The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-07-08
Some 5000 North Dakotans
Will Go to Michigan in
July Call =
$50 MEN NOW
ARE TN CAMP
Expected 85th Division
Will Have Moved on
: When Dakotans Arrive
By Burr Osborn.

EDITOR OF camp custer Edition OF
Trench and Camp
Camp Custer, July S.-Before SO
very long some 5000 North Dakota
Custer headed for the introduction
to our well known National army.
Probably most Of these lads know lit
tie about army camps in general and
still less about this particular can,
torment and so as one Of the orig
inal inhabitants of the village l am
extending these few words of m
formation and greeting to the selects
from North Dakota who are sched-
uled to come to Custer the latter
part Of July.
Camp Custer is located in the
southern part of Michigan about sew
en- miles west of the city Of Battle
Creek. Although the Michigan Cen
trail railroad runs through the north
ern part Of the cantonment there is
no station and trains on this road
do not stop in camp. The only rail-
way into camp is the electric line
from Battle Creek operated by the
Michigan Railway company. Jitney
buses run to the limits Of the camp
and a jitney line is in operation in
side the camp. %a
= Detrain at Battle Creek.
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 barracks. Here they will
leave their train and go Immediate
ly to the receiving station where they
will have a preliminary examination
and will be assigned to a barrack
temporarily. Within the next few
days they will receive a complete
physical examination, incubation
against typhoid and vaccination for
smallpox. For two weeks they will
be in quarantine although that term
in this camp does not imply the
complete isolation that 1t does in
civilian life.
The buildings at Camp Custer are
numbered beginning at the easterly
end of the camp and extending to
the westerly end At present the
cantonment is occupied by the 85th
division of the National army. but
it is expected that by the time the
Dakota men reach here this
division will be on it's way "over
there" Just now we have some s.
600 men housed in tents as well as
about $4,000 in barracks.
Many Agencies at Work.
When the boys from North d.
kota arrive they will find the army
Y. NJ. C. A. on the job and anxious
to serve them in every way possible.
The Y. has eight huts for enlisted
men in this camp. They are num-
bered SO, 181, 303, AS. 605, $50, 1853
and Base Hospital station. 1t would
be a good stunt for members OF the
increment coming here to jot those
a arrival
UP the nearest Y, building at the
first opportunity.
The Y. M. c. A. offers many kinds
of service. A chap can get station
cry, stamps. magazines. books, ath-
letic equipment and newspapers
there. Each hut has piano and a
victrola. During the week there are
movies. educational lectures, reli-
gious services, musical entertain
ments and athletic programs in the
huts and on the outdoor platforms
These are all absolutely free. One
of the first uses which new soldier
finds. for the Y. Is when he gets
ready to send home his civilian
clothes. Then he goes to the Y. for
paper, string and parcel post stamp.
On recent occasions more than six
tons of civilian clothes. being sent
home by soldiers. have been shipped
from a single hut in one day.
Weekly Paper Published.
A weekly newspaper called
Trench and Camp is printed by the
Y. M. c.. A. and 5000 copies are dis
tributed free to the soldiers. This
little paper carries all the camp news
of interest and the men are urged to
send it home because it tells SO much
more than letter could include. The
association publishes editions of
Trench and Camp" in 80 camps and
environments of the United States.
Dakota boys will find plenty. of
entertainment near at hand when
they are allowed to leave camp. At
Battle Creek there are a number Of
soldiers clubs as we'll as an army
Y. Nj. G. A. building located in the
downtown district. Kalamazoo,
which is II miles from camp on the
west, is also we'll equipped with well
fare stations to serve Camp Custer
soldiers