The weekly times-record. (Valley City, N.D.) 1912-1922, 1918-07-11
NO. DAKOTA BOYS
! ATCAMP CUSTER
(By Burr Osborn, Editor Of a.amp
Custer Edition of "Trenrh and

(By Burr Osborn, Editor Of Camp
Custer Edition Of "Trenrh and
Camp.")
Camp Custer, Mich, July s.-Bafore
i so very long some 5000 North Dako--
ia boys will be on their way to Camp
Custer headed for the Introduction to-
our we'll known National ASny
Probably most of these lads know ht--
tie about army camps in general and
still less about this particular can
; inhabitants of the village s2m e0--
tending these few words Of infns1n;a
ton and getting to the se]arts from
! North Dakota who are scheduled to
come to Custer the latter part Of .}uly.
Camp Custer is located in the
,, southern part of Michigan about sevep
miles west Of the city of Battls Creek
Although the Michigan Central rail
road runs through the northern Part
OF the cantonment there is no station
and trains on this road do not sIop In
camp. The only railway into eanrp
is the electric line from Battle Greek
operated by the Michigan Railroad Co.
Jitney buses run to the Limits 0f the
camp and jitney line is in uIer2rion
inside the camp.
When the Dakota boys arrive after
their trip east they will be switched
into camp on a siding running up
from Battle Creek and will strike the
extreme easterly end of the barracks.
Here they will leave their train and &c
Immediately to the receiving station
where they will have preliminary
examination and will be assigned to =
barrack temporarily. Within tha next
few days they will receive a complete
physical examination, lnnoG DhaEion
against typhoid and vaccination for
smallpox. For two weeks they will be
in quarantine although that term i'm
this camp does not imply the cernp@te
| isolation that it does in civilian life.
The buildings at Camp Custer are
numbered beginning at the easterly
end of the camp and extending to thu,
westerly end. At present the canton
ment is occupied by the 85th Division
of the National Army but it is expect
ed that by the time the Dakota men
reach here that this Division will be
on it's way "over there" Just now we
have some 5000 men housed in tents
as we'll as about $4,000 in barracks
When the boys from North Dakota
arrive they will find the Army Y M.
C. A. on the job and anxious to serve
them in every way possible. The T.
has eight huts for enlisted men In
this camp. They are numbered &c.
1S1, 303, 445, COS, $50, 1869 and Base
| Hospital Station. 1t would he 3 guo2
stunt for members of the increment
coming here to jot those numberE
down and on arrival look up the near
est Y. building at the first oppnrtnn
ity.
The Y. M. C. A. offers many kindz
: of service. A chap can get stationery.
stamps, magazines, books, athletic
! equipment and newspapers there
Each hut has a piano and 3 v5rtru}z.
During the week there are rnovieSs
educational lectures, religious services
musical entertainments and athletic
, programs in the huts and ont the out-
! door platforms. These are all abso-
lutely free. One of the first useE
which new soldier finds for the Y
| Is WIlcIl lC SCCo 1CAuy w SCAo AOh1&~
his civilian clothes. Then he goes to
to the Y. for paper, string and parcel
post stamp. On recent occasionk
more than six tons of civilian elothex,
being sent sent home by soldiers,
have been shipped from single hut
in one day.
A weekly newspaper called "Treneh
and Camp" is printed by the = D. e,
A. and 5000 copies are distrlbuteS
free to the soldiers. This little paper
carries all the camp news OF interest
and the men are urged to snd it home
because it tells so much more than 4
letter could include. The Association
publishes editions of "Trench ana
Camp" in 80 camps and environments
of the United States.
Dakota boys will find plenty Of en-
tertainment near at hand when they
are allowed to leave camp. At Battle
Creek there are number Of sohierSS
clubs as we'll as an Army Y. NJ. c. A.
building located in the downtown dig
trict.