The Mankato free press., 1918-07-05


enlisted, I'd do it again in minute
but believe me / would know for sure
that / was going into regiment that
would see some fighting.
How's everything? For the love of
Mike write letter once in a while.
1t don't have to be a book and l
won't be offended if you write it in
pencil. You'll notice the pencils came
all right. Thanks again. l wonder if
I'll over be able to say "your well
come" instead of thanks" I hope
so. Pm starving for some news.
How's old E. X. l.? Remember me to
all the fellows. and the girls of course.
Please write if you can possibly find
time. Good luck
j. A. VanBogart has received the
following letter from Gust Weller,
who was with the last contingent of
selected men that went to Carp
Grant, Ill:
'It is raining here how, and we are
in our barracks so we have quite a
little time to write. l wish I could
tell you all I've seen and how like it
here, but it would take all afternoon
when we first arrived here we
were given our mess kits, consisting
of a dish with cover and handle
like frying pan, knife, fork, big ta-
BILE spoon, and cup for our coffee
That night we were all measured for
our uniforms. We also got two heavy
blankets and a bed tick. Then they
came with those big army trucks
loaded with baled straw, and threw
the bales on the ground. About 100
| fellows went out and tried to fill
their bed ticks all at the same time
some fun. We sure got some nice
springy cots. I know, as l slept like
a log on mine last night, This morn
| ing we got our first shower bath,
about 20 at a time, and 180 waiting
some fun, nice cold water right
out of the supply tank. Then we
marched about two miles to where
we were examined. They examined
1000 new men this morning. About
twelve different doctors looked us
over The last thing you get is vac
cination, and a shot in the arm that
feels as if big mosquito bit you. Two
or three fellows tainted from being
scared.
There were eleven or twelve re-
Jected from Blue Earth county, and
five from Olmstead county; seven
teen out of 200 in our barracks were
rejected. I passed y. K, and so did
AL Davis. When we came back to
mess we did justice to it; potatoes
and gravy, beef roast, and it wasn't
from an eight or ten year old calf
either; peas, nice pudding with raj
sins in, bread and butter and coffee
with real milk and sugar in it.
"We passed some of the grounds
they drill on this morning; real
trenches with sand bags on top, and
dummies like you have seen at the
show. Just think of it, 5000 acres
some CITY, We have streets here, and
each barrack has it's number, the
same as in city. Ours is 918 South
Front street, west. 1t is just like a
big circus, large automobile trucks,
ambulances, and four mule teams
hauling things back and forth all
day. The colored men do most of
the work here and are some jolly
coons.
"We just got our uniforms: 1 pair
of shoes, pairs socks, 2 pair breech-
es, shirt, hat, 1 coat, drawers,
2 shirts, pair leggins, and extra
laces. We put them on right away.
It's worth year of fellows time,
just the fun and good time of it,
which we have been having since
coming here We also got big kits to
carry everything in. / had to sew a
button on the first thing. Thanks to
the Red Cross for the needles and
thread they gave us.
Don't ever worry about me be-
cause Uncle Sam takes care of us
better than if some Of us were at
home Some of the boys clothes are
a little too small or too large, but
! they just swap back and forth until
they get fit. Mine all fit fine, but
my hat was little too large, but
am going to keep it. Will close for
1