The Redwood gazette., 1918-03-27
Harry CaIIagIlaa
Writes of Camp
REDWOOD FALLS BOY AT CAMP
LEWIS, WASHINGHTON, TELLS
EXPERIENCES.
March 4, 1918.

Marcn 4, LSl6.
Miss Helen Cal1aghan,
Redwood Falls, Minn-
Dear Sis: I received your "newsy"
letter of the first today and suppose
my promptness will shock you. Sure
enjoyed that letter, especially the
news from Sundown and Springfield.
Well you know the old ones cannot
always be with us.
We have gas tests coming up on
Friday of this week and I suppose
we will all get smell of something
new. At present they use three kinds
of gas, hydro-cyanic, which fixes you
quick. Chlorine, which eats up your
lungs. and Menthol which attacks the
nasal passages and bronchial tubes.
Perhaps | never told you how this
is done. Well they have long shack
with 8 rooms, each filed with diff.
ferent kind of gas. You go in with
your mask on and you are admon-
ished not to remove it as it is Sure
Death. A clamp fits down over your
nose and you breath into the mask
and bag through which the air goes
into the bag and is cleansed and puri-
fled and you breath it back into your
lungs. No outside atmosphere is
taken in at all. You stay in there,
spend half an hour and are sure glad
to get out. 1t is hard to think ev-
cry time you take breath for that
time 1t is hard to be deprived of
God-given atmosphere and we real
ize the fact only under such condi-
tions. When half hour is up they
pile out like wild men. The masks
will protect you for "a hours. Some
of the gasses they will let you smell
of, but others are too deadly. We are
instructed that this mask is our most
necessary weapon of defense.
Was out to small hick town dance
last Saturday evening. This town is
about seven miles away in the woods
and not often visited by soldiers, so
we had lot of fun. Am going again
next Saturday.
I am entitled to Today furlough
now and cannot see where can use
it, so will remain in camp, and at
that possibly could not get the pass
through at the present date as near
ly all furloughs have been cancelled.
Hope you gave my regards to our
old Sundown friends. All the Red
Cross socks, ETC., came from South
ern Minnesota to this Regiment. l
know number of girls there whose
socks, ETC., are being worn by some
of the 347 boys. Some are from
Pipestone, Marshall, and little towns
over that way. l am writing to a
girl over at Pipestone. Our Supply
Sergeant is quite ladies man. He
swipes the names from the sock S and
gives them to his friends and then
we write and await esults. About
two weeks ago he ran across some
article made by a girl at Forsyth,
Mont. | put him wise and he is writ
ing to her, telling her he has been
there and all about the place, per
my instructions. Some day I'm 60
ing to give him bum steer and see
what happens. l guess you know
the girl, she is that red-hes ded one,
her dad owns that cafe where we
ate the time you were there.
Got taste of real army orders
last Thursday when went up to have
nv teeth examined and a Lieutenant
| said l had "a small cavity. dis
puted the fact; very indiscret Of me
| can assure you to dispute sur
geon officer. Result, much explana-
ton to the Captain. A filled tooth,
fuller realization of an army order.
I still believe he made the hole,
though / would hardly dare tell him
so. However I have a piece of sill
yer in one tooth where / cannot see
or feel it, so it might or might not
be there I don't know.
Many of my Forsyth friends are
at Camp Merrill, N. j., and l hope
to rejoin them soon. Here's to the
day we ego over" My half year in
the army will soon be up, and the
big event still ahead.
Suppose our far Bro. Bert will soon
be coming up, likely as soon as we
get out of here. When the chance
comes and my Battery goes I am
going along whether the band goes
or not.
| Have had lots of cold weather and
snow but the sun is pretty warm ano
spring is in the air. Rather miss
Montana now. People who live in a
mild climate can never fully realize
what spring means. The ice got just
barely strong enough to hold man
here, but melted almost Immediately
Well, call to quarters is now sound
ing. I have Is minutes to get back
to the barracks so must close. Will
write you of any move I make.
i Your brother,
|