Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-06-16
MECHANICAL TRAINING
FOR WARTIME DUTIES
Force of 800 Soldiers In School at
the State Fair
Grounds.
LEARN TO REPAIR MOTOR CARS
Local Dealers Lend Instructors, and
School Forces Give Aid in Great
Wartime Preparation for Over
seas Service.


has brought about in Richmond.
the proud old capital OF South OF a
by-gone generation. no phase OF the
s war as it directly affects the city is
more strikingly in evidence than tho
salient fact that Richmond has risen
nobly TO meet every demand made by
the government upon her citizenship.
her resources her talents and the in
cxhaustIble store OF her potcntialitics
for service and sacrifice. If the need
arises.
Things which six months ago would
have seemed wildly improbable. have
been accomplished in the twinkling OF
Mag night. and Richmond people
have not even gaspcd at the perform
ance. Such transformation took
place at the State Fair Grounds when
the city School Board o! Richmond de-
cldcd TO undertake. the stupendous task
OF cooperating with the government
To the extent OF providing for the
vocational and mechanical training Of
500 men from West Virginia with III.
usual complement Of officers. due to
arrive May IL. the biggest training de-
tachment In the United states.
We'll. they came. The administration
LCl!c!ng had been hastily converted
into sleeping and eating quarters. u
dations had been provided by Il force
ct carpenters and plumbers which had
been thrown hastily into the State
buildings which between state fair
times are used for various purposes
mostly for storagc.t o make them fit
for human haLItation.
NEW RECRUITS ARE
ENCELiENr LOT or CIVILIANS
Tho men were an excellent lot OF
civilians. and there was not an officer
in the bunch that frs; dag they landed
IN Richmond. but the Official personnel
Of the city schools OF Eichmond were
right 'on the lob as usual. and
brought order out OF chaos. Grouped
on the grand stand. the West Vir-
rinians listened TO some wcll-known
Richmond men give them hearty well
come To tho city. and then they were
fcd and assigned 10 their cots. and the
stran4cpcss began to wear off "A little
The United states government mad
declared Tho size OF the State Far
grounds as cminently suited To the
pnrpos'a OF the training detachment.
IN" tHn men found the grounds ex-
tcnsivc with = p!cnti,uGe Of shade and
Grccn grass aud shrubNery. Thcy
i"uhd the military rules hard, natural
~, aN! ihcg !ouccd for home and their
women FOLK and home cootirE-Da--
,iscuiariE home cookiuE-but the whole
hugca vas stral-h,,vuy adopted to :,
man 0y II ~. Moon. assistant general
manager wc.l-kuuwn automobile
t'eaicr OF Richmond. who. Wien the
.tme comes FOR his'-rro,"sesS Is go
ACROSS, VIII probably be Oh The band
wagon cheering th-m on. and at the
last minute Will Suddenly decide tina,
lac VIII Just have TO 60 along TO take
care OF his larg and Interesting family.
From a military stundroiu,-ant IN.
military is the biggest end OF The job
after all--'he aim ~ the training de-
tachmcnt - to prepare a force OF mon
who can hold their own IA the nght-
ing lnc. and II u mechanic, a radio
man carpenter. an cNpcr; on paso-
me engines. an ambulance driver :,
repair man FOR Liberty" or any other
kind Of motors Is suddenly needed in
an unforeseen emergency. the man is
/ right there TO repair the damage and
set things straiGh;-'nEhtinp me-
chanics, the conmandant calls them
CAPTAIN MASON Is
N CHARGE or CAMP
The comnlandant OF the training de-
iachmen' at the state Fair Grounds.
by the way, Is a young cap,aiu from
Camp Lee. who has Z wrIl-!ovei Rich
mond name, which is sufficient intro
duction for him IN Episco1aliau circles
OF The city-Captain I r. Mason. a
nephew or the venerable rector cIucr;-
;us OF Grace Episcopal Church.
There are four companies of 200 men
each in the detachment, which Is or
GaniZed as a battalion. and each has a
captain and first and second lieu
tenant.
The companies with the officers IN
charge as follows: Company A.
Captain c. T.. Johnson First Lien
tenant j. l. d. Reilly, Second Lieu
tenant w. =. Pennington. Company
C-Albert Stilman. First Lieutenant
winner second Lieutenant Ness. Com
pany D-Alfred S. Knight, First Lieu
tenant Hopkins. Second Lieutenant
Phillips The medical staff is com
posed OF L!cutenants Strobe. Jackson.
Hwerling and five enlisted men. There
is no infrmary, but accommodations
are provided in the city for sorioms
cases OF illness. but. except from the
effects of incubation. there has becn
no sickness in the detachment.
The men have two hours day in
fantry drill. Class work in the shops
begins at o'clock in the morning
At 1l:45 the men have their midday
meal, going back to work at | oc,oclt
School is over at 3:45 There Is no
school from Saturday noon until Mon
day morning. so that Saturday after
noon ana SUNDAY sees many West Vir-
ginians on the streets of Richmond and
in Richmond churches So far, thev
have only been noticed as stranp,
civilians. because their uniforms have
not yet arrived. but they are expected
this week.
tlStI1Nh lfot KS ON
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY
Visiting hours with the training de-
tachment arc from o'clock until
on Saturdays and Sundays. There is
an army Y. NJ. G. 4. on the grounds
for the comfort and convenience OF the
men. but no hostess house." where
women visitors may be made comfort
able. While Commandant Mason is not
especially enthusiastic about the site
chosen for the training attachments on
account OF The immediate proximity OF
the city stables and other problems in
sanitatiors which should he obviated
by the city authorities. one infers from
his attitude that conditions might be
considerably worse.
First aids in keeping things neat
and orderly on the grounds are sew
eral big army trucks equipped with
the famous Liberty" motors. The
Fair Grounds have never heretofore
been kept so scrupulously clean as they
are under the military regime which
| exists at present
EnlicNinp la