishes
our protection against typhoid and par
atyphoid.
Yesterday and today the drafted men
have been arriving and it certainly has
surpassed anything l have ever witness
ed or expect to. 1t has been one stream
of men after another. lasting nearly all
last night and so far tonight. Some
trains brought in hundreds and at times
ten and twelve trains would pull into the
yards at time, bringing over thous-
and men 1t gives great big feeling
of the Importance and ability of our
county and its executives to make pos
sible the mobilizing and caring for OF
such vast army of men in the length
of time it has been accomplished.
doubt if there was person present
watching the men arrive who wasn't
moved to the core. The men, as whole,
appeared to be in the best of spirits,
laughing, singing and hollering, "Our
next stop is Berlin, " "We're going to
get the Kaiser" and acting as If they
were willing to assume their new re-
sponsibility with zest and spirit.
There were certainly some big, broad
shoudered, perfect specimens of man.
hood from the mountain districts. In
one trainload doubt if there was man
who wasn't six feet tall. The prepara-
tions for receiving this army must be
seen to be even family appreciated.
Wednesday there was one string OF
trucks that brought from the freight
house to the quartermaster's store ten
thousand blankets, Our company of
one hundred and nineteen men received
our supply of clothes last week and it
was full truck load Figuring truck
load to every company of this size gives
some idea of the loads necessary for
the clothing of our new army. The
largest truck company in this camp up
to the present time is stationed in our
train. 1t consists of five hundred driy-
ers. and when the trucks are all stored
in at night it is quite a sight in itself.
The trucks are all two, three and five
ton Packards. and through the day they
are on the go continuously.
This camp is spreading out every day
in all directions. cannot even estl-
mate how many carpenters and helpers
are employed, but it is small army
in itself. A building starts in the morn
ing and the next morning when you
march by it is finished and another
started. They finish each building up
as quickly as possible, as some of the
barracks are already crowded to capa-
city. The building of the stone roads is
the same. A road was started back of
our barracks on Monday and on Wednes-
day it was finished.
The entertainment for the camp is in
the hands of the Y. M. G. A., and ev-
cry evening there is something going
on, either moving pictures, singing,
wrestling or boxing, which lasts for an
hour and a half. Most of the talent is
from the camp but very good. Last
night we had the Kentucky Girls Quar-
tette and Hawaiian Orchestra from
Louisville. Our boys all contributed
and rented piano for our barracks. so
that we have music most all of our
spare time. We have several good
players besides some fine singers. We
have already made little name for our
selves In our section because of our
equipment and general good spirits in
baseball and football as well as being
the only company from Michigan.
Wednesday night the delegation from
Michigan to the Odd Fellows conven-
ton invited us to their ball and the De-
troit crowd, numbering about three
hundred, saw that we had all the danc-.
ing We wanted. making very enjoyable
evening for US. Thursday afternoon
they visited US at our quarters, after
which we conducted them around the
camp.
1t is nearing $3.50 p. m, at which time
we must all be in bed, so will close for
this time. Thanks again for the paper,
and will look forward each week to its