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Show MEDICAL RECRUIT I DESCRIBES WORK! Dr. Harry S. Scott Tells! Trials of Rooky at Camp in Kansas. The joys and woes of the first days of j a recruit In a Kansas medical officers' training camp are vividly and brightiy told by Dr. Harry S. Scott, who had of- ! ficea in tho Walker Bank building before answering the call to the colors. Dr. Scott's address is now Junction City, Kan., from which station he writes a Salt Lake friend as follows: May 5, 1918. Just a line before the tirst impressions impres-sions fade as a self-sufficient rooky lands in a training camp without home, friends, family or mother. He reports to the adjutant of his corps and wonders why he does not take the rooky's card into the commanding com-manding officer, but excuses him on account of about 700 others who apparently ap-parently havo a claim on his time. Ho hands the rooky a card a card with the mystic symbol, Co. 32, on itand the newcomer hits the dusty atmosphere once more. Even those fine $17 cordovan puttees don't look, so shiny. The rooky may have good luck in finding No. 7, where a company officer offi-cer (C. O.) of the day, hands him a card Barracks 4, Mess 3, Company 32. Also a number. He stands aghast. But a striker (enlisted man) comes up and salutes of course, tho rooky takes off his hat In response and leads the way to the quartermaster, quartermas-ter, where a cot, three blankets, a mattress and a pillow are issued. The striker loads himself for a two-mile two-mile hike, laying the pillow and mattress mat-tress down on the clean Kansas soil, where cavalry and artillery horses of all nations have had a right of way. At last the private boudoir Is reached, and the new occupant rustles for space to dump his sundry articles) arti-cles) but everything is full. There are seven beds to a division, but he has chosen the one with eight beds in It, and slams his cot down, but it doesn't stay in place long. About this time a tin horn blows and the rooky runs to see the fire. All the rest run, so he goes with the crowd into a -big building where they aro feeding the animals it's chow. He wonders whose chow he is eating, but he stows away all he can until his appetite is spoiled. When he gets outside he sees a sign, "Mess 3." He has been lucky. That was his mess and the food was filling and good. His private room is exclusive. There are only 100 men sharing it. Each one is a fine, self-sacrificing fellow. Also, thero is a musical snorer. His private bath is warm, good Kan sas water, in form of a fine spray, taken while fifty or sixty pairs of eyes admire ad-mire his manly frame. About this time the water becomes too hot or too cold while his body still is covered cov-ered with soap, of course. They have nothing to do in the army O, no. Following is one day's programme, and not a thing else was asked of him: The tin horn blew at 5:45 a. m. (reveille). The rooky determines de-termines to seek a private interview with i-he leather-lunged individual who manipulates the tin horn and, if he is not too big, explain to him the impropriety of his actions. Tho rooky, whose nerves are attuned to Salt Lake's gentle methods, wishes to be awakened in more considerate and less abrupt manner. At 5:45 he grabs what clothing he can and makes fast progress down to the officer of the day Kismetlines up and listens to a man pronounce the names of himself and his fellows. Back at barracks he grabs his bed and walks outside. Everything is moved out. The trumpet sounds and the butler is ready to serve his morning morn-ing collation. At Mess 3 sh6rt men dive under and tall men "go over the top." No holds are barred. After mess off come jackets, blouses and puttees and there are setting-up exercises for an hour. Every muscle is thoroughly looked after, from the toe nails to the end of the hair. Incidentally, In-cidentally, a fellow does look dignified, digni-fied, even if plump, lying flat on his stomach and endeavoring to obey the commands a heavy-voiced individual is giving. Then lecture for the remainder of the morning; also examinations, followed fol-lowed by mess. The company Is divided di-vided and half are given horses. The remainder take a brisk walk of seven miles, trying to keep up with some fellow who says "Hip, hip, hip," ev-- ev-- ery time he takes a step. The fellows had a fine ride. When the tin horn was blown for a charge the horses became frightened and ran away. One fellow had an arm broken and the others looked in sad repair. More lectures, more chow, more lectures until 10 p. m. Then the tin horn taps and lights out Thus ended a quiet and uneventful day In the M. O. T. C. (Medical officers' of-ficers' training camn), Tomorrow will be the same the gymnasium If it rains. Tho rooky has so much spare time he doesn't see how Uncle Sam can ' spare the money. He gets the infantry infan-try drill of West Pointthe four years' course, In three months. But he can see that will be easy because of the higher intellectual equipment and mentality of the rooky compared to the reserve corps man. |