Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-10-25
HERE AND THERE

\ private letter from Private John
Albert Riddle OF Bethel. now in the avi-
alton service at Gerstner Field, Lake
Charles. La. says that the "fu" isn't SC
bad at that point as il has been nj 9TH
er camps throughout the country. and
been a death. 1--WE have all gotten our
shots In the arm for flu" says Mr.
Riddle, land before We got the shots
we were sprayed every night. We are
under quarantine yet, but think it will
be off by next Sunday"
Mr.. John l.. Stacy Of Glover, is al
Fayetteville, n. c., where he Is engag-
cd us an engineer by the government
on the big army camp that is being
constructed near that place and he has
given Here and There some interesting
information about Camp Bragg. as the
cantonment is to be known. The camp
is some eleven miles from Fayetteville
in what folks down this way would call
the sand hills; there is no timber
about the place except scrub black
lack oak and small pines, as all the
larger pine timber has been turpen-
tined and then converted into lumber
The natives mostly negroes, are few
and very ignorant. Camp Bragg Is tC
he something like 20 to30 miles in length
and seven to ten miles wide, including
over 200 square miles. The buildings
to be erected for various purposes are
estimated to cover something like a
thousand acres. The camp will include
fields for heavy and light artillery, avi.
alton and balloon fields. remount sta
tjon, rifle ranges and the usual parade
grounds, streets. roadways, etc. that
are to be found at army cantonmcnts
Mr.. Stacy says there are about thirty
civil engineers working on the job and
they will be several months making the
necessary surveys. He also tells about
l.SO0 Porto Ricans being used as la
borers at the camp, but he does not
seem to be particularly impressed with
the efficiency Of the island laborer
There Is very little influenza here
that Is among the whites concludes
Mr.. Stacy.
We'll | guess you noticed what the
old Rainbow division did to 'em or
the 18TH" writes Corporal william r
Williamson, Co. b.. 117th Engineers o1
the Rainbow division. in letter to his
brother. First Class Sergeant David G
Williamson, Of the Depot unit, Quar-
It.rmaster corps Of Camp Sewer: M!
|Sduad was attached to q French tank
Corps and we went over the ditch JUS
in front Of the infantry. We had beer
out with the tank from p. m, and
were wet az drowned rats. II rained al
night and we began the drive ut n. IN
You can imagine that 1 thanked the
French driver when he gave me bis
drink of Cognac (about like white
lightning) and II 1t hadn't been for the
rum and wine we had in those tanks
believe l would have been sick. But
didn't even have cold after we stop
ped. You see we boys are everything
over here. A trip in the tanks Is some
exciting. The Boches have a habit OF
shooting high explosives and solid sho'
at the tanks, for they know what tho
tanks will do. We are having cold
weather over here now and this Is tho
rainy season. 1t rained and showed
all last winter over here and guess II
will not he long before we will he wear
ing frozen shoes. You had better stay ir
the O. NJ. don't think that you could
do your bit In the Engineers any more
than In the Q. NJ. c. When you hi
here you will see that II Is up to the
O. M. men to put the provisions and
supplies up to US fellows in the front
and know that It is tough to put ou'
on an empty stomach. AS rule we
get enough to eat: but when on @
drive, you have to carry your rations
with you and sometimes they give ou
before you get any more" Both Will
hanson brothers are volunteers. They
live in Rock Hill.