Newspaper Page Text
i 1 I
H
| »
ii
£O3
f
Major Strickler Given
Beautiful Silver Pitcher
Constructing Quartermaster of Camp Hancock Dined By
Prominent Augustans. Camp Practically Completed. Two
Million Dollars Disbursed. Other Interesting Facts
Those who are familiar ■with “The
Arabian Nights” and the story of
“Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp,”
recall how the hero had but to rub his
lamp and the genii appeared instantly,
granting Aladdin’s every desire, even
to the erection of cities and palaces.
Camp Hancock has witnessed a
greater marvel than Aladdin’s won
derful exploits,—although there is a
similarity to some extent. The Camp
Hancock Aladdin is none other than
Major G. B. Strickler and the genii who
has made possible the creation of Camp
Hancock in a few weeks’ time is the
United States government.
With the exception of a. few minor
details, requiring the services of a few
hundred men, the work at the camp
is completed and Major Strickler and
staff will leave in a short time.
Major Strickler Banquetted.
As a token of appreciation, the en
campment committee of the Chamber
of Commerce and the Board of Com
missioners arranged a banquet at the
Genesta Hotel last Friday afternoon in
honor of Major Sfriekler. At the
close of the dinner, a season of speech
making followed, during which Major
Strickler was presented with a beau
tiful silver pitcher, the presentation
being made by Thomas W. Loyless, of
the Augusta Chronicle, who was chair
man of the encampment committee.
Major Strickler expressed his ap
preciation of the remembrance and paid
a high tribute to the officers, and men
who assisted him in his herculean task,
especially the oficers of the quarter
master’s department at Washington.
Major Stephen O. Fuqua, chief of staff
at Camp Hancock, expressed his ad
miration for the great work done at
the camp, and a number of prominent
Augustans made felicitous remarks.
Description of Task.
When Major Strickler took charge of
construction work at Camp Hancock,
the entire land was covered with pine
trees, scrub oak and some cotton
fields. Roads had to be constructed,
and buildings erected for the super
vision of the army of laborers who soon
came flocking to the camp by the hun
dreds and thousands.
The constructing quartermaster’s
building is at the entrance to camp.
It is a long, low affair, 260x20, and here
the plans were made and the work su
pervised. From August Ist until the
present time, the building has been a
hive of activity, but in a few days, it
will remain as a souvenir to the skill
and indefatigable efforts of Major
Strickler and his associates.
The roads leading to the camp were
crowded morning and night with the
thousands of men from all parts of
Georgia and some from as far south
as Savannah, where the government
employment bureau secured a number
of men. The maximum number of men
employed at one time was 3,821 —2,201
skilled and 1,620 laborers.
Bit by bit, the army of whites and
blacks brought order out of chaos;
erected 1,500 buildings in the camp;
constructed eight miles of fine roads;
provided necessary sanitary conveni
ences and established an adequate wa
ter and electrical supply. From Au
gust Ist to October 31st, the average
number of employes was 1,976.
Some idea of the immensity of the
task may be. gained by the statement
that 1,460 cars of solid freight have
been brought to Wheless Station, un
loaded, and taken to all parts of the
camp. Os this huge mass of material,
there were about 20,000,000 feet of lum
ber, while 30,642 squares of roofing
paper were necessary to make the
buildings water proof. About 333 miles
of electric wire have been strung and
at night, the camp seems like a met
ropolitan city, with the arc lights along
the way and the red glow from the
electrically-lighted tents giving the
camp the appearance of one of Alad
din’s enchanted cities.
Some additional facts, showing the
size of the undertaking are given:
There were 7,530 doors installed; 13,-
658 window sashes placed; 3,910 kegs
of nails used; 35,000 feet of cast iron
pipe; 169,000 feet of wrought iron pipe;
8,000 feet of fire hose; 1,383 - showqr
heads and 600,000 brick.
In the Field Auditor's department
are some placards, which reflect the
attitude of the men in charge:
THIS IS WAR
NOT PLAY
KEEP BUSY.
H. F. Owens, of Savannah, Ga., had
the responsible task of looking after all
details of accounting, with about 70
employes. Mr. Owens and his assist
ants saw to the disbursement of ap
proximately $2,000,000 for wages and
materials.
T. O. Brown & Son were the general
contractor# for the entire camp, and
the work of construction was done un
der the personal supervision of Major
Strickler. Five commissioned officers
assisted in the work. Captain Worth
and Captain Lyon supervising the
electrical Hind water departments, re
spectively.
The camp has already been turned
over to Colonel Humber, camp quar
Page 2
TRENCH AND CAMP
termaster, and he will have entire
charge of the property hereafter. Dur
ing the past few days, 3,560 tent stoves
have ben distributed, while 250 larger
stoves have been installed in the
buildings. The mess halls have been
equipped with 360 large refrigerators.
