The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-01-05
GOOD TO THE BOYS
LIEUT.. Il. o. kAPS TELLS OF A
MERRY CHRISTMAS.

Chas. Singer is in receipt of the
following letter from his son-in-law,
Lieut.. (Dr.) F. o. Kaps:
Deming, N. NJ, Dec. 81, 1917.
Dear Folks: The last day of the
year finds me still in Camp Cody.
Wonder where all of us will be a year
from tonight? III it had not been for
SO much reorganization and instruc-
tons necessary we would have been
away before this. This is a national
guard division with no absolute
training before coming to this camp
which makes moving slow.
l must tell you about what the
Red Cross has done for us. Some
time ago | wrote Matte that this
camp had not received anything from
the Red Cross. About three weeks
ago every man in my company got a
sleeveless sweater, wristlets and Cog
giles. They were a tickled bunch.
They wanted to wear them over their
shirts. I had to tell them what the
regulations were three different
times before they finally gave it up.
Sweaters are either worn under the
shirt or over the shirt IL a blouse is
worn. In many of the packages were
the names of the maker, sometimes
knowledged by letters and they were
very particular about that letter.
Before l go on l might explain that
in the army our boys are called men.
Our Christmas in the army was
one grand affair. The men had a
greater variety of things for dinner
than l ever saw at anyone meal and
I have eaten some mighty good Xmas
dinners. The night before Christ
mas finds the men in the mess hall.
The officers had provided each man
with a gauze stocking filled with
candy and nuts. l made several of
these myself. All were cross stitch
ed along the seam with colored yarn.
We have a piano in the mess hall,
have our own orchestra and quartet,
also two very good readers. The
Mothers club, of st. Paul, sent lots
of eats and a pneumatic pillow for
every man including the officers.
You know the officers seldom get
anything. never from the Red Cross,
so we were made happy. too. The
first gifts to be distributed were joy
presents bought from the company
fund. very inexpensive gifts. just
things to produce laughter. 1t was
quite like the days when We were
Riddles at home. Lastly came the
Red Cross Xmas gift packages. l
shall give you a list of the things in
three kinds that l saw. Iowa, Colo
RADIO and California chapters were
represented in the sanitary train.
Iowa sent khaki bag with silk flag.
writing tablet, pencil. envelopes, 80
Scent stamps, standard novel, pound
box candy. diary. letter from donor,
game, shoe laces, soap, four packages
tobacco. There were slight varia-
tons In packages from different
states, but that is a good average of
the generosity displayed. 1t is need
less for me to tell you the men didn't
have time to be lonesome. The next
morning I saw two cases of moisten-
ed eyes. l asked the boys what was
wrong; 1t was just a case of sand
blowing in their eyes.
Well, 1t will be a case of getting
right down to the grind Wednesday
morning. Work has slowed up for a
week. shall be glad when things
move along again. The stockings
and the box from Matte reached me.
I want to thank you for them. With
best wishes,
Lieut.. +. o. Kaps,