Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 167, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 July 1916 — Indiana Soldiers Are Subjected To Many Severe Storms. [ARTICLE]

Indiana Soldiers Are Subjected To Many Severe Storms.

From the time the Indiana troops detrained at the Mercedes, camp, they have been in the midst of tropical storms and there is no telling how much longer the storms will last. There is a saying in Mercedes that only strangers and fools attempt to make any predictions about weather. And yet the Indiana soldiers are enjoying life and there is not,-accord-ing to reports of the medical officers, a single case of sickness among them. There are several kinds of nostalgia, but homesickness will be found in any kind of weather and in all places. The electrical storms that troops experienced at Fort Harrison before they started south are gentle showers compared to the storms they are experiencing in Mercedes, except there is little wind and yet through it all the Indiana soldiers are leading an indifferent life and making few complaints. In some places there are little rivers and lakes and these have bred a billion mosquitoes to the square inch, which is about the worst thing the soldiers have to contend with.

The heavy rains have caused a delay in completing the water supply system, but the soldiers are able to catch buckets of rain water, which is the best water after all for them, and water from the irrigation canals is being hauled in tanks to the camps, so, inTact, the delay in putting in the pipes for the water supply, although it has caused some inconveniences, has- not resulted in any danger to the health of the soldiers. The troops brought with them rations that will last for several days to come and before these are exhausted the government will have in the camp a food supply consisting of such commodities as are to be found at a general grocery store, cutting out the fancy articles. ‘ The ration for each man costs the government a little more than 28c a day and consists of an average of four pounds a day to a man. The ration is composed of three-quarters of a pound of fresh bacon, or fresh meat, one pound of onions or potatoes, one pound of flour or one pound of hard bread, or one and one-eighth pounds of fresh bread; eight pounds of coffee and fifteen pounds of sugar for each hundrd men, and in addition pepper, salt, vinegar and mustard and other condiments are served. In addition, the farmers are bringing in fresh butter, fresh milk and young chickens. An amusing instance is told of a bunch of Monticello privates. They were seated on the wet grass and around them was an assortment of empty paper boxes, empty tin cans, old newspapers and discarded army shorts, when one of Col. Blockson’s aides stopped. “Here, you men will have to clean that stuff up.” “Who says so?” spoke up one of the soldier lads.,<© “It’s general orders,” was the reply he got. “Well, you tell General Orders if he wants this stuff picked up, ha come here and pick it’ up himself,” shotted one of the Monticello lads as the aide galloped on. This got out in camp