The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1918-08-29
Camp Cody, n. NJ.
Aug. Is, 1918.
Editor Record.
Canon City, Colorado.


Dear Sirs:
Thinking that. perhaps, the readers
of the Record would be interested in
the doings of this large cantonment,
will give you little account OF the
doings down here. This is one of the
large cantonments that this country
has built up in which to train our boys
for over seas activities. There are
now 10000 well seasoned and well
trained soldiers here ready to 'go over
there" and they are ready and anxious
TO be on the way. The majority OF
them have been in training here now
for the past eight months. This num-
ber is composed mostly of men from
Nebraska, Iowa, Oklahoma and Texas,
Many of them are national guardsmen
and drafted men from these states, al
though there are scattering ones from
other states. In my work of naturali.
zation, have run across several from
Colorado and one or two Italian boys
from the Coal camps of Fremont coun-
look upon finer set or better trained
lot of soldiers than is to be seen here.
No better specimens of manhood can
be found anywhere in this camp.
From the building that is going ON
here one would infer that this is TO Ue
a permanent camp of some kind.
They are putting in "A sewer system
at this time covering an area much
fine water system and as good wat
er as is 10 be found anywhere. 1t is
pumped from dep wells and the test
shows it to be 99e5 pure and this is
is no contagious diseases here and
but very few sick in the hospital, and
Uncle Sam certainly does look after
the health and comfort of his soldiers
and the great majority are healthy.
happy and contented. only that they
want 10 be on their way over there"
As one of the officers jokingly re-
marked to me this morning, Il cannot
see why they are prolonging the war
by Rot sending us TO France"
Among the many things that this
country and the government is doing
here for their soldiers are the follow
ing: ,There is the American Library
Association with it's main library
building, containing over 10000 books
with 80 branches scattered over the
camp and in the town of Deming.
These libraries also have all the latest
magazines and newspapers in them
and they are all free to the soldiers
who go there and read or take books
TO their tents. The American Library
Association raised a large fund with
which to build these buildings and
with which TO buy books and also
thousands of yolumns have been do
mated by the patriotic people of this
country and are coming in every day.
The knights of Columbus has an
immense building here with branches
scattered over the camp where men
are always welcome TO go to read
write letters and attend services: The
Y. NJ. c. A. have one main building
and twelve branches where the boys
can enjoy themselves. write home. see
free moving pictures two or three
times each week. and the Secretaries
there act as treasurer for the soldier
boys and aid them in caring for their
money. They receive money and de-
posit it in the banks to the boys cred
it. All kinds of innocent and whole
some games are provided at these
places for the boys and the places are
well patronized. They have Library
Theatre that will seat perhaps 1000
persons where good pictures and plays
are put on. A charge is made at this
theatre and it is supposed to be self
is where the "Smileage Books" come
in good for the boys. There are five
bands in camp and they are good ones
too, and you hear music all the time.
There is large stadium that seats
several thousand people where enter.
tainments are had of some kind most
every night. Two nights of the week
dances are held here. The women OF
Deming attend these dances. and
that is about The. only time women are
permitted in camp after seven O'Clock
in the evening. Even the officers
wives are not supposed to be here aft
er seven. Then the boys have dozens
of base ball clubs and games are go
ing on in some part of the camp most