El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1918-02-02
NOT DAUNTED BY
4 WRECKED HOME
Camp Baker Boys Make
Best of It and Proceed
to Settle Down.

The "twister- that unroofed the
Camp Baker ''Y'' on a recent Tuesday
morning uncovered at the same time
a corking bit Of grit that seems to
characterize both those who are Of
ficiaIy directing the army 2. NJ C.
A endeavors as well as the many VOL
unteer workers among the enlisted
men
Within Is minutes OF the disaster,
which the prevailing northeaster
timed almost to the second with the
camp reveille. and before assistant
secretary Nelson. fairly bounced out
OF bed by the shock. had responded to
the breakfast bugle. willing hands
were being offered to help readjust
affairs, and with the least possible
delay. transfer the salvage to the
smaller headquarters building across
the way.
To an outsider It might seem an
event Of such discouraging unexpect-
edness as to daunt the most optimistic
but II was not so.
The newly equipped ''Y" club house
had been IN full possession Of the
Camp Baker boys Just four days and
five nights when the crash came
With nearly 500 crowding the hall
Thursday evening for the formal
house warming" the attendance had
totaled nearly 1000 up to Monday
night, when the opening session OF a
class IN French. under the direction
OF Prof. l. N. Hammond. had attract
ed nearly IS soldiers to the new
quarters.
the unpretentious but no less self sac
rificing fashion In which the y" staff
men are meeting the conditions IN
the camps. The building itself might
have fulfilled its intended use for
years, although Il was not new. Built
last year for the Ohio national guard.
Il was secured at a moderate sum- and
Just after Christmas, secretary Clark
started IN to renovate and refurnish H..
For two solid weeks, with the gen
erous aid OF men from the ranks Of
the gath and 39th field hospital
groups. he worked TO provide 4 home
like rendezvous for these men and
their comrades numbering more than
thousand. Although the usual con-
sentative appropriation for such
buildings initial needs could scarcely
be less than round thousand. with
the efficient help and cooperation &C
corded him, this figure was slashed at
least 80 percent
Every kind Of scrap was rounded
up. and made to do service. Waste and
AAeA-eAA ANAA A4AAA0EA " L0A4AAAAeA nue. ~
for tables. curiously gnarled mes
quite branches were improvised into
lamp and ink stands and fixtures,
and for holders OF various kinds.
while a young mason gladly con-
tributed his skin for nearly a week
in helping to build a really remark
able fire place out OF an ample sup
ply OF builders gathered from the sur
rounding country. The army mule
afforded some cast off shoes for the
crown OF the homemade andirons.
while a pail or two OF sea green stain
converted the new furniture from
rough, inartistic looking objects into
right handsome adjuncts to the requi-
site interior equipment
OF course the temporary shelter for
the boys in the much smaller head
quarters building is inadequate, but
all concerned are making the best of
il until matters can be remedied.
TUESDAY night (the very day Of the
'twister"l The ''Y'' camp Bible glass.
40 strong. rallied for a "go-ahead''
banquet in their temporary and
cramped meeting place and resolved
not to let the disaster interrupt the
/ 'E' program in the slightest