Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1918-01-21
Tells OF TRIP
TO CAMP CODY.
Mrs. Alexander Groves Just Back
From South, Tells Interesting
Story Of The Trip and
Il, Experiences.
MEN ARE WELL TAKEN CARE or
Christmas With the Men.-The eli.
mate.-Tells Of Trips About
Country.

Mrs. Alexander Groves, who has
lust returned from visit with her
son, Corporal Wilfred A. Groves, Of
the 109th Ammunition Train, at Camp
Cody, Dcming, N. NJ, would give
message of reinsurance to all parents
and friends of the soldiers in the
southern camp. During the twenty
days she spent in Deming and Camp
Cody, she visited the quarters OF the
various local organizations, the base
hospital, many points of interest near
by, and talked in person with Webster
City officers and many of the home
boys. She finds them all looking ex-
tremely we'll and in excellent spirits.
Because OF the reports of much sick
ness in camp, Mrs. Groves made care
full inquiry into health conditions. At
the time of her arrival in camp there
were two Webster City young men i'll
at the base hospital-Harry Fortune
and Andrew Grandgeorge. Both were
pneumonia victims. Mr.. Fortunes
condition was very critical for time,
but he is now convalescing. Mr..
Grandgeorge was not so i'll and is at
present practically recovered,
The base hospital is an immense
structure, single story in height, but
covering acres of ground. Separate
wings, where the various ailments are
treated, are connected by covered
passage-ways. The building proper is
surrounded with wide verandas, COW
ering as much, or more, space than
the structure itself. All are screened
in and here the patients spend the
pleasant part of the days. Pneumonia,
while prevalent to considerable ex-
tent, is not the illness most to be
dreaded at camp. One other seems to
affect more with greater facilitating
results. This is rheumatism. The
men so afflicted are pale and emaciat-
ed and seem to suffer more than pneu-
monia patients.
The cause Of the sickness in camp
is largely due to the northern mems
unfamiliarity with the climatic cOndi-
tions and failure to take proper pre-
cautions against taking cold. The
temperature is fifty degrees higher
than that of Iowa. The noontime is
Sufficiently warm for anyone to be
very comfortable in thin clothing
without wraps, but as soon as the sun
goes down, the chill in the air is pro-
nounced and a warm coat is neces-
sity.
Careful With Men.
The thoughtlessness of the soldiers
is now being remedied by orders"
Every man, who leaves camp after re-
treat without his coat, is stopped by
a sentry and ordered back after it.
A soldier seen on the streets or in the
fheaters of Deming without his coat
is stopped by the military police and
proper measures taken to prevent a
repetition of the offense. In the thea
tiers, instead of the request to please
remove your hat" slide flashes the
demand that soldiers remove their
coats. This, of course, is to prevent
the soldiers becoming too warm and
going out in the cold night air and
taking cold.
Mrs. Groves arrived at Deming
Christmas eve and during the first
ten days of her stay the weather was
ideal. During this time she took
many enjoyable trips to nearby points
Of interest, including Silver City. the
City of Rocks, which is said to rival
in beauty and strange formations the
far famed Garden of the Gods. Tyrole,
q city OF 5000 inhabitants, almost lost
in surrounding foot hills, has depart
,ment store h Oused in beautiful
building designed after the Spanish
architecture, that is as complete in its
equipments as any Des Moines store.
Deming, itself, is also of interest The
population is largely Mexican, and,
the city being unprepared to take care
of the enormous influx of business
accustomed by the coming of the
troops, all kinds of shops and "holes
in the wall" have sprung up as mush-
rooms over night. The wealthy ranch
owner of the district lives in an un-
painted shack with the kitchen stove
pipe protruding through the roof and
answering the purpose Of chimney.
However, there are a number of splen-
did people living in the town and their
homes are of the modern bungalow
type. 1t is in town that the army
officers have their homes and Mrs.
Groves visited the families of Captain
Martin, -Lieutenants Boudinot, VIM
slow and Chaplain Shook.