Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-01-24
Especial to The Argus.)


Camp Dodge, Iowa, Jan. 24.-You'f
never know them from the men who
have occupied just ordinary positions
all their lives-these big fnanciers,
builders of railroads and owners of
manufacturing concerns who have
quietly slid into the uniforms and be
come part of the olive drab army at
Camp Dodge.
| In camp they are just Tom and
Dick and Bill like the rest of the fell
! lows. Moreover, they are among the
most popular men in camp. And
they're happy. l asked one of these
liked the army life.
Never was so happy in my life" he
said, looking contentedly at his bare
little room and the cot covered with
an army blanket.
Doing guard duty near division head
quarters was another young man wear
ing the plain blue hat cord of pri-
vate. In Minnesota his father has big
iron mining interests, Inc steday
tramp tramp of the young man was a
fitting accompaniment to his content
ed smile
They tell of one army captain who
nonchalant1y wrote out a check for
$4,000 to start regimental fund.
Just let me loan it until the regi-
ment gets fairly started with its
fund.-" he suggested.
You don't hear much about the mod
est millionaires in camp for the rea-
son that they are heart and soul in
the war game and they prefer to be
known as part of the American army
than anything else on earth.
You have to dig and scratch to I'M
earth these men who have held impor-
tant positions in the industrial life of
the country and who have now sub
merged themselves in the army.
| One of the most interesting men to
all the soldiers of the Eighty-eighth
division is Captain f. c. Mears, divis-
ion disbursing officer and assistant to
the chief quartermaster. Captain
Mears is from Portland, Ore. He was
for 20 years bank cashier and later
was or of the founders of the Lum-
berman's National bank of Portland
He. quit the banking business tc
start bonding company of his own
Whenever a man comes to camp the
first place he hunts up is the dis
bursting officers quarters Here al
the money paid out in the division is
handled.
} Captain Mears not only has charge
of paving off the enlisted men and
officers, but has now taken over the
work formerly handled by Major But.
Ter, construction quartermaster, and
pays for everything in connection with
: the camp.
At conservative estimate some.
thing over a million dollars month
goes through Captain Mears' hands
1t is paid out over plain little board
table and brought to camp in a man
ner which precludes all possibility OF
a holdup In the corps of assistants
in the disbursing officers department
are many former bank cashiers anl-S
few bank owners.
Keeps Long Hours.
Captain Mears is very proud of hif
assistants and very much interested
in his work, despite the fact that il
keeps him at his desk from 1880 a. m
until p m. Frederick Mears, who
is building the Alaskan railroad, is a
brother of Captain Mears.
II Speaking of railroads, there is q
young chap at camp who has saved
the government LOT of money by
applying his knowledge of railroad
: construction to the division rife range
He is Lieutenant Charles |. Campbell
of Denver, &c years old
j His father also is a railroad con-
tractor, and young Lieutenant Camp.
bell was engaged in similar occupa-
ton in the west before he joined the
. army. Lieutenant Campbell has had
charge Of the work OF laying out the
rife range which Is now being used
, daily. =
Uncle Sam has now turned shoe re-
, pairer. Commencing today. WORKOUT
shoes of men in the Eighty-eighth d..
vision at Camp Dodge will be sent &c
Des Moines shops for repair. It's part
iof the governments conservation plan