Deming graphic. (Deming, N.M.) 1903-1948, 1918-12-27
lEM!NG N SONG SERNCE
Secretary Basselt Completing Details
OF Converting ArmOry Into
BIG Civic Club

The community "sing at the armO-
ry Sunday afternoon. Demings first
experience IN that line. brought out a
biz crowd; too big. In fact, for the
seating capacity Of the hall, many per-
sons ranging themselves along the walls
andA some taking themselves to the
gallery. Although the "sing' was very
ldte getting started. most Of the crowd
stayed through the long program, In
clnding the gallery talk" by DIR. Me-
Thers0n. who took his hearers through
thc exhibit of paintings from the state
art gallery. This collection Of paint
lhgs al native New Mexican art Is
by far the largest and most compre-
llenslve ever seen In Deming. The
paintings shown Sunday viii shortly
lie replaced by others from the state
gallery, and this with be repeated tn
the whole collection at Santa Fe has
been seen here
Rocky" Rockwell, camp song lead.
er, directed the singing, and displayed
all the pep that made him famous as
Billy Sundays old song leader Ills
voice has lost none of It's foghOrn vol
ume and his exhortatlOns none OF Their
compelling strength. He started by
making everybody cheer, "just 10 gel
warmed up" Then he made the civil
lans cheer the soldiers, then the sol
diers cheered the civilians. Then ev
erybOdy eheered again. Then III
started "K-K-K-Katy," the suffering
song so popular Of late. and the kids
who evidently knew It perfectly
whOoped II up with him In great style
The four lines Of the chorus occupied
his attention for a half-hOur and By
that time everybody In the house knew
II backward and forward and across
the middle and broke into singing
at the least prOvocatiOn.
Sunday afternoons affair was thl
first Of what the war camp cOmmunI
tv service hopes TO make a permaiun
Institution In Deming. and Il promls,,
20 he all that they hope for Il, Ir'lg
lAgS Shy HunlaE's attendance. II mark
ed the first step Of that organization
turning toward civilian matters u
coordinate with those Of the camT
their new plan being to gradually Civ
their attention to civilian activltle
as the camps vanish.
The war camp community servlc
seems just to he getting into It's prOpe
stride here as the war cloud is dls
PEELED and vanishing. The armory
which has hcen fitted up In fine shap
for the soldiers since the coming q
Mr. Bassett, the secretary, Is now act
ually patronlzed by more soldiers tina
when the whole 34th division wa
here. At that time the reading room
n poorly equipped billiard hall, an
the dance hall were about all the al
fractions the men found there. No'
they find u much better pool hall, caf,
a basketball court. boxing platform
art gallery shower baths. and nO'
the sing" II Is not too much to 50
that Mr.. Bassett has increased tn
places attractiveness to the soldier
by several hundred per cent. Had III
war lasted the soldiers would certainl
have swamped It with their patronag
Even with the few men now at cam
they keep it eXceediagly busy. An
when they are all gone 1t Is to he hope
that Demlng will continue to he aliy
to Its benefits and will give the wa
camp service every lnducemeni to col
time their activities here.