The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-04-05
OF SERVING
COUNTRY IS RELATED
Story Told By August G.
Meyer Of Mankato
LIKES LIFE IN The ARMY
Although He Is Manned Anxious
To Fight For Good
Cause
From Thursdayt Daily,

From Thursday Daily.
Life in the army is found very con-
genial by August c. Meyer, Jr., son
of the late mayor of MankatO, as fan
as he has had experience with it.
He has been connected with the base
hospital at Camp Doniphan, Okla
homa, since he was transferred there
last November. He came to Mankato
on furlough last Monday and ex-
poets to go back on Thursday of next
week. On his way back he will Wis
it at the home of his uncle, Robert
Meyer, at Albert Lea.
The young man is minus a finger
on the left hand. This was amputat-
ed on March IL on account of blood
poisoning and rottening of the bone
He was in the hospital with it fol-
seven weeks. The whole trouble start
ed with little scratch by brass pin
He was putting up papers and charts
at the time.
He declares that the doctors and all
others in authority at the hospital are
exceedingly careful and particular
about having all the men keep their
hands scrupulously clean and free
from infection, while engaged in such
work.
Wants to Continue in Service.
Whether he will be retained in the
hospital service, or what will be done
with him in view of the condition OF
his left hand, he does not know The
hand is still quite stiff, but he has
been told that it will timber up. He
knew of one young man that lost d
finger there and his hand became
stiff. That man was disch9/ged from
the service. Private Meyer says he
would rather continue to serve the
country in the military branch, if he
is wanted, but he does not wish to be
anywhere where he will be in the
way.
He is much pleased with the ex-
cellent care that is taken of every
thing and everybody in the hospital
The food and all the accommodations
are splendid.
The hospital is for the benefit o.
the soldiers at Camp Doniphan, who
number about $4,000. Last January
there were about /, 300 soldiers in the
| hospital. This was about as large g
number as he ever knew to be there
At the time he left for his furlougf
| the number was much smaller The
! soldiers are in the hospital from {
| variety of causes, some for diphtheria
some for scarlet fever, some fol
mumps and some for small poX, anc
others for other diseases. Many come
for operations. Soldiers are operated
on for appendicitis, ASSESSES, hernis
and many other ailments, the same as
in civil life.
The Regular Inspection.
There is a regular inspection of al
those engaged in the hospital work
The men are inspected every Saturday
Their bathing, the cleanness of theil
clothing and their beds, the cleannes:
of their teeth and other details are
looked into thoroughly. Negligence
is not tolerated at all.
The boys engaged at the hospita
are given their regular time off a
intervals. They often go to Lawton
Oklahoma, which is about six miles
from the hospital. Lawton is tow1
of about 5000 people. Like the res
of Oklahoma it is dry. There ar,
some of the boys at the camp wht
will go as much as fifty miles, ava!
down into Texas, in order to get /;
drink He, never knew or heard of ;
case of intoxication at Camp Doni
phan. If any such case should occur
it would be summary, death with
and the man would promptly go to tn,
guard house.
There is a street car line that runs
from Lawton to the hospital. CAM
Doniphan itself is about two miles
farther on. The travelling between
the hospital and the camp is done al
most entirely with automobiles, witt
which the hospital is amply supplied
At Camp Doniphan there are tn,
usual recreations that are supplied tt
army camps by the Y. M. C. A. ant
other agencies. The boys there a.
elsewhere have their football base.
ball, basketball and other games.
Will Organize Band.
The boys at the hospital ,.Sre COINS
| to organize a band and a football
team of their own. There are abou
400 boys assisting at the hospital
These are not all helping to take care
of the patients. Some are in the
kitchen, others in the office and there
is great variety of other duties thai
! they must take care Of. There are
about ninety women nurses at the
| hospital. The men who are actually
nursing number about 200 to 800.
The boys are required to be in bee
at 9 p. M, and to rise at $50 a. m
Their beds are all inspected at IL p
m and if the men are not right there
they will be called on to account fol
that fact the next day. OF course
they occasionally have passes to stay
out later.
| Private Meyer also speaks of the
aviation corps that is located about
three miles from the camp. Here there
are twenty-five aeroplanes that are
used for the practice work. The
,aeronauts fly all around the vicinity
and they do some great feats in the
way of dipping and looping.