Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1918-08-19
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o SOLDIERS LETTERS %
. &~~~~~~ 8 o o o 5000 .

The following letters were written
Ly Carroll Wagner, who is in offlc-
ors' training school at Fort Monroe,
Va, to his mother, Mrs. J. NJ. Wag-
ner, Of Oak street, giving some in
teresting history of soldier life at
an eastern camp:
Fort Monroe, Va, July 26, '1SI
Dear Mother and All: / think |
have just about enough energy lef.
this evening to write "you-all" let.
ter, but believe me, will have sweat
many a drop before 1t is finished.
She evenings study period is the
worst part of the while day, for
there is little cooling of the tempera-
ture until late in the evening, andl
these section study rooms are like
lake ovens. A study period until
9:15 is a part of the daily schedule,
Lut | have been seldom able to get
al wanted done until about 10. AZ
ter that | don't care whether study
or not, for | am ready, to call II a
days work and retire to my bunk.
Wy location on the porch is certain
" great and 1t is always cool enough
TO sleep fine. How hate to hear
tie bugler play first CALI at 5:45!
An alarm clock is bad enough, but
.ou can shut that off. No way to-
get at a bugler. That's his job and
really believe he enjoys It. =
: Everyone seems to be glad that 1t
Is near the end Of the week, for II
has been a very hard week, and !
for one am about tagged out. The
program Is really no harder than
others | have succeeded in getting
away with, but the weather is any
thing but inylgorating and 1t seems
ac though no matter how fine you
feel In the morning, before plight
you will be completely wilted down.
The thermometer does not stand
very high, but the humidity keeps
you in constant persipatlon, with
that sticky and wilted feeling that
goes with II. No doubt | will get
used to it, but this has been ou: first
pad week and II has been anything
hat pleasant. The heat was about
as noticeable in the parts of Cali
fornia | was in last summer, but
there it was different and we could
dress as we pleased and look all
mussed up If we wanted to. Here
that will he counted against one, and
il behooves everyone to wear only
;he regulation outfit at all times
and keep them looking ,shipshape
Our company is the only one that
has not been issued light cotton
shirts, but we are still wearing the
heavy wool ones which were intend
ed for Fort Scott weather.
1t seems as though there have
leen some changes In this training
camp, in that our grades are pub
llshed. The list that came out the
first cf the week gave me an aver
age of "a, which was not the best,
get it came within the first Is Of
the company and ranks we'll up with
the camp average of so. don't
think my average has changed much
this week, but | will not be satisfied
until 1t is higher. These grades
are based on daily "writs," as they
call them, and finals which are given
whenever a course is completed. Sea-
coast guns was completed last week
and seascoast mortars will be COM
pleted Monday, Orientatlon, one OF
the principal studies Of the whole
school, which includes everything
concerning surveying, topography
and cartography connected with tho
operation of the heavy artillery, will
not be included for a couple Of
weeks.
Following these will be howitzers,
mechanical maneuyers, gas, gunnery,
administration, court martial, etc.
am fully confident now that | can
make the scholastic part of it all
right, but 1t does not necessarily fol-
low even then that one will get a
commission. Everything imaginable
is considered and somebody Is al
ways watching you for a disqual.fy-
lug characteristic. About 20 men
from the company have been asked
70 resign and are now on The road
home. | understand there is to be
another elimination the first of the
week.
Tomorrow is to be a general field
day and athletic meet. In the morn
ns is to be field meet between
the seven companies and in the af-
ternoon there is to be base bali
same between the first and second
battalions There is one event on
the track schedule very much to my
liking, all short races, but / have
teen picked as one of the entrants
Cor the obstacle rAce il | am not dis