New Britain herald., 1921-06-23
MACHINE GUNNERS
 DO WELL AT CAMP
Experience at Camp DeVenS Is
 Not All Hard Work

The following letter. written by a member of the New Britain Machine Gun company, tells in an original manner of the way the local gun ners are faring at Camp Devens:
 June p, 1921,
 Camp Devens. ITO the Editor:
 Tt is a pleasure that I write these few lines to the people of New Brit ain, regarding the machine gun com pany of New Britain at Camp Devens.
 ''In the first place we must give Sergeant Heisler. cook. credit for having the most sanitary kitchen in camp. As for food there is no kick coming only that Mess Sergeant Heisler forgets to take the harness off the meat once in a while before boiling 1t.
 'T dare say that a number of people are acquainted with these three iitney drivers. Hemingway. Boswell and Arnold who have given up their positions to take over mule driving. But it is just the opposite. Instead of their driving the mules. they are being driven hy the mules. There is quite difference in jitney driving and in mule driving. And what is more is that the mules cer- tainly are fussy with whom they as sociate and arc not afraid to kick about it either.
 "A week ago we were on review in the presence of Governor Lake and WIG certainly did put up a fine show. Coswell's mule stepped on his toes to wake him up bit. then Boswell be- gan to talk under his breath. I can't tell what he said. but if mules could understand English I think there would be a military funeral in New Britain. When we were about to pass the governor and his staff everything was perfect. even the mules were in step. After review we were marched to the Liberty theater where the governor spoke well of us and said that he was proud of us. We were then dismissed. excepting tho mule drivers who had to clean the stalls and groom the mules.
 We played the Hartford team Sunday and beat them 26 to 6. and it was stated in the Hartford Courant that they beat us 9 to 2. How that bunch can lie!
 Carlisle. one of New Britain's popular drummers. says there is quite n difference in playing a drum and drumming on a machine gun.
 "One of the boys filled our bugler.s with coffee and when he blew it. it sounded like an army in distress.
 We have a fellow here who goes into fits occasionally and last night this poor boy took a fit and it woke up Top Sergeant Litke and he sure is a hard man to wake. About an hour later they woke him up again to turn off the lights and this time he was a raving maniac and threat ened to throw the next man who woke him. out of the window. He slept the rest of the night in peace.
 Tom Burke who is the company comedian. keeps the boys in good humor and he made Mess Sergeant HeisIer laugh so much that he put salt in our coffee in place of sugar and the result was that Tom was given a nice cold shower bath dur ing his sleep.
 "Carswell who is now known as mule skinner. sprinkled some water on Sergeant Careys head and natur- ally Carey wouldn't stand for it so he returned it. Carswell wanted to get the best of Carey so he grabbed a fire bucket full of water and soaked Carey to the skin. Carey was para lyzed for a second and Carswell hid under blanket. Sergeant Litke who happened to be there pulled the blanket from his head and Carey gave CarswelI a dose of his own medicine after which they both shook hands.
 Yours truly.
 "CoRp IRVING PEER"