The evening Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1918-1920, 1918-09-04
HAVING A NIGHT
At CAMP DEvENS
Visitors Tell How War Camp
Community Service Makes
Life Pleasant.
SOLDIERS ENJOY THEIR CLUB.
Tin Cover, Shovel and Cracker
Box Made an Orchestra.

Letters from the boys in training
camps tell, from time to time, of what
the War Camp Community Service is
doing for them and what its kindly
care of him means in strange sur
roundings far from home. After all,
they will tell you, the thing that they
misssthe 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
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 acqu1r-
ing this club spirit. Sometimes it Is
only really understood by the home
folks when they see its result with
their own eyes, as the writer's of the
following letters saw it recently in
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, 101 fremont
Street, Boston, Mass:
Dear J. L.:
Il am sending enclosed a copy Of
letter which was received by Heman
Burr, as l thought you would be inter
ested in it. We were told that one
could not really see the Club in action
unless we spent the night there, and,
therefore, Burr and l recently did
that it was the time of all others to
see the Club in action.
"Most of the men of the 10th Divf-
sion had left Camp, as the time when
we were there was shortly after the
18th of July In spite of that fact, the
Club House on that evening was
crowded. I should say there were
about 500 soldiers all together, includ-
ing those on the piazza. They were
using 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 on the
furniture and others were playing va
rfous musical instruments
"About o'clock one of them sat
down at the piano and played a rag
time. Three others had evidently Sc
cured from the kitchen the following
articles:
1 large tin over.eyidently from
the garbage HaFTel.
1 large trench sfibHe
/ empty cracker box. 49,.
'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, a bulldog of
enormous size, took special delight In
attacking the tin drum. They were all
laughing and singing, about 100 strong,
and the noise was simply tremendous,
and during all this the rest were quiet
ly reading, etc, and, as Burr said, there
was no necessity, at that time at any
rate, for anyone to try and amuse them.
II wish you could have seen this
sight. Burr says he. would not have
missed it for anything.
Every truly yours,
sc. B."
The letter to which the writer refer
red as an enclosure read as follows:
Dear Mr.. Burr:
II have just returned from Camp
Devens. where I was the guest of the
wonderful Club for Enlisted Men on
| Mr. Creed's invitation. You will,
| hope, excuse me for expressing my
very great surprise at the existence
not of the building, but of the real
Club feeling I found among the men
| The building is magnificent one fol
the purpose and the service and sup
| plies of the best, but the spirit of the
Club, Of the men, deserve all praise
| Ispent the night there and mixed free
" 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 a Wis
itor to write as l am writing, but I fell
! and feel I'd like to express my feeling
| of gratitude that your Committee ha.
so nobly helped the men at Devon!
| Camp. Mr.. Greed is one of my parish
toner's and friend, as we have known
each other for twenty odd years, and
| am heartily glad his work is such {
| success.
Il never enjoyed my visit anywher'
| more than-not even as much asa
Camp Devens, and as a guest of you
Enlisted Mems Club. / am
yours very truly,
''E. J. L. HUIGINN,
Rector St. Peters Church, Beverly
Mass"