We had a large mess hall with standard Army tables, and we had a big kitchen.

When I went there first, we didn't have any dishwashing facilities.

And outside, we had a rack with big GI cans and a place, a fire under them.

We bought the wood from Jim Espew, who was a rancher there.

And we kept oak wood to fire those things.

The kids were all eating out of mess kits then.

And, after lunch, they would have to go out and run their mess kits and silverware through those GI cans, which were full of hot water, soapy water, and then take them home with them.

Home! Take them to their bunk.

But, when you got up there, the first thing you had to do was make up your bed.

That part was strictly Army-type work.

There was just a particular way to make your cot up.

You had to cut the corner at the back and tuck it.

And then you had to stand at a formation.

I blew a whistle and they all came out and lined up.

And, then if I chose to call the roll at that time, I would.

And then I would say dismissed and blow the whistle and they'd take off for a line to go in the mess hall.

And they'd go in and there was a serving, kind of a cafeteria-serving line.

They had big Army pans with scrambled eggs.

And, usually they bought white bread, I believe. They didn't bake their bread very often.

And coffee, and milk, and sometimes they had cereals for you.

And at the end of the mess hall, there was a walled off place which then became the officer's mess— and the officers plus the park service people, like Ferguson and Pedigo and Bill, could eat in there.

Very often they would have guests.

The waiters were scheduled by the mess sergeant.

It was a typical Army dining hall.

And when that was finished, they walked out and back to their barracks room.

At about eight o'clock, I went out and blew my whistle—I had a good old police whistle— and lined them up.

If I had not called the roll earlier, I would call it then.

Then I would say "dismissed." And they knew where they were going to work that day because their foreman, whoever he was, had told them the day before. So they knew where they were going.

I went, then, back to my office—which was in the headquarters building— and made my morning report, which consisted of so many men available for service, so many on sick call, so many this and that.

That became a record. I don't know where it is, but somewhere the morning report is about the size of little old spelling tablet you used to see in schools.

But it had instructions and so forth.

And I had to sign it and then the captain had to sign it, or whoever could be the second in command could sign it.

But I had to tell him that's it and it's all taken care of, and he'd sign it.