Connecticut western news. [volume] (Salisbury, Litchfield Co., Conn.) 1871-1970, 1918-08-29
HAVING A NIGHT
AT CAMP DEVENS
Visitors Tell How War Camp
Community Service Makes
Life Pleasant.
SOLDIERS ENJOY THEIR CLUB.
Tin Cover, Shovel and Cracker
Box Made an Orchestra.

Letters from the boys In training
camps tell, from time to time, of what
the War Camp Community Service is
doing for them and what its kindly
care Of him means in strange sur
roundings fur from home. After all,
they will tell you, the thing that they
miss the most In camp is the home
feeling, without which all is loneliness,
that real loneliness that cuts deep and
for which there Is no help until new
comrades and new Interests produce
what may be called club spirit that
sends each lad In khaki to his daily
work with a smile on his lips
But the letters home do not always
picture just how the boys are acquir-
Ing this club spirit. Sometimes II is
only really understood by the home
folks when they see Its result with
their own eyes, as the writer's Of the
following letters saw 1t recently I'm
Camp Devens, at Aver, Mass, where
the Soldiers Club, established and
maintained by the War Camp Commu-
nifty Service has become second
home to the men I'm service:
Joseph Lee, President War Camp
Community Service, 10l fremont
Street, Boston, Mass:
Dear ]. L.:
II am sending enclosed n copy OF n
letter which was received by Heman
Burr, as thought you would be inter
ested in Ii. We were told that one
could not really see the Club In action
unless we spent the night there, and,
therefore, Burr and l recently did
pass the night there, and we realized
that ii was the time of all others to
see the Club In action.
Most OF the men OF the roth Divi-
sion had left Camp, as the time when
we were there was shortly after the
4th of July. In spite of that fact, the
Club House on that evening was
crowded. / should say there were
about 500 soldiers all together, includ-
ing those on the piazza. They were
using all the facilities OF the Club.
They were two or three deep at the
canteen getting food. They were writ
ing, reading, some were asleep or the
furniture and others were playing va
rious musical instruments.
About s o'clock one of them sat
down at the piano and played a rag
time. Three others had evidently Sc
cured from the kitchen the following
articles:
large tin cover, evidently from
the garbage barrel.
l large trench shovel.
/ empty cracker box.
"They each had two sticks, on
which they beat these articles with
great vigor in perfect time to the mu-
sic. Men crowded around and Joined
In singing. One mascot, bulldog OF
enormous size, took special delight in
attacking the tin drum. They were all
laughing and singing about 100 strong,
and the noise was simply tremendous,
and during all this the rest were quiet
ly reading, etc, and, as Burr said, there
was no necessity, at that time at any
rate, for anyone TO try and amuse them.
"T wish you could have seen thisv
sight. Burr says he would not have
missed II for anything.
Every truly yours,
&c. b."
The letter TO which the writer refer
red as an enclosure read as follows:
Dear Mr.. Burr:
81 have just returned from Camp
Devens, where / was the guest OF the
wonderful Club for Enlisted Men on
Mr.. Creed's invitation. You will, 4
hope, excuse me for expressing my
very great surprise at the existence,
not of the building but of the real
Club feeling l found among the men. |
The building is n magnificent one for
the purpose and the service and sup
plies OF the best, but the spirit of the |
Club, of the men, deserve all praise.
spent the night there and mixed free
ly with the men, talking about things
to interest them, and | found a uni
form and very high appreciation of the
Club and its value to the men.
"Of course II is not usual for a Wis
itor to write as am writing, but felt
and feel I'd like TO express my feeling
of gratitude that your Committee has
so nobly helped the men at Devens
Camp. Mr.. Greed is one Of my parish
toner's and friend, as we have known |
each other for twenty odd years, and
am heartily glad his work Is such
success.
81 never enjoyed my visit anywhere
more than-not even as much as-at
Camp Devcns, and ms n guest OF your
Enlisted Mems Club. am
Yours very truly,
IL. ]. L. HUIGINNy
Rector st. Peters Church. Beverly,