Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-08-12
NEWS BOUNDING
GREAT BOON TO NJ.
c. FISHER IN ARMY

work at Rock Island. where by close
application to duty and instructive
newspaper ability he won his way TO
the city editorship of the Argus, is at
/ Sparta, Wis, with a National Army
artillery unit. isher in ii letter to his
old paper tells of the new life. In
commenting upon his military train
/ ing the Argus in copying excerpts
from Fishers letter says:
: Writing from Camp Robinson at
Sparta. Wis, To his old associates in
the editorial rooms Of The Argus.
4 Milton G. Fisher, city editor OF the
paper now a soldier in the artillery
section, tells OF the advantage his
newspaper training has proven to him
in the service OF the country. Fisher
came TO The Argus from Ottawa H..
as reporter few years ago, and by
dint OF perseverance. industry and
brain work. won the city editors desk
in which capacity he was serving when
the draft caught him and whizzed him
away 10 Camp Grant at Rockford.
There his capacity for certain specific
lines of work seems 10 have been re-
cognized and ne was soon attached to
heavy artillery and transferred 10
Camp Robinson. Fisher is happy in
/ the thought that he has been given
duties in which he may prove his use
fulness in helping to win the war, as
HE letter indicates.
In the course of Ais letter Fisher
states that he has been assigned TO
the scout section OF the headQuarter'S
/ company. and he doubts if there is
any other special line of work in the
army that would appeal TO him more,
remarking that if he had typewriter
there, he would very quickly show
wherein the activities of heavy
held artillery scout are practically
pararell to newspaper work 1t is SO
much so, he says, that in his regiment
there are three former city editors in
the scout section, one from the Fort
Dodge (lowal Messenger, the Roches-
ter tMinn) Herald, and himself. One
lovely feature Of the scout detail Is
that it covers various lines. For in
stance, they get on high hills and
draw panoramic sketches of the
country before them designing every
thing OF military importance They
maze maps, road maps and place
sketches and are instructed in artil-
lery fire data, which has to do with
the aiming of the guns. They do pa
troll work and also observe the result
of the fire, in order to see that the
shots hit the enemy targets aimed at
Fisher recalls that it was one of the
pet theories OF his editor that four
years of practical experience careful
~ applied in newspaper Office will
serve as well in many instances as a
college education. The Argus city
editor states that in his war service
he has proved this theory, for IN the
/ five men assigned to the scout sec
ton last week, two We're college men,
one a Mime sofa L.. and the other a
e., Of Pennsylvania Both were fresh
in higher mathematics, solid geoma-
try and trigonometery, and one was
an architect They started in the
scout class before Fisher did, but h.
went to work not knowing what was
being talked of or done. and was NOT
afraid to ask questions and watch
closely. The instinct of the news
paper men asserted itself with the re-
he can work artillery fire data prob.
lens without paper and pencil, where,
as the mdthematicians are still busy
with figures after he is done The
artillery gunners. he explains, do not
see what they are shooting at. Often
a Hill is in front OF them, the object
being beyond This is located by OF,
ticers and srouts back of the guns or
on the side. They then measur the
various angles and fix the distances
and after this is figured, the gun IS
placed in action.
Mr. Fisher asserts that his Qualifi
cations or quickly grasping the situa
tiOn he learned in his newspaper
training, and he SAYS such success
he has had makes him feel as if he
might be in position to do some.
thing worth while in the army.
Anoter part of scout work he likes i
that it permits one to retain a part OF
Mis- individuality. The scouts are not
working at the guns They are away
from them either at the battalion
commanders station or observation
point. as it is called, with the officers.
or they are out scouting around, al
ways on the alert You feel less the
part Of machine that one does if he
is at a field piece lifting shells.
He gives an idea of days work.
They get mp at $50 a. m. They have
revcille At j:i5 They eat breakfast
at $50 From : to they have signal
work of the semaphore and wgwag
type From S to . they 60 on home
hin and make panoramic sketches
TO IN artillery fire data problems 10
to 1890 road map class: 1890 to
ll:@} dismounted drill ANA cali ,then.
les. Then they are off until $780, eat
Ing dinner in the meantime 100 TO
30 panoramic sketches. $50 to $3.50