The Press., 1918-10-17
l HAVING 4 NIGHT
 | AT CAMP DEvENS
Visitors Tell How War Camp Community Service Makes
 Life Pleasant.
oLDlERS ENJOY THEIR CLUB.

Tin Cover, Shovel and Cracker
 Box Made an Orchestra.
 @~, Letters from the boys in training l camps tell, from time to time, of what the War Camp Community Service is doing for them and what it's kindly | care of him means in strange sur | rOundings far from home. After all they will tell you, the thing that they miss the most in camp Is the home feeling, without which all Is loneliness, | that real loneliness that cuts deep and | for which there Is no help until new | comrades and new Interests produce | what may be called a club spirit that l sends each lad in khaki to his daily | work with smile on his lips. But the letters home do not always picture just how the boys are acauir- ing this club spirit. Sometimes it Is only really understood by the home folks when they see its result with l their own eyes, as the writers of the
 
 Camp Devens, at Aver, Mass, where the Soldiers Club, established and maintained by the War Camp COmmu. | nifty Service has become a second | home to the men in service:
 Joseph Lee, President War Camp Community Service, 1O1 Fremont
 Street, Boston, Mass;
 Dear J. L.;
 T am sending enclosed a copy of letter which was received by Heman EurF, as 1 thought you would be inter- csted in It. We were told that one could not really see the Club in action unless we spent the night there, and. herefOre, Burr and I recently did pass the night theFe, and we realized hat 1t was the time Of all others tn see the Club in action.
 Most of the men of the 76th DiVi, sion had left Camp, as the time when we were there was shortly after the trh of July In spite of that fact, the Club House on that evening was rroWded I should say there were about 500 soldiers all together, ipGlud- ing those on the piazza. They were 1sng all the facilities of the Club. They were two or three deep at the canteen getting food. They were writ ing, reading, some were asleep or the furniture and others were playing va- riOus musical instruments.
 About o'clock one of them sat lOWn at the piano and played 2 rag time. Three others had evidently se- cured from the kitchen the following articles ~.,.
 large tin cover, evidently from
 the garbage barrel.
 large trench shovel.
 empty cracker box.
 They each had two sticks, on which they beat these articles with great Vigor in perfect time to the mu- sic. Men crowded around and joined in singing. One mascot, bulldog of "nOrmous size, took special deli attacking the tin drum. They W laughing and singing, about 100 and the noise was simply tremeifd6Gs, and during all this the rest were quiet Iy reading, etc, and, as Burr said, there was no necessity, at that time at any rate, for anyone to try and amuse them.
 Y wish you could have seen this sight Burr says he would not have missed it for anything.
 Very truly yours,
 "G. B."
 The letter to which the writer refer red as an enclosure read as follows: Dear Mir Burr:
 T have just returned from Camp Devens, where was the guest of the wonderful Club for Enlisted Men on MT. Creed's invitation. You will, I hope, excuse me for expressing my very great surprise at the existence, not of the building, but of the real Club feeling l found among the men. The building is magnificent one for the purpose and the service and SUD- plies of the best, but the spirit of the ClubS of the men, deserve all praise. spent the night there and mixed free ly with the men, talking about things to interest them, and I found a uni form and very high appreciation of the Club and its value to the men.
 "Of course it Is not usual for wis ltOP Co Wflte AS am writing, but felt and feel I'd like to express my feeling of gratitude that your Committee has so nObly helped the men at Devens Camp. Mr. Creed is one of my parish- toners and friend, as we have known each other for twenty odd years, and am heartily glad his work is such a success.
 T never enjoyed my visit anywhere more than-nOt even as much as-at Camp Devens, and as a guest of your Enlisted Mems Club. I am
 Yours very truly,
 "E. J. U. HUIGINN. Rector St. Peters Church, Beverly, Mass"
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