Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1918-05-23
Letter from Milo Clayton.

Fort Columbia. May G, 1918.
Dear Folks: Well we got here all
right and had fine trip. The weather
was very cool on the way out until we
reached Portland, there it was like Nav
or June in Wisconsin. Fruit trees were
in blossom.
We got to Fort Stevens at 80 o. m.
Sunday. Saw all the Mineral Point
boys and we walked out to the great
Pacific ocean. 1t was quite calm. still
there were few large waves. 1t is
some bunch of water.
We stayed at the Sd Co. quarters
Sunday night and on Monday we were
sent to Fort Columbia, Wash. 1t is
just across the Columbia river, and here
the river is about six miles wide. This
is fine place, built on the side of a
hill. We can look for a considerable
distance in every direction except north;
can see the waves on the ocean quite
plain.
We are about two miles from Chinook.
which is a small town. Most all the
men there are fishermen. The salmon
season opened May lst The river on
this side is full of nets set nets. When
the tide comes in the salmon swim up
stream and the nets are set SO that the
fish swim into the traps The big salmon
are not in yet They are in the ocean
or right at the mout of the river. They
are caught in July and August.
We were down to the Chinook Can
merry the other night May 2. They had
not started to can yet, but had about
five tons of fish there, some weighing
around fifty pounds
This is small fort, only four com
panies. The 9TH Co. is mostly all en-
listed men. They have been here one
year 1t is thought that we will be
shipped out in about month. We are
drilling with rifles now Haven't been
put on the big guns yet. We have the
| 6, and l2-inch guns here. Got our
gas masks last Friday They are very
uncomfortable to wear, but | guess it
is better to wear them than to be over
come by gas. They put us in gas rooms.
We get up at and have supper at
5l5; thereafter we can go where we
wish, but must be back by a. m. We
can get off every Saturday noon and do
not need to report until Monday at 6
a. m. We certainly get good feed here.
| This is something like we had for
dinner Roast pork, mashed potatoes,
corn bread, a small piece of butter, rice
pudding, apple pie and coffee, and we
have cake real often, too. Today we had
honey, but it is not as good as the Wis
consin white clover honey,
We went over to Fort Stevens the
first Sunday we were here to witness a
ball game in which Guy Fessenden was
catching for the soldier team. They
defeated Astoria 5 to 0. Astoria is a
town Of about $4,000, but the players
from there did not have much of a
chance with the Stevens OUTFIT There
is shipbuilding yard at Astoria and
saw mills running day and night.
You can see some mammoth logs in
the river. Lumber Yes, lumber, every
way you look, They plank the streets
out here. Some are paved, though.
The roads connected with our Fort are
all planked
Received our comfort kits from the
Red Cross today. The boys think that
they are certainly fine, and they are, too.
We sincerely thank the Red Cross for
them.
We went up into the juugles after
supper. Saw some very large trees,
some about ten feet in diameter. saw
deer in the distance. There are lot
of black bear and wild cats here. too.
Well don't know of anything more
to write about, so will close before the
lights 90 out.
Hoping you are all well, remain,
MmC S. CLAYTON,
4th Co. Col, Columbia, Wash.