Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 172, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 August 1917 — CAMP KURRIE BUSY PLACE [ARTICLE]

CAMP KURRIE BUSY PLACE

CAMP IN TIP-TOP CONDITIONSOLDIERS IN STRENUOUS DAILY WORKOUTS.

Camp Kurrie, the home of Company M, is bustling with activity these days and every member of the company from Capt. Garland down to the rawest recruit actively engaged in preparing themselves for future hardships. Nothing is being left undone to get themselves in tiptop shape before leaving Rensselaer for the south. Enthusiasm characterizes their daily workouts and when the strenuous day’s work is completed they are one and all ready for their night’s rest. The vigor and vim that the men are putting into their training ordeal is surprising and if the present pace is kept up Rensselaer bids fair to be represented by the very best company in the state of Indiana. “On to France,” is the company cry. In the short space of a day and a half, Camp Kurrie has changed from an orchard into one of the neatest little army camps imaginable. Those who visited the camp Sunday would hardly know it now. Besides the nine large tents, in which there have been placed cots, several pup tents have been erected to take care of the rmainder of the company and at 11 o’clock each night all of the men are in camp with the exception of those who have received permission to remain at their homes in the city during the nights. The company street has been thoroughly cleaned up and all refuse burned. The field just south of the camp is -being raked today and the weeds cut and when the work of cleaning it up is completed it will be large enough to drill the entire company at once, instead of in squads as is being done at the present time,.. Orveil Bowsher, bugler, is the first man up each morning and 5:30 finds the bugle call arousing the men from their slumbers. Roll call follows and after this the grounds are policed, following which mess is had. No cooking is done at the camp, the men being marched down town for their meals. Following breakfast they return to the camp and from then on until the dinner hour there are but few moments of leisure for the khaki clads. The company is divided into squads, which are under the direction of a non-commissioned officer. Owing to the lack of space at the camp the city streets are used for drilling purposes. This morning’s workout was devoted entirely to marching and learning the different, facings and the squad movements. Considering the fact that almost half of the company is made up of new recruits, they are making remarkable progress. Captain Garland is fortunate in having some very efficient non-commissioned officers and the work of drilling the men is left almost entirely to them. Guards have been placed about the camp, not on account of there being any fear of an attack from the Germans at present, but to teach the new men guard duty. A baseball game has been arranged for next Sunday afternoon by Lieutenant Watson. Co. M will meet the team from Brook at the ball park. Sixty per cent of the receipts will go to the winner and forty per cent to the loser. The soldiers are confident that the sixty per cent end of the purse will go to them, to be put into the company treasury. The local company had one of the best clubs on the border last summer and are capable of putting up a high class article of ball. All are urged W attend the game Sunday and help swell the company fund.

Hear the $55.00 talking machine at Larsh & Hopkins’.