In addition to the roads, wiring, wa
ter, and buildings at the camp proper,
Major Strickler has also supervised
the erection of the remount station
and rifle range. Oficers, civilians and
men-all unite in paying high tribute
to Major Strickler. The thoroughness
of the work done is largely responsible
for the excellent health conditions pre
vailing. To erect a city for 30,000 men
in fhree months’ time and provide the
inhabitants with all the conveniences
of a city, is no small achievement, but
with it all, Major Strickler is unusual
ly modest in his derdeanor.
GOVERNMENT HELPS
DEPENOENT WIVES
When Allotments Have Been
Made. United States Will Give
Family Allowance.
Hundreds of letters a week are re
ceived by secretaries of the Y. M. C. A.
and chaplains of the division, asking
about sofhe soldier from whom the
parents or friends have not heard for
some time. A case of special interest
came to the administration building
during the past week. A -wife in Penn
sylvania City writes that she has a
husband in the army at Camp Han
cock who has been sending her twenty
dollars per month from his thirty dol
lars’ pay. She finds it impossible to
support herself and—two children and
asks that some steps be made to have
him discharged.
Evidently she does not know of th<*
law passed by the last Congress ap
plicable to her case. It is probable
that there are many others similarly
ignorant of the provision* made by the
United States government for the re
lief of the dependents of soldiers. The
law provides that compulsory allot
ments of pay shall be made to a wife,
a former wife divorced, who has not
remraried and to whom alimony has
been decreed, and to a child, and that
voluntary allotments may be made to
other persons. The compulsory allot
ment shall not be more than one-half
the pay, nor less than fifteen dollars.
When these allotments have been
made, a family allowance of not to ex
ceed fifty dollars per month will be
granted and paid b'y the United States
upon written application to the Bu
reau of War Risk Insurance, Treasury
Department, Washington, D. C. This
application may be made by the en
listed man, or by or on behalf of any
prospective beneficiary. The family
allowance shall be payable up to the
time of death in or one month after
discharge from the service, but not for
more than one month after the termi
nation of the present war emergency.
The payments are as follows:
If there be a wife but no child, sls; a
wife and one child, $25; a wife and
two children. $32.50, with five dollars
per month for each additional child.
Provision is also made to take care of
children in case of the mother’s death.
In the case above cited, the man was
sacrificing to pay S2O per month. By
making application under the above
law he would have paid sls and his
family would have received $32.50 each
month from the United States govern
ment, sls for the wife, $lO for the first
child, and $7.50 for the second. This
would have given the family an income
of $47.50 per month. The soldier could
have sent the additional five dollars, or
any other amount besides.
.Other provisions of this law can be
learned by writing to Superintendent
of Documents, Washington, D .C., and
asking for •Public Document No. 96,
Sixty-fifth Congress, H R 5723.
SOLDIERS WILL RALLY TO
C. E. THANKSGIVING
NIGHT
Everything is in readiness so r the
monster C. E rally that is to be held in
the First Presbyterian Church of Au
gusta on the evening of Thanksgiving
Day. A great program has been ar
ranged. Rev. W. R. Dobyns, of St. Jo
seph, Mo., who has been appointed by
the Southern Presbyterian Church to
work among the enlisted men will ad
dress the gathering, and an excellent
program has been arranged. Splendid
soloists, the First Church quartette,
great mass meeting sohgs, and special
numbers by the One Hundred and
Tenth Infantry Band will be features
of the evening's program.
The interesting fact about this rally
is that the suggestion came from en
thusiastic Christian Endeavor workers
among the enlisted men. It has been
reported from Pennsylvania headquar
ters of the C. E, that there are up
wards of 3,000 Pennsylvania Christian
Endeavorers in Camp Hancock. This
will insure a big crowd Thursday night.
SAND SHOTS FROM
112TH REGIMENT
New Officers Given Places
With Companies. 3,800
Pounds of Turkey Assures
Splendid Dinners.
On Saturday morning, Captain Jerry
■I. Hartman, of the Eighth Regiment, as
sumed command} of the enlarged Head
quarters Company of the 112th, and- Cap
tain John T. Bretz was given the cap
taincy of Company L. filling the vacancy
left by* the promomtion of Captain Ben
jamin R. Williams to Major in the Judge
Advocate’s Department. Major Williams
has been busy all week receiving con
gratulations on his well-merited advance
ment, and the boys of L Company will
certainly miss him. although they have
already grown to like the new command
er.
Among the Lieutenants assigned for
duty with the companies during the week
were: First Lieut. Jacob F. Mackey, to
Co- L: First Lieut. Harry A. Souders, to
Co. K: Second Lieut. Patrick J. Sweeney,
assigned to Co. F.
