Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1918-06-19
NAVAL LETTER.
Regular Routine at Naval Sta
ton. Bevy of Edgeheld
Boys Both Well and
Happy.

The following intensely interest
ing letter was, written by Mr.. Rains
ford Cantelou to his mother. 1t will
be recalled that he volunteered about
month ago for service in the navy.
Charleston, S. c.,
June II, 1918,
U. S. Naval Hospital.
Ward B.
Dear Mother,
I have been busy lately as we have
started to school and 1 haven't had a
chance to write.
l will give you an outline of what
am doing now, so that you will see
that l am kept pretty busy. We get
UP every morning at $50 and lights
must out at ten o'clock. We have set
ting up exercises every morning
from 80 to 7 o'clock and then we
report to our wards for duty until
breakfast. After breakfast we drill
for an hour. We have about seventy
five boys to drill, and am in charge
of one platoon. We have the drill
just as they have in the Army and
we also have another drill called Let
ter Drill In this drill we use stretch
ers. After drill is over we go to school
and get out at four o'clock. We have
one hour for dinner, and ward du-
ties from twelve to one. We go to
school in large tent and have nice
benches but it is pretty warm in the
middle of the day.
We go to school every day except
Saturday, and have wished that I
was in school then many times. We
have general inspection every Satur-
day. There is not particle of dust
to be found and the whole yard is,
even raked over. On Sunday morn
ingsS@g have one subject, clerical
rkfTom nine to twelve. Every
daNS we have lectures on anatomy,
ply siolpgy. hygiene, sanitation, Diet.
eticsS, lrsing, pharmacy, chemistry,
:fmatsrfa niedica and texicologg. We
have to take notes and every night
we have to write them up very neat
ly in large note book. If I had not
studied pharmacy and chemistry l
believe l would be discouraged, but
think the course is fine and l like
it better every day. This is splen-
did course for anyone who wishes to
study medicine, and l am surely go
ing to take up that study if l am not
too old when l get out. {:
After school we report to our
wards and stay until six-thirty or sew
en- o'clock, and often even later than
that. We have only until ten o'clock
to write up our notes, to do all our
studying for the next day, and to
do all our writing and washing for
the next day. have dropped one of
my duties-taking in washing-and
am having it done, as I could not pos
sibly do it and keep up with my work.
have had several details since l
have been in the Navy. At first I
was put to cleaning up the dispen-
sary then I was put in the prescrip-
ton department where I stayed un-
til I was transferred to the hospital.
NV second detail was taking temper
atures, pulse and respiration. My
third, and very much enjoyed detail,
was staying in the diet kitchen, where
looked after the diets for the pa
tients, and I could get anything I
wanted to eat. have intended weigh
ing since coming out but l have not
had a chance. The last one, and the
one / am on now, is looking after
part of the ward.
was sitting in class Sunday morn
ing and happened to look around and
saw DeLoach Warren coming in,
but I could not speak to him; IN
few minutes we heard bell ring long
followed by two short strokes and
every boy jumped up and left the
teacher standing in the middle OF the
floor as we knew it was for fire. Ev-
ery one ran to the administration
building and caught the fire carts,
and we were at the place with every
thing ready and standing at atten-
tion in three minutes but we were
criticised for taking so long to go
Just about three hundred yards and
to get everything fixed. After all, it
was no fire but just fire drill.
We stay in nice large tents now
with nice floor and a good bed.
Platt Brunson hasa tent next to
mine and see HIM severy day. 1 al
ways give him the Edgefield papers
when I finish reading them. I also