Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1918-05-16
DRAFTED MEN FOR
MECHANICAL SCHOOL
Three Hundred and Eighty of
Them, from All Parts of Yer.
mont, Begin Course of Train.
in at University to Meet Gov.
ernment's Needs

Three hundred aand eighty young
men, including 60 from Chittenden county,
who last night slept In their own homes.
will bunk together tonight as soldiers
of the great national army Of the United
States Of America. in the gymnasium or
Converse hall at the University Of YER
mont.
| They are the drafted men from the ex-
emption boards in the various counties
cal training at the university at the ex-
pense Of the government. The govern
| ment needs such men badly and when the
| need was not filled by volunteers then the
government had to establish a school to
instruct these men for the positions which
were not filled.
Chittenden county will send the largest
| number of draftees. because her quota
calls for So men. The smallest from any
county will be two, which will be sent by
Essex county. The first Of the men will
arrive this morning about ten o'clock,
they probably being the Chittenden coun-
ty increment. 1t is expected that about
l3o to $50 men will be present for their
first military dinner.
The men coming from the various coun-
ties follows: Addison county. 81; Ben
| nington. q; Caledonia county. 20; Chitten-
den county, 60; Essex county, 2; Franklin
county. q now two later); Grand Isle
county. A. Lamoille county. 9; Orange
county. 10; Orleans county. "a; Rutland
county. 3S; Washington county, 46; Wind
ham county, 20. and Windsor county, Sc.
The total makes $50 civilian soldiers.
Mess will be served to the men in ar ad-
ditions which has been built to Commons
hail. The new addition is 1870 feet long
and about so feet wide. 1t contains Sc ia
| bles. IS being on each side with a large
aisle between. Each table is made to seat
10 men. five being placed on a side. There
are numerous windows in the mess house.
each being screened, and the doors as
well. The tables are Of wooden planks
and the seats are benches. both being ar
ranged so that 1t is possible to wash out
the house very easily.
The kitchen will furnish meals for the
Signal Corps and the new drafted men as
we'll. There have been two cooks and
several assistants for the Signal Corps
and these strengthened by two additional
cooks and a total of Is assistants will dc
the cooking for the 500 odd men. The
Signal Corps will continue to mess In the
Commons Hall. while the new addition
will be devoted to the drafted men.
A completely furnished modern kitchen
with electric dish washing machines
! bread mixer, meat grinders. etc, has beer
| installed. A 40 foot addition has been made
| to the kitchen room. All the cooking is
done by gas ranges. The entire kitchen
| arrangement and the supervising Of the
food and its preparation is left in the
hands Of Mrs. E. r. Donoway. who has
| served the students at the old Commons
Hall for more than six years. Mrs. Dono.
| way is right up to the minute with the
modern times in her arranged menus and
the soldiers don't go hungry unless they
feel SO inclined for she has always given
| them plenty Of good. wholesome food.
One hundred Of the men are to be quar-.
| tered in the center Of Converse Hall with
| the Signal Corps in the north and south
| wings. The other $50 men are to bunk ir
the gymnasium Of the university. Each
| man will be given an iron cot with good
| springs. a bed sack full Of straw and the
| usual blankets. The beds arrived yester.
day and were placed in the gymnasium.
The men will arrive during the day and
| 1t is expected that about 300 will be presen,
| for the supper mess. the other 80 ar.
irving during the evening.
| Just who will re the commander of the
school was not known at late hour LAS
| night. 1t has been intimated from var
ious sources that Captain Murray B
| Dilley. present commandant Of the Sigma
| Corps, will be commandant of all tn,
national army forces at the university
but that a commander will come from
Camp Devens to take charge Of the schoo
itself.