Newport daily independent., 1918-08-03
Writes Interestingly of
 Camp Beduregdrd Life

On getting home Wednesday night from Camp Beauregard. 1 felt that l would like to call up every woman Tn our county who is interested in the boys there (and where is one among us that is not), and tell her some. thing of all saw and felt while there. Since to do this is impossible, am asking the Independent to give me space for little talk with the mo- thers, wives, sisters and sweethearts, whose thoughts are all with mine, try ing to follow our boys who are to- day somewhere on the road to point of authorization for lover there."
 First of all let me say wish we might every one of us catch their fine spirit, their high courage their read mess to face whatever is before them, their loyalty, their endurance, their willing helpfulness, their constant cheerfulness, for we shall need these things no less than they, in the days that are ahead of us.
 As I watched them making their preparations to leave, getting every thing in readiness to start on the shortest notice-as I saw the precis- ion with which they performed every duty; as I noticed their soldiery bearing, their animated counten- ances, their easy manner, the pleasant voice, the nameless little something that made one know they had taken their own measure and weight-that they realized their own value as men, their worth to their country, to the world, to humanity and that they would demand from valor no discount. As 1 took this in I could but think of the company that came here not quite year ago from the fields, the mills, the shops, the stores and offices, and 1 said, truly, Uncle Sam has worked wonders. z And indeed it has been nothing less than a miracle that has been accom- plished in this twelve months, not on- ly in the transformation of the men, but in the completion of the equip ment, the perfection of the military organization. Of course all this is expressed in the record of the soldier and further reflected in the record our boys are making lover there" Verify there is nothing that so regen- crates the individual and the nation as working-maintaining a great ideal How can I tell you of all l saw at Camp Beauregard? Of the cleanliness, the perfect sanitation in spite of such heat and dust as l never before experienced. We took three meals in the mess hall of Com pany c, guests of Sergeant Kirk Vaughn, whom you all know and love. And let me tell you they were meals that none of us need be asham- ed to offer guest-good food, well prepared, and plenty of it, and we ate just about as heartily as our boys. Kirk is simply fine and we can never forget him. We saw the boys file int the mess halls and file out again, and wash their kits q think that is what they call it)-wash them, scald them and put them away Our girls thought that was dandy kind of dishwashing.
 We saw them drilling with their rolls on their backs everything they were to take on a trip-saw the cor porals showing the new men how to make up their "roll" in correct form; saw the K. P's (Kitchen Police) hard at work scrubbing pots and pans and buckets (and they got all the black off tool; saw them cleaning the i company streets, putting everything ! in ship shape for moving, for when 1 Uncle Sam vacates he leaves the premises in order. Then we saw the boys with grips and suitcases packed and marked, marching to the Y. M, c. A., where they would be left until sent home. We saw the little trunks and rolls of bedding in front of the tents marked and ready for shipment, We saw gray-haired mothers, young brides, young wives with babes in their arms there to spend the last hours with them, and only once or twice did we catch glimpse of tears.
 Of the old members of Co. E not very many are left. As Captain Hurt said, wherever they had been placed they added strength and main tained the credit of the old company