Mexico weekly ledger., 1918-07-04
CAPTAIN C. L. BLANKS
TELLS OF EXPERIENCE

TELLS Or EAT bNAE4NNE
Captain C. L. Blanks, Of the u. S.
NJ. R. c., who recently entered the U.
s. army service and is stationed at
Camp Grant, Rockford, ILL.,, writes the
Ledger the following most interesting
letter of his work and experience in
the service:
Dear Editor:
Imagine, if you will, four long
freight trains placed so as to form a
square.
Next take about fifty other shorter
trains, having double the usual a
width, and form them iLto rs, HIS and
Us. Place these at regular intervals
inside and out the original square, ESQ
that the groups will cover about ten
acres.) Now put in as many windows
as you can find room, build porches at
the end and on n side Of most of the
rs, and ventilate the top Of the cars
like passing in coaching, and you will
have a very good conception of the
connected portion of Base Hospital,
Camp Grant.
1t is the duty of the 20. D." to make
the rounds of the hospital Including
the detached wards) twice each night.
Knowing my time would come soon,
! accompanied him once, and by walk
ing rapidly we made It in exactly two
hours. II asked what has impressed me
most since my arrival would say:
first, the quietness Of the place; and
secondly, absence Of war discussion.
You heard more war talk this morning
while going from the Savings Bank to
Buckner's drug store than | have
heard since arriving in camp.
One day the hundred or so doctors
from headquarters were taken a couple
Of weeks south, where an elaborate
system of trenches Is miles in ALI
have been constructed as a defense
against an enemy attack upon Rock
ford from the south" We crawled
through barbed wire entanglements,
zigzagged along first, second, third
and fourth line trenches, tumbled into
shell c%raters, drank soda in a Y. NJ. c.
A. dugout thirty feet under ground,
and then liked it across No Mans
Land to the waiting autos. l wish you
might see this science and Yankee in
genuity. When explained by a past
master you will agree that there is
more to the game than you though.
We have had but one warm day
since I came, and the nights are very
cool. Wheat and corn are not nearly
so advanced as in Missouri, but look
good.
Eighteen thousand additional re-
cruits came in this week, Just when
two of u four eye-men are away.
Am expecting very heavy work until
they are examined, this being a rush
order.
You have heard a good deal about
the so-called Army red tape. Well,
there is such thing, and it's very per-
picking to the new man. l happened to
l." ward surgeon of Ward AZ, and yes
terday a young soldier was brought in
with an injury to the eye. To my doc
tor friends shall give my diagnosis:
lncised wound Of the entire left cornea
from o to 3 o'clock. Protrusion of a
large section Of the iris and loss Of
small portion Of viterous accidentaIlv
caused by being struck in the W with
the edge Of a tin basin thrown bv n
companion while engaged in sport. at
Barracks No. 3, Camp Grant. m
June %, 500 p. m.
This was a perfect specimen If
young manhood-never sick a dav in
ms l~ife-yet he was examined physi-
caily' and every organ specifically
passed upon. All chemical and labor
atory tests were made, and recorded.
. lie was tested to find IL he was a DOS.
Y slble or other contagious carrier. The
! exact amount Of eocain used locally.
t the time of beginning the operation
: lexeising protruding iris) and the
! time 1t was finished-all Of these were
made in triplicate and must corres.
l pond with report from sick and wound.
. ed office as they will come back for
correction. And lastly, it must be
stated II in line of duty or not. This
IS no all but will give you an idea,
Sounds red tapey, don't It? But list
en-:
After the war(?) when Sam Locke
and Morris Dry get to Congress-. this
. soldier widow will apply for a pension
on the ground that her late husband
lost his sight while mixed I'D in the
skirmish between William and the rest
OIL mankind, and some $50 Government
clerk will unearth report No. 60 multi.
million, written at Camp Grant by an
M H. C., which may materially modify
the results Of the above mentioned
y Congressmen's frantic efforts to make
uncle San come across with the funds
necessary to buy the widow a new ont
ut IN which to go scouting for hubby
No. 2.
y all very interesting, very fas.
cinating, and surely the cause is lust.
There are times, however, when the
days work is ended, and I stand al
attention as Old Glory comes down
from the pole, and again when l have
eaten the very best Of evening dinners
~'n''ening to an orchestra led by a