The Huttig news., 1918-02-23
IlFF Al CAMP PIKE.
Irwin Funk Of Rogers Writes Interesting
 Letter from Soldier City.
Camp Pike. Feb. f8, 1918

Camp Pike, Feb. g, 1913.
 These are busy days with the army boys at Camp Pike. After two months of forced inactivity, due to the weather condition. dur ing which period the boys have done little or no real drilling. the camp is fairly dry again and the officers are pushing the men to the very limit to make up for lost time. Squad drill has been kept up most Of the time, and the boys and the officers have been getting a lot of theory. but now they are out by l companies, Battalions and regi l ments. and are getting ready for the rife range. Time is most l precious commodity when nation f is preparing a million men for the battle line, but If there is anyone in the world who can get more hours out of a cay or more minutes out of an hour, than a top sergeant from the regular army, don't want him for a boss. And that is where the top sefgeants at Camp Pike come from.
 But the work is welcomed by most of the men. There are men here who Lave been in quarantine ever since their arrival last fall. and they welcome anything that will give them a change in the daily program. Itzis small wonder that lot of Northern boys are cussing Arkansas, for they hold the state responsible for the weather, the quarantine and the occasional gfouehy officer. They didn't like -our dust, they didn't like our snow and they didn't like our mud Some of these days they are going to look back with longings for our Arkansas spring but you cant make them see it that way just now.
 The Y. M. c. A. buildings are crowded these days or rather evening. for they nave no time to visit them during the day. When darkness puts an end to the drill most of them are too tired to even want to come to town, and sold fer has to be tired or dead broke when the bright lights of Little Rock have no attraction for him. So he naturally gravitates to the 'Y to read, or to write or to play games, to listen to concerts of lec- lures, and many attend the various classes and religious services.
 A word as to the reading matter at Camp Pike. A lot of people are sencing magazines and periodicals there, but there is really too much cheap stuff and not enough of the better class. The Saturday Eve ming Posts have been welcome, but  they get too many of them, espec- ially the ones of last year. If you send Posts, don't send older than month back. There are literally tons of Posts stacked around the postoffice and other buildings. Don't send magazines that are made up chiefly of continued sto- ries, for the chances are against the soldier being able to get all the copies. Don't send dirty or torn copies. If the boys are entitled to anything, they are to the very best you can send. Don't send them by express or freight collect" for there is % one here with any mon- ey for that purpose,
 Writing home to his father, John Stafford, editor of the Springdale News, Lieut.. Guy s. Stafford says i
 in part: The Red Cross is a won derful organization, as well as the army Y. M. c. A. Don't you ever turn down an opportunity to lend them all possible aid and assist ance l had always rather looked upon them both as money grab bers, but nix on all such chatter