Every soldier boy in the 112th Regi
ment is going to have the best Thanks
giving dinner that is possible to pro
vide in any army camp. This was as
sured when announcement, was made
that 3,800 pounds of turkey would be
distributed to the companies on Wednes
day, insuring a pound of real gobbler
meat for the soldier boys the next day—
proclaimed a holiday for the whole day.
Many of the companies have purchased
cranberries, celery and other trimmings
to go with the Thanksgiving feast, so
even though away from home, the boys
are going to dine like kings.
From First Class Private to Regimental
Supply Sergeant is a pretty big jump,
but John A. Minin, of Franklin, who has
been working hard in the Supply Com
pany s office looking after the subsistence
certainly earned it. He is now receiv
ing the congratulations of many friends
because of the advance in rank.
Splendid feasts were held by two com
panies in the 112th Regiment during the
past week. On Wednesday night, Com
pany E had a gala time, with plenty of
entertainment to keep pace with the
good menu provided, and on Friday night
Company D did itself proud with an
elaborately prepared menu, a printed
program and entertainers galore. The
112th Regimental Orchestra v r as engaged
for the occasion, and every one of the
280 persons present pronounced it one of
the best banquets they had ever enjoyed.
Autumn leaves, southern pine and holly
gave a picturesque setting to the ban
quet, while table covers of red, white
and blue shield designs added a patriotic
touch. Consequently, with such a fine
menu as Mess Sergeant McMullen pre
pared and a good program such as Cor
poral Holliday arranged, the fellows never
grew tired, and 10 o'clock came around
all too soon.
The cold wave that arrived on Fri
day bringing the severest weather the
camp has had, brought out overcoats and
made the fellows feel as though they were
up North instead of in the so-called sun
ny South. Stoves have been removed
from all tents because of a division or
der, and will not be replaced until a
■wood supply is available, it is learned.
It isn’t very often that any company
has two brothers among its five -or six
officers. Such is the case with Company
G. Lieuts. Charles M. Robison and Har
old R., ,Tr., are both on the commissioned
staff of that organization.
Company L, as well as Company M,
now boasts a Ford truck. It arrived
just a week ago, and is being put to good
use. It will be recalled that Company G
has long had a touring car for the ’use
of its men, purchased out of a company
fund raised before the boys left their
home station in Erie.
The whole regiment underwent a whirl
wind examination for teeth last Mon
day, and passed with a good record. It
only goes to prove that the physicians
who did the examining before the boys
left for the South performed their task
well.
The photographers who are working
for the Philadelphia concern; now busy
preparing the History *of the 112th Reg
iment, which will be a work of 136 pages
and which will sell for $2, have already
started taking the individual pictures of
the men. When the big job is com
pleted every enlisted man and ..officer
will find his photograph in the handsome
volume, together with a well-written his
tory of the regiment and its beloved com
mander, Colonel Rickards.
Chaplain Hall is happy since his wife
and two children, Russell and Marjorie,
arrived early last week. They are stay
ing at 1156 Broad Street, where they have
a nicely furnished flat. Chaplain and
Mrs. Hall were guests on last Wednes
day evening at a delightful party in their
honor in the Second Methodist Church.
A delightful program was presented, and
several hundred members of the congre
gation. who have become well acquaint
ed with the 112th’s chaplain, were pres
ent to extend a warm welcome to both
him and his wife.
From every corner of the 112th Reg
iment on these moonlit nights, as fellows
gather about in their squad tents, they
talk of everything from the possibility
of furloughs (which is so slim as to need
no mention) to the departure for France
some of these days—but just now atten
tion is being centered on the topic of
those non-commissioned officers who are
to be given the opportunity of trying for
the Division School of Instruction, to
open January sth. As was explained to
every company a few days ago, the nam
ing of twenty-five men ..from each or
ganization must be completed by the cap
tain of each company, on recommenda
tion of his platoon commanders, by De
cember 2 2d. Every non-commissioned
officer in consequence is doing his best
and is brushing up on all paragraphs of
the I. D. R.
The Eighth Regiment Band partici
pated in a military funeral on Thursday
afternoon, when it escorted the body of
the late Earl Harmon, Company K, boy
from York. Pa., who was fatally wounded
on November 17th. Harmon's father ar
rived in Augusta just two and a half
hours after the 23-year-old soldier boy
Nov. 23, 1917.
died, Wednesday morning, too late to see
his son. - A comrade of Harmon’s ac
companied the body to its resting place.
This is the second time within the past
month that a band from the 112th Regi
ment has escorted the body of one of its
soldiers.
The boys of Company E, catching the
banquet fever the same as the other
companies of the regiment, participated
in an elaborate feast on last Wednesday
evening.
