Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 165, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 July 1918 — “LEFTY” HEARD FROM AGAIN [ARTICLE]

“LEFTY” HEARD FROM AGAIN

IS STILL AT CAMP TAYLOR DRILLING THE NEW RECRUITS. ' 111 Camp Taylor, Ky., July 19, 1918. Quite sometime since I have written, I’ll admit, but my time of late has been so limited and my work so strenuous that I simply could not arouse myself from my lethargy long enough to write. Never underwent more strenuous exercises in ray life than I have during this past week, due to the fact that all of the recruits have departed for other fields, leaving only the cadre men in the company, who have been drilling With guns. My poor shoulder thinks something is wrong if my gun is not Eerched upon it. However, we will ardly see them again for several weeks as we have new men coming Tuesday whom we shall take our spite out on and will have to devote our entire attention to training them. Hully Gee! I’d laugh if “Doc" Garver should happen to land in my company, for I am sure a hardboiled drill-master and would make him mark time.

Dean was just over a few minutes ago for a short chat. You know he is to leave shortly for an officers’ training camp, I know not where. Gee! I hate to see him leave for you know we are real close friends and a fellow likes to have someone from the old home town to ;talk to occasionally. However, I can team up with.Garver when he arrives and think I can be of great benefit to him in getting him used to camp life and in helping him solve the mysteries of this life. Each day in this camp is crowded with experiences and how I long for

my poor little old typewriter which I left behind, for I know I could turn out a book in a very short time. We have a wonderfully clever bunch of good fellows on the cadre and there is more wit in a place like this than can be found any other place in the world. Here’s one, don’t know how old it is, but will tell it anyway: A fellow, residence unknown, camedrifting into Camp Taylor with a group of selects a few weeks ago. From the very first his actions were peculiar and attracted the attention of his mates and ultimately came to the attention of the physicians. Apparently the bird was “loco” for he was continually walking over the drill ground with his head bent down. Every once in awhile he would &oop down, pick up a piece of paper, look it over in a queer sort of way and then throw it away with the ex“Nope, that ain’t it, that ain’t it.” After a few days of this performance the physicians decided that an examination should be held to see whether or not the youth was mentally unbalanced, with the result that he was found to be so. His discharge was agreed upon and papers made out to that effect. A few days later he was called into the office of his company commander and handed the papers discharging him from the service. As he took them he turned away with a cynical smile on his face and exclaimed: “That’s it! that’s it! that’s the damned thing I’ve been hunting every since I came down to this place.” The other day a couple of fellows who were on stable detail were indulging in their favorite pastime—shooting dice. The pair were down on their knees coaxing the cubes to do as they wanted them to do when in came the major. The cubes disappeared as if by magic and the two fellows went to pawing around in the straw. On being asked by the officer what they were doing, one of them stated that he was hunting for a box of saddle polish. “What are you doing,” inquired the major turning to the other miscreant'with a baleful glare. “Hunting mice, sir,” was the answer. Evidently the ready answer stunned his honor, as he turned on his heel and stalked away without saying a word. Of course, 'he thought they were telling the truth.

Hope to secure a five-day furlough about the second week in August. Practically all of the rest of the “non-coms” have had one, so anticipate no trouble in securing it. Am still playing baseball. On July 4th, we lost the camp championship by a score of 6 to 5 in twelve innings after having forged to the front in the first half of the inning. Schultz of the Cincinnati Nationals opposed us and should have been defeated. We are to meet him again soon, and hope to retrieve our honor. Practically every man on both teams has seen league service, so you know I am travelling in pretty fast company. The scene that afternoon was certainly a pretty one, with the brilliantly colored dresses of the ladies blending with the khaki colored suits of the soldiers. The colonel and his staff were among the fifteen thousand spectators, viewing the game from the third base side from a stand especially erected for them. Well, must close now before I find myself in darkness. Shall try and write a long letter for the paper one of these days if I can find a typewriter and the time; it is too much of an effort to write a long letter by hand. Am sending love and promise to write you all again soon. HOWARD B. CLARK.