The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-04-26
LETTERS FROM The 7lp
BOYS IN ARMY CAMPS

! Z
d. E. Walker, agent at the Mil :
waukee freight depot, is in receipt
of the following letter from Lyle
w. Scoville of Company C, 319th
field signal battalion:
Camp Sherman, Ohio, April IT,
Dear Friend Dan:-I have about
thirty minutes before it. is time to
turn in, so | will give you little
spiel. | got card from Summers
| today but have not heard from Carl.
Things are about as usual. We
are still in quarantine. l don't know
whether I mentioned it to you before
or not, but we have about forty in
the hospital with scarlet fever. All
are mild cases, but it keeps us shut
up just the same Just about tEs
day we are to be released, another
case breaks out.
"Out of my two months of army
life so far, seven weeks have been
funny rules in the army and that is
one
1--WE have regular drill with the
rest but can't leave the barracks on
our own time, even to go to the cam
teens. l have had hell of a time
ito get smoke, but | managed to
get one of the fellows who was on
coal detail one day to go over to
the canteen and get me some.
/ 81 have been pretty busy, though.
writing letters, as l have around
twenty five correspondents in Mimi
eapolis. AS rule, l get from three
to five letters every day, and,
believe me, they are welcome.
ut looks as though we lost our
chance of going over for the time
being at least We were all packed
and definite date set for moving,
and, l understand, train schedule
arranged, but scaret fever put the
kibosh on the whole works. Sore
days now we are going over ct once,
and the next day a rumor is afloat
that we will be here all summer. I
have stopped thinking or caring and
am not going to be surprised at any
thing that happens.
1--WE are getting physical exam
nations nearly every day, mostly in
tell any one of us in the dark.
"The daily program is about as
follows: 7:45 to a. M, road hike
with full packs; $50 to 1890, tele-
graph; 10:30 to 1880, platoon or
company drill; 1 to 2:30 p. M, tele-
graph; to 1880, visual signalling
(flags); 4:30 to $50. recreation.
Beginning tomorrow night we are,
to have night hikes of seven and al
half miles to start with, Full packs,
too, so it's not exactly fun. One
blessing, though, we don't have to,
carry around rifle and bayonet.
All of the arms used in the signal
corps is Colt As.
81 am certainly glad to be out of
the infantry, as the drill there is
hell, especially during the warm
and with underwear and
socks fit for a Canadian woodsman
in January. This seems to be
picked branch of the service most
of the men are enlisted. We wouldn't I,
have had ghost of a show, only
the fact that operators are needed
and needed badly. 1t won't be any
thing soft, though, in France, as we
are an outpost company and go up
as far as listening posts in No Mans
land. and have several stations in
the front lines. l am getting the
fever right.
'sThe country down here is very
perry, with lots of hills and fine
roads, but l don't like the climate.
Every time there is a north wind, ,
which has been nearly every day, |
we get a wind off Lake Erie, which
is so damp person can smell it..
The whole bunch have. had colds
more or less.
"One thing noticeable here is the
slow easy gait the people take. You
don't see any of the Minnesota pep.
wouldn't trade Minneapolis for al
the cities in Ohio, unless it's Cleve-
land, which have never seen. Dayton
is nice little place, but | am not
keen about Columbus