There are two boys in Company G who
are about the happiest soldiers in the
camp. They are Sergeant Frank Washok
and Corporal Charles Gram, who, on
Wednesday evening, were united in piar
riage with Miss Hanna Latimore, of
Erie, who became Mrs. Washok, and Miss
Martha Jacobs, of the same city, who is
now Mrs. Gram. The ceremony was per
formed at the Augusta home of Cap
tain Lucius G. Phelps, Rev. England,
pastor of the Woodlawn Methodist Epis
copal Church, officiating. The same eve
ning Lieutenant Smith, of Company M,
one of the best liked lieutenants in tho
regiment, was married.
The past ten days have witnessed some
of the most beautiful moonlight nights
ever presented for soldier eyes—an in
spiration to the fellow r s who are writing
to the little girls back in the old home
town. Camp Hancock reminds the travel
er of the Pyramids of Egypt in some
resoects—moonlight on -ne sand of the
drill field and moonlight outlining boldly
the forms of the pyramidia! tents. Art
ists could paint a remarkable picture of
squad tents as- they are outlined against
the horizon on such nights as these.
The Y. M. C. A. library at Buildi'.g
76. is becoming a thriving place, with
the demand for books constantly increas
ing. It keeps one secretary busy nearly
all the time giving out volumes and
checking up those that are returned. To
Lieutenant Colonel Gamble, of the 112th,
is due a great deal of credit for the
securing of many of the books. On a
trip to Meadville more than a month ago,
he told the citizens that -what the sol
diers needed during the spare hours was
books—and they came, scores of them,
fresh from the shelves iof private homes.
And here they are, finding their way into
good hands, and being read as thorough
ly* as though it was the onk Christmas
present.
HOWITZERHOWIZITS
FROM JOBTH F. A,
Delightful Coffee Served on
Range. Rex Beach Spoilers in
Mess Kitchen. Lieut. Hubbs
Quite a Horseman.
Speaking of “vocational education,”
and classifying the men of the army, I
should suggest that we have an efficient
chemist in the person of Cook Leslie
Reese of ‘'B“ Battery. The coffee which
was NOT, which he so benevolently gave
us out on the range Tuesday morning
was the nearest approach to a
formula the battery has ever tasted. ,
With all due apologies to that famous
author Rex Beach, we wish to inform
him that we have his famous gang of
“Spoilers” in our mess kitchen.
Will William J. Burns, the famous de
tective, give us some of his time and
ferret out the mystery of this, the fol
lowing blood-curdling crime: Scene: Mess
Kitchen. One pot of bean (been) soup
boiling happily away on the fire (far
away from boiling). Grand Finale: Soup
is served. (Water is done but the beans
are not). Who Is the answer?
As ammunition is plentiful, the 108th
has gone on another hike.
In Lieut. Edward Hubbs of “C” Bat
tery, we have quite a horseman. A few
lessons from the lieutenant and perhaps
there would be fewer coat straps used
as “driver retainers.”
All drivers will not the fact that brake
shoes are expendible.
We haw; no doubt of Ed Barrett of
“F” Battery being a guitar player.
Conversation heard the other morning
in camp between two "Spoilers” (cooks):
“What time shall wo get up tomorrow
morning?” The other answered in a
very painful tone—" Cornflakes!”
We have Mr. Hoover to thank for
meatless days, because if we had too
much meat in the army, the soldiers
would become violently savage.
Speaking of war economy, we have to
hand the Augusta Southern' the prize.
An old engine was sent into the shop
the other day for repairs and the repair
shop foreman sent the following brief
report to his superintendent: “In repair
shop No. 88. In order to make exten
sive repairs jack up her whistle and build
a new engine underneath.”
We hear that Villa is again active on
the border. Nothing stirring! Villarino, -
where were you hiding in 1916?
A special inspection has revealed that
Corporal Dickey J. Callahan, and William
Duffy, all of Battery A, have unusual en
tertaining ability and will soon be de
tailed for a performance at “Y” building
No. 75. _
Captain Moorehead, formerly of the
John Wanamaker Commercial Institute,
thought so much of his title there, that
he joined Battery A, of the 108th Field
Artillery, as a private.
MacDor, f Battery A, is known
as the h' ":*ion box.
| Cost_ of Some of
The Great Ware
Current Affairs, the Boston
Chamber of Commerce paper, pre
sents the following table of cost of
some of the world’s great wars:
Napoleonic $6,250,000,000
Crimean $1,700,000,000
Civil $8,000,000,000
Franco-Prussian.. .. $3,500,000,000
South African $1,250,000,000
Russo-Japanese . . .. $2,500,000,000
Great War, 191,4 to .
date $97,450,000,000