The Cordova daily times. [volume] (Cordova, Alaska) 1914-1947, 1919-07-07
PATTEN GIVEN
WRITE-UP BY
CAMP PAPER

entered the war is best shown in the
following article from Garry On, a
newsy and well edited weekly pub
lished for the officers and enlisted
men of Camp Pike, Arkansas:
The army camp is like a large river
with many tributaries of all sizes, and
like the river, the Importance or com
mercial value of the tributary does
not necessarily depend on the size, for
the smaller streams may be deeper
and dams may be built to supply city
after city with electricity, while the
larger stream is so broad that such
:, project is not practical; therefore the
smaller is by far the more important.
In Camp Pike there is camp signal
detachment with one officer and two
sergeants, yet this is one of the most
important organizations in the camp,
as our whole system of communication
depends on it. Every telephone in the
camp is under the supervision of Capt.
R. L. Patton, camp signal officer. All
communication regarding this work
must go through this office for indorse-
ment
The Southwestern Bell Telephone
Company hires all operators in the
camp, makes all installations and re-
pairs, but this is under contract. There
must be some government organiza
ton to check their work and see that
all work is carried out according to
contract, also to care for the collec-
tions of the military bills for calls and
to properly place the responsibility of
all calls, and the operators Of the camp
are under the direct orders Of the
camp signal officer, though paid by the
Bell people This guarantees the best
service possible in the camp, as there
is a military head to look to as respon-
sible for any shortcomings. However,
the chief operator and operators at
w
with the military authorities in such
a way that suggestions were all that
have ever been necessary.
There are three classes of tele
phones, according to the reports Of
the camp signal officer. They are
Glasses A, B and c. Glass A has I'M
limited service. Glass B is limited
to camp only, while Glass G is limited
to Little Rock calls.
Captain R. L. Patton, our camp sig
nal officer, was born near Cabot, Ark
July 80, 1876 His father, Hon. A. J.
Patton, was a prominent farmer Of
Lonoke county, Arkansas, and was at
one time member of the state legis-
1ature. Captain Patton has many rela-
Gives residing in LonOke and Pulaski
counties. William Patton, an uncle
of Captain Patton, was before his
death a wealthy merchant of Cabot,
Ark His wife, Aunt Bette Patton,
still resides in Cabot, surrounded by
Patton family.
Captain Patton enlisted in the First
Texas volunteer infantry as a private
in June, 1898, and served during the
Spanish war in Cuba, later
enlisting in the regular army and serv-
ing in the Philippine islands with the
Eighteenth infantry. He also served
with the Third United States in Alaska
in 1904 and 1905; was transferred to
the signal corps as a telegraph and
cable operator in 1906, and since then
he has served continuously in the sig
nal corps.
Up to the time the United States
entered the world war he was a mas
ter signal electrician, the highest rank
of non-commissioned officer in the
tary cable and telegraph office at Cor
dova, Alaska.
Captain Patton was commissioned
first lieutenant, signal corps, July 8,
lit. On November Z, l9l(, ne was
promoted to captain and assigned to
the radio company Of the 315th field
artillery, Goth division, as commander,
at Camp Travis, Texas.
He sailed for France as commander
of this organization in June, 1913, and
took part in the st. Miniel drive in
September, 1918. He was recommend
ed tor promotion and returned to the
States to organize a new battalion.
He organized and later demohiliZed
the 428th railroad telegraph battalion
at Franklin cantonment, Camp Meade,
Md. He was then assigned to duty as
camp signal officer, Camp Pike, Ark
Sergeant First Glass George c.
Mitchell is Captain Patton's chief
CLARK Ho wac inductnd into tha Snrv.