The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1918-08-03
KEARNS AND MERKE THE REMAINS
OF THE JUNE BUNCH
M'DONOUGH TO RUSSIA SOON
Iron County Officer viii Have I'm.
P0rtaHt Mission When Troops
to Go Help Save Russia


had the privilege of visiting Camp
Custer last week We hoped to get
there before the S5th division started
east, but was too late When / ar
rived at Battle Creek found Camp
Custer closed The reason given was
a quarantine, but the facts are that
the S5th division was being moved
and the movement necessitated the
closing of the camp.
Battle Creek people who were used
to going and coming from Camp Gus
ter as they pleased found conditions
quite to their dstaste and the city,
which had on former occasions OF my
visit to the place, had its streets
crowded with soldiers was, in meas
ure. like deserted village
1t is claimed that Camp Custer will
not be thrown open in the future to
unhampered visitation as 1t has been
in the past. Hereafter when one wish
es to get into the camp he must have
a pass and, TO get pass IL is neces-
sary to be on a visit to someone or
TO have some business within the in
closure that will warrant pass.
Many Troop Trains Run.
saw troop trains as they went out,
long train OF coaches with a mess car
in the middle of the train One pass
ed me as we were driving along the
road to Jackson, and the soldier boys
waved their parting salutes to every
one sight. They were Jolly lot;
many of them made jollier by the fact
that they were getting away from the
hum-drum of the camp which they had
participated in for months.
Their destination was France; their
errand to fight for the freedom OF the
world, and | wondered as the train
sped on it's way, II the boys realized
the service they were doing to the
world. If the people of the nation are
alive to the stupendous task that con-
) fronts US and the great sacrifices
these young men are making for their
country, its people. and posterity.
The trains went out Of Custer for
several days; train after train loaded
TO the muzzle with as fine a lot Of
young men as was ever assembled.
Just how many went in the movement
Is known only TO the department Of
ficials,N but the number given out al
Battle Greek was $4,000 The trains
. started at the camp and went right
through without stop at the station.
Courtesy OF Soldiers Notable.
| decided to await my return from
Lapeer before trying to get into the
camp, and 6 days later | was again
in Battle Creek only to find that the
camp was still closed
My first information was that Capt
= McDonough had gone with the S5th
division and l was IN sore straits 10
find someone TO visit In order to have
Z an excuse important enough TO get
into the camp, so l started to tele-
phone early Saturday morning, and
| for over an hoxr / kept the wires hot
asking for this one and that one OF
E the Iron county boys.
The average telephone operator
/ would have tired OF my incessant call
ing. but. not so with the soldier oper-
: ator. To each call was a very cour-
/ teous reply, with an, I'm sorry, sir
that can't be of more service to you.
J | thought what an improvement ther,
would be in the telephone service OF
the nation II the average hello girl
[ would be required TO take military
training before assuming the manage
ment OF switchboard.
Owing to the great changes at the
camp the young men were unable TO
give me any definite information and
I had made up my mind that a visit
10 the camp was not possible. when I
met Captain Richards and he informi
! ed me that Captain McDonough had
not left the camp that he now lives
) In Battle Creek, I'm company with
! Captain Richards visited the McDon-
ough rome and found them nicely sit
uated in one of the best residence
, portions OF Battle Greek. Captain Nc