Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 172, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 July 1916 — HOOSIERS HAPPY AT CAMP IN TEXAS MESQUITE [ARTICLE]

HOOSIERS HAPPY AT CAMP IN TEXAS MESQUITE

Wear Lightest of Clothes and Adapt Themselves to New Life—Little Homesickness. ■ h * - Mercedes, Tex., July 18.—The situation here is so novel to the Indiana troops that it may be a long time until they settle down to the humdrum monotony of. the soldier ’ife. But they are adapting them selves well to the conditions, which aie as much different from Indiana conditions as could possibly be imagined. It is a fact worthy of note that Indiana men are getting more compliments from the regular army officers and from the citizens than any other troops. This is due perhaps to the fact that some of them have seen actual service and they are commanded by such officers as Major Tyndall, who knows what real war is. There are few cases of homesickness in the Indiana camp. It was to prevent this that General Baker, in charge of the Brownsville district, issued his recent order concerning amusements and recreation for guardsmen, ft is expected that within two weeks every regiment in camp will have a baseball team, and the climate is such that baseball can be played the whole yeiar round. General Lewis told the commanding officers today that there is plenty of outdoors in the vicinity of the camp, and they can clear off all the ground they need for tennis courts, baseball diamonds and croquet. All that is needed is a grubbing hoe and a sltrong back. When the boys got here a week ago they went into things ralther recklessly, and gorged themselves with all sorts of things, and there was considerable stomach trouble, but now they know better. They find that it is not good for them to eat watermelon, which is called boneless ham in this country. The food they eat must be seasoned with plenty of pepper and salt. An excess of cold drink'fe is on the taboo and frequent baths and daily shaving help outswonderfully. Most of the Indiana troops, when they left home, wore heavy woolen clothing, but they have been here long enough to learn that the very lightest of clothes is what they need.

The boys do not get the delicacies that mother and sister sent them at Fort Harrison, and there hasn’t been a case of indigestion in the camp. It is agreed that Llano Grande is the best camp site in the entire Rio Grande valley. The Indiana troops are going along much more comfortably than the troops of other states that ■ are at other points along the border-. The probability that this camp will be a division in command of a major-general does not mean that Brigadier-General Lewis Will not remain. He was appointed to drill and put on a war basis the troops of Indiana, and he will continue in the position, but will, of course, retire as camp commander and give his attention exclusively to the Indiana troops. The appointment of a major-gener-al for this camp means that several other brigadier-generals will be appointed and that the major-general in command will have a large staff. Consequently, many regular army officers who are at present unassigned are hoping that they will be sent here whefi a major-general takes command. The more pay they get the better they like it.

The Indiana artillery officers are wondering what would happen should they be called suddenly into service. Each battery requires 157 horses and 16 mules.. Battery A has 29 horses, Battery B has 10 and Battery C has 8. They have made the necessary equisitions, but that is as far as they go. Major Tyndall went to Brownsville yesterday to see General Parker, but missed him, as the general was at Mercedes and the Llano Grande camp. However, the major laid out a line of complaints and requests to General Parker’s assistants that brought good results. Who is to blame fßr the lack of horses is ndt understood, because everyone seems to be charging it up against the other fellow.

The First Illinois cavalry is to have a newspaper of .ts own of four pages, eight columns, standard size, and published twice a week. Its circulation, it is estimated, will be between 6,000 and 10,000 copies. It will be called the “First Illinois Cavalryman” and be devoted to camp news. Weary of having his orders delayed by wire and slowed by mail service, George E. Sneddon, salesman for a Cleveland firm, bought some carrier pigeons which have done so well that his firm has just instituted a rtate-wide system of carrier pigeon communication among all its salesmen. V 7 *