Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-06-14
BOYS At SHERIDAN
CAMP DRILL ONLY
5 HOURS PER DAY
OTTAWA INCREMENT AT GEORGIA
CANToNMENT ARE ALL IN
GOOD HEALTH AND SPIRITS,
NEWSY LETTER SHOWS.

Ottawa's youths who left June LIST
for Fort Thomas, Ky, are now sta.
toned a Camp Sheridan. Ala, ana
doing we'll thank you! This was
made konWn in an exceptionallt
newsy letter received this morning
from Company Clerk William Hart,
former sports editor of the Free
Trader.Journa
The BOYS have time to get in
few ticks at baseball as the lcttei
shows Clerk Hart says:
Co. G. t. S l6th Inf.
Camp sheridan, Ala, June IL, 1918.
With few minutes OF my ,irne not
taken up, shall try to tell you
few things about the Ottawa youths
AT Camp Sheridan, Ala To begin with
everyone of the bunch is being
trained for fighting, and not one of
them has "iell ou'' under the merci
less Alabama sun In weeks time
we have become acolimated to the eli
mate her. and all are taking on a good
'oat Of tan We are given eight hours
drilling day Being employed al
company clerk have only drilled
abou' four hours each day. the rest
of my time being occupied in office
work. You can judge the progress
made by our company. when in a
weeks time of drilling guns have
been issued. and in fact all the para
phernalia that goes 10 make real
fighting man The Ottawa lads, IL
company with youths from Joliet
Rock Island, Elgin Springfield and
other Illinois cities have been placed
in company C. along with abor
eighty men, who have had a years
training.
This camp had previously been used
o train national guardsmen, and to
morrow the Ohio men and the sani
fary train will start out, with destna
ion to Berlin The 45th Inf, from
Camp Gordon. Ga, is slated to come
here soon as we'll as the end machine
gun corps. Owing to the fact tnat
soldiers are being sent to embarka
ion stations, we are under quaran
Inc and probably will be for the next
few days, until the khaki clad mcH
have departed for overseas duty.
Onr commanding officer now is Ma
thaniel l.. Simmonds. prince or b
fellow with a lot of pep Of course
he big question with all of us here
Is when are we going to move We
constantly hear rumors. that We arr
going south or east and like any
rmor there really is nothing TO ir
In view Of the fact that the Illinois
| lads are drilled eight hours day, it
| Is possible that our training here will
| not be so very long
We certainly are well fed We
sleep in tents, somewhat on the ORDER
| Of the tents used by the chautauqua.
except that they are boarded up loF
! about two feet on all sides. We haN.
been issued mosquito netting so yor
| see sleep in perfect comfort donr
| wonder a bit that The people at hons
can't get wheat since we are given
| the very best of white bread We ger
up every morning at 30 and light n
at 1880, being a clerk don't have tc
stand any calls, which is not hard tc
take
Yesterday afternoon ! caught =
game for Co G, incidentally this
team has won six straight games ir
our regimental league and believe
me we have some fast players, ON
pitcher was with the Southern League
before he enlisted A fellow namet
tosser from Rock Island. who palyet
ball with Jack Herbert. at one tim,
manager of the Streaior team. Is 60
soriing around the far station. Fret
lron worked out at first for coupl
If innings and managed 10 bat tiv,
hundred The only thing that let's M
on fhe team Is the fact they ar
short of catchors and as a ball playe
! always was a masqueradcr Georg
Wi'te. Edward Smart. Martin DOYLE
1
James Bovle, Jeremiah Walsh, Ere
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