The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1918-03-21
CAMP LIFE
Interestingly Described by Rev. A. 7
Stahl, Who Is Now Working
Among Soldiers at Camp
Mcclellan, Ala.

70 near from tnls camp, ] tneTeioIc
write you this letter.
Admission Is in the midst Of the
The government selected
this place because 1t is high and
healthy. l am told that $4,000 acres
were purchased by Uncle Sam for his
camp site. Beginning with the Re-
mount division and extending over the
ridges on through the
camp proper to the extreme end
where the rifle-range are must be
seven IL not eight miles. Main
gravel roads and many cross roads
are now built through all of this
tract Of land. Because Of the contour
of the land all these roads wind and
curve much to the beauty Of the place.
In addition to these main gravel roads
all Of which are given historical
there are other miles of short
er roads called company streets.
These are dirt streets about twenty
feet wide, well made and drained,
which run between the rows of COM
pany tents. Some of these company
streets extend back from the regimen
tai gravel road a half a mile. This is
so in the Ammunition Trains and in
the Heavy Field Artillery Battallons,
far back of the rows of tents will be
found the stables for mules and
horses and also the heavy ammunition
and artillery wagons. The ambulance
Trains and Field Hospital also have
longer streets than the infantry. One
evening I counted about hundred
auto-ambulance trucks back of the
tents of Field Hospital. No. 116.
These streets were made by the
boys in the camp. When such work
is done the boys wear blue overalls
instead of the khaki. The removing
Of stumps and the leveling of the
ground for the tents and for the drill
grounds is also largely done by the
boys of the camp.
The displeasing thing for a COM
pany Is for 1t to move from the place
they have fixed up to a new place in
the camp where they have the same
work to do over again. Sergeant Cush-
man Of 104 Ammunition train. told me
his men had been ordered to make
three moves. Each time leaving their
we'll made streets for some other COM
pany to enjoy while they had new
streets to build at each new place
They were just completing stree,
when l first called to see him. These
company streets where the tents are
are not used by vehicles but by the
men Of the company. In them they
form their line to answer to the roll
call in the morning after reveille and
In the evening at what is called re.
treat. All the ground about the com.
pany tents is kept free from any de.
bris. You could not find a piece OF
paper the size of a postage stamp mol
a cigarette stub in these company
streets nor in the regimental streets
either.
The, tents in which the soldiers are
billeted are 16x16 with a board floor
Sin men occupy a tent All have
canvas-covered cots. Every so often
these cots are set out in the company
street for an airing, more particular
ly to enable the boys to scrub and
re-oil their tent floor. 1t matters not
how dusty( and let me say the dust
raises here like Saraha sand Storm
this same work of airing the cots goes
on.
Ordinarily the cots are left on the
tent floor and the tent cover furled.
The dust settle In on everything.
You can dip 1t of of the cots with a
spoon. However the boys have gotten
use to 1t by now. Somehow II still
goes against by views in the matter.
1t will take me some time to get over
the sensation Of chewing sand.
/ have given you a rather lengthy
description Of the streets, will leave
for another writing a description OF
some Of the other things To me II is
all very interesting. sleep at "Y'
Building No 112 and get my meals in
the Y. NJ. C. A. mess shack. OF course
] have to pay for my meals though /
am given the room in which there is a
cot and a chair and an oil heater
The many nails on the bare walls
furnish me a clothes press and a
board on box makes my desk.
While I am writing, I hear the ar
tillery practice. II sounds like thun-
der. The heavy Artillery Battalion
No. 40 and 112 take their turns night
and day in the long range artillery
practices. The target is twelve miles
away from where the men station
their guns. have been within about
a half mile Of them when they dis
charge the six inch ball. The earth
shrakes at each shot They do not SCI
the target at which they shoot. but
are given its range. The result Of
the shot Is teIegraphed or telephoned
TO the gunners commander.
The rife range practice Ia also In.
terssting but ! have not time 10 de-
scribe that now. have been kep'