The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-11-01
Very Few Soldiers are Left There to
Guard Stores and Supplies and
Buildings are Being
Raced.
IT IS ONLY A MEMORY
Where 5000 Soldiers Were Once En-
camped and Trained There are
Now Less Than 600 on
Duty.

! Keokuk and Lee county boys who
served IN the world war and who at
soae time during their enlistment
were stationed IT Camp Dodge viii
be interested N the following de-
iscrsption Of The present camp as de-
picIed ny recent visitors 10 the camp:
Silent ali but deserted, n dreary
stretch Of wooden SfacEs in Jhe mids.
of the duh gold and sor2brc reds and
greens of the autumn prairie stands
Camp Dodge complete and impos-
ing contrast TO the Camp Dodge OF
two years ago Two years ago Camp
Dodge, about fifteen miles ont of Des
M.Sines, was one of the nerve centers
OF the nation, stirred with thousands
of boys intent on 2 brfe. period OF
training to fit them for over there,
for the battlefelds Of Europe IT at
tracte6 TO it as do ali such swift
moving organizations. mszes OF re-
lated industries and interests Be
sides the thousands of soldiers in
khaki, there were the nurses. the
welfare workers. the clerks, the me-
ichanics. the officials Of a hundred
different sorts.
Many Visitors.
And there were the swarms OF
visitors 1t is estimated that when
Camp Dodge was at its height there
we're more than 5000 men there.
Today there are about 500 men al
Camp Dodge These men are there
primarily to guard the property still
stored at the camp. AMI to gather
ment to I'll parts Of The country.
Dat G-r.S ~
I'D their cavalary drill. I hey COM
prise Troops T. K. Z and n, part
of the machine gun troop and the
quartermasters and medical corps of
the Fourteenth cavalry regiment
Lieutenant Colonel r. c. NcNally is
In command % the camp. Lieutenant
J. T. Menzie is his adjutant
Colonel McNally declares that the
equipment stilI remaining at Camp
Dodge Is worth millions of dollars
This includes electrical apparatus,
plumbing hxtures-hundreds Of type
writers-the most modern and expen-
sive OF medical instruments and hos
pital supplies N addition to the regu-
lar army properties.
Men Cleaning Up.
His men are guarding this wealth
and gradually bringing it in from the
far corners Of the camp preparation.
to its shipment.
Many of the buildings are being
salvaged. Some transportable ones
have been returned to the organiza
tons that Installed them, such as the
K. of G! building. Others are beins
sold to wrecking companies. and to
various communities throughout the
country which can find use for them.
But although all this is good solid
activity. very little OF 1t is apparent
to the casual observer. Camp Dodge
looks painfully idle and lonesome.
The center Of activity seems to be
the old headquarters of the military
police IN the stables IN this vfcinIt,
are the 225 horses now at the camp
and in this group can be seen groups
Of khaki-clad figures. Then, too, IN
the old officers headquarters. INV
the officers mess room and the quail
tiers OF Colonel NcNafly men can be
seen moving about and the rattle Of
dishes heard. Here and there through
out the camp form In a window, a
few flowers in the front yard or
GONE other small sign denotes a
building not yet abandoned. Down on /
the Polo field there Is drill at various !
times during the day. but the soldiers |
Iook like but lost handful compared |
TO the close and excessive ranks of |
by-gone days.
Three Miles Of Shacks.
For the rest--there are three miles |
of drab wooden barracks and ware /
houses, a barren monochrome. Build 1
'rgs once the gayest are now de-
serted, sagging. Down at the inter. (
urban stations q few lads wait for /
the trains to come in--trafns that 1
perhaps now leave one or two pas
sengers day where formerly they |
eft hundreds q trip. Occasionally
heavy truck rumbles along the paved !
highway On some lonesome errand. !
Or a man on horseback caaters |
through the empty streets on some