The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1918-10-17
E1tes o. Lie u
Camp Humphreys


Mr.. Guy u. Hardy, Canon City, Colo
Dear Mr.. Hardy-.Just few lines to
let you know I'm atill on earth and
enjoying army life.
It may be of interest for you 20
know that Camp A A. Humphreys.
va. grew mp over night. This 8
governments land. quite heavily
wooded and about IL miles square
on the banks Of the Potomac. the
first barracks were put In here about
January /. There was no water. sew
erage or anything for comfort or
cleanliness. but the change wrought
in that short time woulud almost as-
tound the world.
The trees have been cut, stnmps
grubbed and barracks. Y. M. C. A., X.
of C huts and several canteens have
been erected. giving this an appear
ance OF very modern city about tue
size Of Pueblo. Nearly all this work
has been done by the soldiers.
We have a very good water works
system. which supplies plenty of
water for all our needs.
An electric system which furnishes
light for all the barracks and build
ings besides lighting all streets and
alleys. There are six large Y. NJ.
C. A. buildings at Camp Humphreys
and one X. OF c. building. One Y.
N. C. A. Is supposed to take care Of
three or four companies. but they are
hardly large enough TO properly care
for all at any time One Y is equal
ly as large as any two Of Canon City's
theater buildings One of the sec
retaries here lived in Canon City in
Aoo3. He said his father owned
what is now the Robinson estate on
the south side l think his name IS
Stanley and he especially remem-
bered the Rockafellows and several
OF the old;imers. He is located at
entertainment of one kind or another
at the various Us. Nearly all of the
talent is local. or in other words. fur
nished by the soldiers. l have lis
tened to concerts given at the hollow
Gust platform built in a hollow
with sIoping hill on either side)
which would cost you at Canon City
to hear anything equally as good.
about $50 seat.
This ought to give you some idea
OF the class of people that goes to
make up Uncle Sans army. One of
the men who is very popular here IS
called Happy Jack" and before en-
listing san gfor the Edison company.
He has n rich baritone voice and puts
a great deal of feeling in his songs.
You can imagine what sight IL is to
see from 10000 to $4,000 men sitting
on hillside listening to one of these
programs.
have never seen anything like II
before and my hrst impression was Of
the Master feeding the 5000. One
night l heard Lillian Russell sing al
this place for the boys. Occasionally
We have some notable in to entertain
US. Tonight we have a good bill on
at hut 244. but we were just placed
in quarantine and cannot leave the
company area. SO no shows for the
boys tonight. This was done or
account of an epidemic of Spanish in
huenza. or to use an American name
I'd call it the grip.
There have been n few serious
cases. however. SO IL was thought ad
visable TO quarantine us in order tc
prevent the spread OF the disease. We
were billed to leave for overseas .
week ago. but have been detained or
account OF 1t. and may possibly re
main here another week or so.
To see the men ut drill on the pa
rade grounds is quite sight. The
drilling is of y very intensive nature
and conducted mostly by men who
have been overseas for at least a
year.
The bayonet drill Is especially in
terestinr. for when we are in close
quarters with the Huns we have tc
use some other means than shells tc
save our lives. They have dummy
Huns hanging from large cross beams
and are taught the best method oi
approach and the proper jabs to get
him before he gets u.s. Sometimes
the men enter into this game sc
heartily that they break their bayo
nets pulling them out OF the dummy
Huns. That means they are goine
at IL with vengeance and intend tc
mako y rr,nd toh nj n