Newspaper Articles
CAMP LIFE PLEASES YOUNG FORESTERS
Rutland Men, Home on Sunday Leaves, Relate Experiences at Danby.
A number of the Rutland men who are on duty with the 166th and 167th Civilian Conservation corps companies, stationed at the Danby camp, have been in Rutland on weekend leave.
These men reported that work is progressing rapidly on the permanent barracks in which the embryo foresters will be housed during their service in the CCC. The men were in high spirits. They endorsed the life highly, recommending especially the three fine meals they get everyday.
The Rutland men are a part of the 2043 on duty at work projects throughout New England. There are, in addition, 5866 at army posts, 220 of whom are at Fort Ethan Allen.
More Than 7000 Enrolled.
Up to the present time, there are 7909 enrollments in New England, distributed among the states as follows: Connecticut, 1319; Maine, 551; Massachusetts, 3878; New Hampshire, 798; Rhode Island, 738; Vermont, 625.
The work projects are located at Camp Wildwood, near North Woodstock, N.H.; Cold River camp, near Fryeburg, Me.; Camp Tripoli, near North Woodstock, N.H.; Peru camp at Peru; Danby camp at Danby; Gale River camp near Fabyans, N.H.; Rock Branch, near Glen, N.H.; Eagle Lake, on Mount Desert Isle, Me.; Myles Standish camp, near Plymouth, Mass., and Killingsworth, Conn.
Many Officers Called.
In order to meet the demand for commissioned officers in connection with the organization, training and administration of the corps, Gen. Alston Hamilton, commander of the First corps area, Boston, said that it has been necessary to call nearly 100 officers from duty with civilian components, such as: National Guard Reserve Officers Training corps and Organized reserves. Later, as enrollment progresses, it will be necessary to recall other officers as well as 50 per cent of the non-commissioned personnel on duty with the civilian components in the New England area.
Brigade Training Cancelled.
That the regular army forces in New England must forego their own training is seen in the fact that orders to cancel annual maneuvers of the 18th U. S. brigade in Vermont already have been issued. This brigade includes practically all of the combat forces in New England.
Not only has enrollment in the Conservation corps progressed rapidly in New England, but the selection, inspection and construction of camps also has moved quickly. Some camps already are being built in the Green mountains of Vermont and the White mountains in New Hampshire, construction of others will commence in the next few days.
Pending the arrival of material to build the camps, construction companies, organized from the Conservation corps. have been moved to work projects and are preparing their camp sites.
Danby Camp Seeks Honor
CCC Unit in Competition for First Corps Area Banner as Best, Company
1938
The Civilian Conservation corps company at Danby, recently selected as the outstanding unit in the Third Inspection area, has been entered in a competition to determine the best camp in the First Corps area, which comprises all New England, according to an announcement made yesterday by Lieut. A. L. Wills, commanding officer.
For nearly two years the Danby camp has been outstanding among CCC companies, having secured its first “excellent” rating in April of 1936, Wills declared. Since that time it consistently has been in the high excellent column. The Danby unit has been inspected four times in contests to decide the highest rated camp in the former Second CCC district, on the last occasion dropping the honor to Rochester by a single point. In April, last year, it was rated the best camp in the district, Wills said.
The company came into being in May, 1935, when a cadre from the Peru camp took over the buildings of the old 167th company. After extensive alterations a full company was quartered there in August of that same year. Since that time an 80-foot flagpole area has been cleared and a spot seeded, a parking space laid out and marble walks laid.
Present outdoor athletic facilities of the camp consist of horseshoe, volley ball, basketball and tennis courts, all constructed by members of the company during volunteer overtime work periods. The recreation hail is furnished with overstuffed chairs and divans, card, ping pong and pool tables, while the library and exchange, located in the hall, is well stocked with books donated to the company as well as current magazines and newspapers.
The principal project of the company is the construction of the Danby-Peru road, the rough work of which has been nearly completed. It is planned to surface the 14-mile stretch this summer.
The company mess department functions so efficiently, Wills said, that the average weight gain of members during their first six-month enrollment is from 10 to 20 pounds. Ninety per cent of the enrollees participate in the educational program, the outstanding feature of which is the hotel waiter training course, sponsored by the Vermont Hotel association. Approximately 50 men have completed the course and are eligible for full-time positions in summer hotels In the state. Under the welfare program company smokers and card tournaments are held once a month, with dances being arranged at regular intervals. The camp baseball team won its championship of the Southern CCC league last year without a defeat while the current basketball team has been successful in 16 out of 18 games.
Besides Commander Wills the personnel of the company staff is as follows: Superintendent, H. J. Galusha; contract physicians – Dr. W. I. Lyle; educational adviser, H. O. Swett; WPA instructor, Leslie C. Fuller; cultural foreman, Edward Tousek; road foremen, Thomas Nerney and Carl Parsons; junior assistants, Lawrence Wright and Hazen Johnson.
Seven Buildings Erected at C. C. C. Camp, Mt. Tabor
(Special to The Herald.)
WALLINGFORD, Sept. 20. — The men at the Civilian Conservation corps camp in Mount Tabor, whose terms have expired have been given a five day furlough during which they may hunt jobs before re-enlisting. Some of them like camp life so well that they are making no effort to get work elsewhere, but regard the furlough merely as a vacation, Others, irked by the discipline, are doing their utmost to get jobs where there is no “bed check” at ten o’clock. Seven long frame buildings have replaced the tents that were in use throughout the summer. The first building houses the kitchen and storeroom with all cooking utensils, dishes and food supplies. The next four buildings are barracks, where the nearly 200 men of the camp sleep. The sixth one is the recreation building with the reading room, exchange, and hospital. In the seventh are the officers’ headquarters. The men who drive tractors or trucks work in two shifts—from 6 o’clock in the morning until noon or from noon until 6, thus keeping the wheels in motion for 12 hours. The other men are called at 6:15 and, after breakfast and camp duties go to work at 8 o’clock. After an hour at noon they work from 1 till 4, and are free until the “bed check” at 10pm. The road has been built up the mountain almost to the “Old Job,” about four miles from camp. It is ? feet wide, and will never be 4 speedway, because of its grade’s any curves. But it is a good gravel road that offers no obstacles to anyone who is accustomed to mountain driving.