s' school one night a week when all the bucks
were down enjoying the show at the Y hut or the Liberty Theatre.

Schools were started for all kinds of special and mechanical duty men;
schools to teach gas-defense; buzzer schools; telephone schools;
smoke-bomb and hand-grenade courses; and map-reading and sketching
schools. Sergeant Earl H. Schleppy, of Hazleton, Penna., who assisted
in the battery office work before he was appointed supply-sergeant,
developed extra lung capacity while the various schools were in
progress. It became his duty to assemble the diverse classes prior to
the start of instruction. He was kept busy yelling for the soldiers to
assemble for class work.

It soon developed in the minds of the men that war-time military life
was mostly drudgery with only the personal satisfaction of doing
one's duty. Hardships and drudgery, however, did not mar the
ambition of the soldier for recreation. Baltimore and Washington were
nearby and passes were in order every Saturday to visit these cities.

Wednesday and Saturday afternoons, during the first few months of camp
life, were off-periods for the soldiers, but later Wednesday afternoon
developed as an afternoon of sport and the men took keen interest in
the numerous athletic interests which were promoted.

On Tuesday, November 6th, a half-holiday was proclaimed and Election
Day observed throughout the camp. The soldiers who availed themselves
of the opportunity of marking the complicated soldier ballot that was
provided, cast the last vote, in many instances, until after their
official discharge.

Daily hikes were on the program in the beginning to develop a hardness
of muscle in the new soldiers. Lieut. Robert Campbell was in charge of
the majority of the daily hikes at the off-set. His hobby was to hike
a mile then jaunt a mile. When it came to long distant running Lieut.
Campbell was on the job. He made many a soldier sweat in the attempt
to drag along the hob-nailed field shoes on a run. Hikes later were
confined to Wednesday afternoon.

Battery D always put up a good showing in the numerous athletic
contests. On Saturday, November 10th, the Battery won the second
banner in the Inter-Battalion Meet; in celebration of which a parade
and demonstration was held on the afternoon of the victory day.

Music was not lost sight of. The boys of Battery D collected the sum
of $175 for the purchase of a piano for barrack 019. Phil Cusick, of
Parsons, Penna., w