Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1917-10-03

the Camp, that he have plenty of at.
fractions in Camp on Sunday in the
way OF music. Mr.. Cowper, be It
known, Ia q musician Of note himself.
At the time he became dean Of the
Drake University conservatory of mu-
sic he was rated as one Of the four
best American tenors. And az a
teacher he has not declined any in
ability.
Dean Cowper will have concerts.
s1ngfests, band music, of all sorts ey.
cry Sunday once things get started,
Every Sunday so far has had its
music.
In two or three weeks the camp
WILL have its own theatre, with a
capacity of about 1000 seats. It ia
being erected by the National Play.
grounds association. In this theatre
there will be first class plays furnish.
ed by a well known national theat.
rical agency. The best talent in the
country will be brought here to amuse
and entertain the men.
Plans are now under way to have a
well known chautauqua circuit show
In camp for week. A huge tent will
be erected for the purpose. The lead
ing attractions of this circuit will
come here and give two shows week
In this tent. The men will attend by
regiments so that during the time the
Chautauqua is in progress every man
In camp will have an opportunity to
see it.
General Plummer wants to make it
possible for the boys to remain in
camp when off duty. At present,
Town leave" is granted Wednesday
afternoon and evening, Saturday af-
ternoon and evening and Sunday. BY
this is meant that a certain number
OF men can get permission to come to
Des Moines or to go to any other SUI.
rounding town in those days.
A working man is a hungry man.
especially if he exercises in the open.
It is interesting to note the huge
quantities of food stuff required for
the 10000 or more men now in camp.
The estimate is 100000 pounds OF
fresh beef, 10000 pounds of bacon,
$4,000 pounds of onions, 100000
pounds Of flour and potatoes, butter,
syrup, coffee, rice, sugar. ETC., in like
quantity.
The aim of the quartermaster' de-
partment Is to have a months supply
always in the warehouse, another
months supply on the way and the
third months needs ordered.
The vastness of Camp Dodge cannot
be appreciated until it is seen. That
is the testimony of a we'll known
man who visited the camp
this week. He had followed the &C.
counts of the cantonment closely from
the beginning. But when he stepped
out of the automobile at headquarters,
he simply stood in amazement at the
great row Of buildings that stretches
up the Des Moines river valley as far
as the eye can see.
A recent estimate on the amount Of
lumber used in the construction work
on the camp is placed at 100000
feet. A carload of lumber is about
10000 feet. The lumber, therefore, If
placed on cars all at one time would
make IS trains Of so cars each.
The average home has about 10000
feet of lumber in its construction. It
would be possible therefore to take
the lumber used at Camp Dodge and
build city of $500 houses. If each
house was built on q fifty foot lot and
on both sides of the street, the street
would stretch for distance Of seven
teen miles.
Every opportunity is going to be
placed before the men at Camp Dodge
to advance in their new profession,
that of soldering. AS mentioned
above, the officers of the next Nation
al army will be taken from tho ranks
of the first overseas contingent.
A training school will be maintained
at Camp Dodge where ambitious cor.
porals and sergeants may study to be-
come second lieutenants and better.
At this school courses will be offered
similar to those at Fort Smelling and
other officers training camps. It will
mean study at night in textbooks that
teach tactics, school of arms, the fine
points of squad drill, etc. But the
ambitious young man, who doesn't
want to be private all his life, is
going to take this course of study.