Weekly journal-miner., 1918-01-23
LIFE IN CAMP ISN'T 50
 BAD, SAYS THIS ROOKIE

\ young man who was recently sent from a nearby point in this State
 % one of the Texas camps, has writ ten of his experiences to his uncle, oIe of the prominent business men of Prescott. For number of good req sons which the young trooper re- voalcd ir his letter to his relative, he cid not wish his name mentioned in connection with the letter, and the rame of the writer of the following communication is accordingly with held. In part the youthful bugle blow CT has the following to say of army life:
 There is one fact that l want to i'm press upon you; namely, that I am TOW in the National Army, and am company bugler in the First Caisson Company, 3l5th Ammunition Train, Eorsed Section, Doth Division, locat- cd at Camp Travis.
 l do not know what my duties arc, TOT what l am supposed to do as such company bugler and am making no effort to find out as 1 have been informed by good authority, also
 nave learned same by experience, that inc less you known in the army, the better off you are in the army. So Lot knowing exactly what I am sup posed to do, spend some of my time practicirg on my bugle; and when I do not feel so disposed l spend my time in the Y. NJ. C. A. playing checkers and reading magazines I have been very diligent, however, in learning what a bugler is not sup posed to do and after very careful study have discovered:
 First: He does not have to wash dishes nor pans, scrub kitchen floors, sweep barracks, clean up around bar racks; clean stables, haul oats and hay nor feed and water horses, all of which is known as fatigue duty; and
 Second: He doesn't have to walk post on guard duty.
 l consider the time well spent in l. arning these little items and am a very strict believer in military disci plinc, viz: carrying out these little things to the very letter.
 But listen, what a cute mess I got into. When l first went to school it would have been just as easy not to have known thing about music or a buglc. I know now that I shouldn't have been able to make flss on one of the things even. was a rookie" then and instead of doing this, l started right in to show them that my father wasn't raising any fools, and what a bright little boy I was. The result was that in about two days time I found myself iii charge 0f Erglers from the 3l5th Ammu~ ton train and the l65th De- rot Brigade. It isn't hard work and I never bother my mind much about mv students, but would you believe it. I went to work and told the com candini officer of every outfit con ccrncd to send their buglcrS to school i1 the mornings. I did this, not be- cause l felt they needed the practice. but because the boys felt they didn't need their morning drill. am not working about this matter leaking cut: I am sure it will do that sooner or later. What I am worrying about s how many days it will mean on the woodpilc when it finally spills. There is only one way out, that is to l graduate the whole bunch with ! honors and bust up the school.
 By the way, I am thinking of start ing an autograph album of officers in the National Army I have trunk full of excuses for buglers' absences and tardincss, signed by different lieu tenants and captains. All I would have to do is cut off the signature and paste them in my album. wouldn't have known the boys were absent if the officers hadn't given 1t away with the written excuses.
 was speaking about knowing too much in the army; here are too good examples of it: The first one happen the second night we were in camp. Licutcnant- called for man that was good on the typewriter and l was Johnny on the spot. Naturally, T. supposed 1 was going to get out of q lot of drilling, and that l would show such a burst of speed that Cen ( cral A. would send for me to act aS his private secretary. Well drill ed every day and discovered that you could operate a typewriter in the evenings between seven and ten u clock when 1t is too dark to drill, and l am patiently waiting for Gen cral A to send for me.
 The second ofienSe happened after we had been here about ten days. They called for ten men to do some light carpenter work. My tootSics were somewhat sore and had come 10 that stage where a fellow imagincS .l,,. .,,,-tt;rcr i'm tHc Nyorld Is bettcr