The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1918-12-14
Benny Leonard Writes
NOTED PUGILIsT, A HEBREW
GIVES ACCOUNT OF X. OF C.
HOSPITALITY IN CAMP GORDON

Benny Leonard, the lightweight box
ing champion, who is a Hebrew, has
sent this interesting letter to mem
| Der of the Knights of Columbus from
Camp Gordon. The letter is pub
lished in it's original form.
Atlanta, Ga, Oct. 10.
My dear Joe-Since arriving at
| Camp Gordon can't resist writing you
a letter telling of the generous good
will and kind treatment received from
some of your friends here. Brother
| Charlie, Johnny Kilbane, Tommy Ry-
an, Billy Armstrong, Fred Dyer,
Twin Sullivan, Packey Mcfarland,
Denny Scanlon, Johnny Coulon and
Jack Wernz, the jiu jitsu exponent,
and myself arrived at Camp Gordon
| just two weeks ago to take instruction
| in the bayonet school with Mike Glib
bons of st. Paul, physical director of
Gordon and middleweight champion
of the world. Each one of us boys is
a physical director at an army camp.
We arrived at Camp Gordon travel
worn and not any too cheerful. You
know what an army camp is. The
camp that looked good was a big
sign: knights of olumbus-Every-
body Welcome" We knew that sign
meant just what it said, because
we've been in other camps.
! There was an officers dance on, and
the hall was crowded with officers
and ladies from Atlanta, but we
thought we would just drop in and
have few words with the secretaries
and get our bearings. Instead K of C.
Athletic Director McCusker, of Find
lay, and Sebaugh and McCaddon, from
| your town, lined us up, introduced us
to the chaperones, and to use the
vernacular of the ring, we were the
headliners of the evening. We for
got we were tired and were made to
feel as cheerful as if we were attend
ing a like function with the folks
back home.
Not a day has passed since we
arrived but what some of the K. of c.
boys have dropped in on us, bringing
us magazines, sport sheets and papers
from our home towns, and writing ma
terials and stamps, and they don't give
us much opportunity to get homesick
We don't have much spare time on
spend up at the K. of c., and when
! see the thousands of boys sitting
at the comfortable writing tables
playing the Victrola, watching the
movies, or crowding around the piano
my only regret is that the folks back
home can't see and appreciate what
the Knights of Columbus is doing for
their boys. And often | try to picture
in my mind what the camp would be
like if they were not here, and it was
a case of every man for himself. That
was the condition that prevailed when
Sherman gave his impression of war
/ One of our party, of your faith, was
stricken with the Flu Monday and
naturally he wanted a priest, so we
called the boys at the X. of c. Just
fifteen minutes after he arrived at
base hospital Lieut.. Father Waters
was with him. And the consolation
he received seemed to cheer him won.
derfully, and he is going to get we'll
4 AS you know, / am not a Knight OF
Columbus, but | can appreciate that
every dollar you have ever put in the
Order or in it's war work has been
well worth while, and you ought to be
eternally proud that you have been
permitted to help in this noble work
With personal regards, l am sin
cerely yours,
BENNY LEONARD.