TRANSCRIBED FROM THE VAN BUREN COUNTY DEMOCRAT MAY 3, 1918 P. 1
Dear Friends "Up Home:"
A short time since it was my pleasure to read a very interesting descriptive letter of "An Evening in Barracks" by my friend, Dr. Hunter, and thinking that possibly some of you might enjoy "A Sunday's Ramble Out From Camp Beauregard, " I wish to submit the following:
We arose at the usual hour, stood reveille and then double timed to the mess hall for breakfast. As usual our kits were served, including something they called eggs. As it had been six months since I had heard a rooster crow or a hen cackle I had actually forgotten there were such things as eggs. I hope we will have more eggs within the next six months.
Having heard much of Hart Brothers "hog ranch" I had a desire to see the place. On our arrival we found the proprietors busy feeding and shifting hogs by the droves. These gentlemen are engaged by "contract" to keep the swill and scraps hauled away from the camp, the government paying them $200 a month.
Being moneyed men as well as successful stockmen they have 1,500 head of hogs here to eat this vast amount of garbage. Mr. Hart informed me that they are feeding 10,000 head at four camps at the present time. They have had as many as 3,000 head here, but recently shipped 1,500 head to market.
Hart Bros. office and headquarters is at Dallas. One of them told me they had just dipped eight car load of horses before leaving home that they had bought for feeders. They buy practically all their stock in Oklahoma and Texas. They are also extensive cotton growers, having produced over 700 bales the past year.
While out on this Sunday stroll I gave close attention to the condition of the native farmer and I did not see a farm that had more than five or ten acres of cleared land on it. They all claimed to own 160 acres but I did not have the nerve to ask how they made a living on so few acres.
I asked one man the value of land and he said the most of it could be bought from $10 to $15 an acre. He also said it was fine soil and produced well, but the kind I saw thruout the day was what we call sticky clay in Arkansas. Of course you are not to understand that all of Louisiana is that way. There are parts of the state that have as fine soil as any state, but any of it will produce mosquitos.
There was another thing I observed while out on this stroll. At a very large number of these farm homes these garden spots, or fields as they call them were planted entirely to Irish potatoes. Of course they are going to work them off on the government to feed us boys, thus keeping our kitchens full of potatoes and crowding out other "chuck" that we like equally as well or better than we do potatoes. But you can bet your last dollar they will find room for rice and beans.
At the close of the day we spent the evening at the camp theater being entertained by three well trained monkeys preparing and eating their lunch at their own little table, riding tricycle races to see who won the bananas, and in addition to this they could use the roller skates as well as we people.
As taps will blow in a few minutes, I will have to close and begin slinging blankets. Trusting you are all in bed dreaming sweet dreams, I am
Yours most respectfully,
HILERY BRADFORD.
Signal Section Hdqs. Co., 153 Inf. Camp Beauregard, La.
NOTES: This letter was written by Talmage Hillery (THE NEWSPAPER MISPELLED HIS NAME) Bradford of Shirley, Arkansas. He was born on June 19, 1919 in Eglantine, Arkansas and died on November 17, 1957. He is buried in the Settlement Cemetery in Shirley, Arkansas. He departed Brest, France onboard the Leviathan on April 18, 1919 and arrived in Hoboken, NJ on April 25. He was serving as a Cpl. in Co. E. 168th Infantry.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD
Dear Friends "Up Home:"
A short time since it was my pleasure to read a very interesting descriptive letter of "An Evening in Barracks" by my friend, Dr. Hunter, and thinking that possibly some of you might enjoy "A Sunday's Ramble Out From Camp Beauregard, " I wish to submit the following:
We arose at the usual hour, stood reveille and then double timed to the mess hall for breakfast. As usual our kits were served, including something they called eggs. As it had been six months since I had heard a rooster crow or a hen cackle I had actually forgotten there were such things as eggs. I hope we will have more eggs within the next six months.
Having heard much of Hart Brothers "hog ranch" I had a desire to see the place. On our arrival we found the proprietors busy feeding and shifting hogs by the droves. These gentlemen are engaged by "contract" to keep the swill and scraps hauled away from the camp, the government paying them $200 a month.
Being moneyed men as well as successful stockmen they have 1,500 head of hogs here to eat this vast amount of garbage. Mr. Hart informed me that they are feeding 10,000 head at four camps at the present time. They have had as many as 3,000 head here, but recently shipped 1,500 head to market.
Hart Bros. office and headquarters is at Dallas. One of them told me they had just dipped eight car load of horses before leaving home that they had bought for feeders. They buy practically all their stock in Oklahoma and Texas. They are also extensive cotton growers, having produced over 700 bales the past year.
While out on this Sunday stroll I gave close attention to the condition of the native farmer and I did not see a farm that had more than five or ten acres of cleared land on it. They all claimed to own 160 acres but I did not have the nerve to ask how they made a living on so few acres.
I asked one man the value of land and he said the most of it could be bought from $10 to $15 an acre. He also said it was fine soil and produced well, but the kind I saw thruout the day was what we call sticky clay in Arkansas. Of course you are not to understand that all of Louisiana is that way. There are parts of the state that have as fine soil as any state, but any of it will produce mosquitos.
There was another thing I observed while out on this stroll. At a very large number of these farm homes these garden spots, or fields as they call them were planted entirely to Irish potatoes. Of course they are going to work them off on the government to feed us boys, thus keeping our kitchens full of potatoes and crowding out other "chuck" that we like equally as well or better than we do potatoes. But you can bet your last dollar they will find room for rice and beans.
At the close of the day we spent the evening at the camp theater being entertained by three well trained monkeys preparing and eating their lunch at their own little table, riding tricycle races to see who won the bananas, and in addition to this they could use the roller skates as well as we people.
As taps will blow in a few minutes, I will have to close and begin slinging blankets. Trusting you are all in bed dreaming sweet dreams, I am
Yours most respectfully,
HILERY BRADFORD.
Signal Section Hdqs. Co., 153 Inf. Camp Beauregard, La.
NOTES: This letter was written by Talmage Hillery (THE NEWSPAPER MISPELLED HIS NAME) Bradford of Shirley, Arkansas. He was born on June 19, 1919 in Eglantine, Arkansas and died on November 17, 1957. He is buried in the Settlement Cemetery in Shirley, Arkansas. He departed Brest, France onboard the Leviathan on April 18, 1919 and arrived in Hoboken, NJ on April 25. He was serving as a Cpl. in Co. E. 168th Infantry.
TRANSCRIBED BY LAEL HARROD