The Flash, May 1940

              • THE FLASH*
MAY, 1940
CALEDONIA, MINN. CCC 1720
Vol. 4 No. 5
Ball Team Wins
First Two Starts
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DUNN   AND    DEMAND    CLICK    AS
BATTERY;  TEAMS SHOWS
BAT STRENGTH
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The CCC Company 1720 baseball
team has started off the season with
two successful defeats of neighboring
teams. Company 1720 defeated the La
Crescent Cardinals to the tune of 24
to 1. The following Sunday they whitewashed Caledonia 12 to 0.
In the first game Dunn and Demand
were the starting batteries. Dunn
pitched a great game striking out ten
batters and walking none. He only allowed one hit until the sixth inning
when Highlen relieved him. In three
innings of pitched ball Highlen chalked
up three strikeouts, gave one walk and
allowed only two hite. Every man on
the CCC team batted with deadly accuracy. Demand outclassed the rest of
the team by batting sut three hits out
of five times at bat an average of .600.
Demand and Webster hit a home run
apiece. Ruth and Williams each got a
triple.
The La Crescent team lacked the coordination and team playing that makes
a good ball club. Their eight errors in
the field accounted for many    of    the
runs of the visiting team. Their weakness at bat was evidenced by the fact
that they got only three hits and were
struck out thirteen times.
The  following  Sunday   in   Company
(Continued on page 4)
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Jack Lipe Member Of
C.H.S. Graduation Class
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Two enrollees of Company 1729, Jack
Lipe and Russel Prine, have for the
past year attended the Caledonia High
school. Both boys now are about to'
reap the reward of their efforts. Lipe
was among those who received their
"sheepskins" on graduation night, May
28, and on the roster of those having
completed the Junior year, was the
name of Russel Prine.
Both boys are to be congratulated on
their feats. The effort they had to put
forth was great. Both were employed
as sandwich makers here in camp and
had to arise at 4:00 a. m. and work
from that time until school time each
morning all during the school year.
Even then their working hours, at
camp, were not done, as they also had
to work from 5:30 till 7:00 every evening. This arrangement was made in
order that they might have the day
time free to attend the high school
classes.
It is remarkable that, in spite of their
long hours, both boys have been able
to maintain B averages in their school
work throughout the year.
Lipe intends to attend some college
next year, although he has, as yet,
made no definite plans. Prine, if it is
possible, will return to Caledonia to
finish high school, although his term of
enrollment in the CCC is at an end.
Company 1720 is justly proud of
both boys, and it is hoped that the
knowledge they have gained during the
past school year will be i>f much benefit to them in the future.
CCC Dentist Keeps
Busy In Company 1720
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Dr. J. N. Crawford, District Dental
Surgeon, has just completed his quarterly visit to Company 1720. Dr. Crawford, after his dental survey of the
company, made his usual statement to
the effect that the men from Missouri,
on the whole, were blessed with good
teeth, but that some of them didn't appreciate their good fortune enough to
take the proper care of them.
During his week's stay in camp, Dr.
Crawford had little trouble keeping
busy. 60 men reported to him 66 times
for dental work. He filled 91 teeth, gave
four special tooth treatments, extracted
36 teeth, preformed 36 cleaning jobs,
and gave 19 gingival treatments,
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He that observeth the wind shall not
sow; and he that regardeth the clouds
shall not reap.—The Bible.
To be awake is to be alive.—Thoreau.
Roger Williams Hurt
In Falling Tree Accident
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Roger Williams is in the camp hospital with a broken leg, which he received when he jumped into a gulley
to avoid a falling tree. The accident
occured at the Qualy farm near Wilmington Grove.
The tree, a large one which Williams
was helping to fell, twisted on its base
and fell toward him. Its branches
brushed against him, causing him to
loose his balance. His wild leap into
the gulley, although it resulted in a
painful injury, probably saved him injuries of a much more serious nature.
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BOLKAN ATTENDS CONFERENCE
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Mr. Peter Bolkan, Camp Educational
Adviser, was in Ames, Iowa, the 27, 28
and 29 of May attending the District
Educational Conference. C. C. Gordon,
Dist. Adviser was in charge of the
conference.
'The Wild Plum and the C. C. C."
(Editor's Note: Following is a message from Reverend H. W.
Hynes, Pastor of the Methodist church of Caledonia. We are
grateful to him for his contribution, and sincerely hope that we
will be able to print more of his writings in the near future.)
Union Valley was beautiful that Sunday morning. Contour of hills,
bursting of the buds of oak, birch, poplar and maple, with their varied
shades of green all emphasized by ravine and stream made it a scene
to baffle an artist's brush.
The Valley itself, also, was a study in color. Winter wheat, oats,
alfalfa, each contributed its delicate tint to make this Valley in Houston
County long to be remembered.
The very rocks, too, had their message. Processes involving many,
many centuries, written plain upon their faces; so that the archaeologist
of the University of Minnesota has found them a fascinating study.
And, as if this were not enough, at the edge of the clearing between
valley and hill, a wild plum tree resplendent in its "wealth of blossom—
beautiful as "only God can make a tree." What a challenge to thought!
But look! Something to mar the picture! The stream where the fisherman stands is many times its original width. Farther down the valley,
what had been a beautiful little lake is now a ball park. Erosion has
been at work. Natural forces which produced the scene now changed
to the means of destruction; simply through misunderstanding and greed
of land. Denuding of trees, and even the turning loose of fire in fall and
spring seasons have taken their toll. Centuries upon centuries ago the
"Father of Waters" was used by the Creator to carve out the wonders of
the Mississippi Bluffs; and now the same element is busy at its destruction
Here the CCC under the direction of the SCS comes in. Conservation
has already begun. Beauty and fertility are to be retained. Control of
natural forces to profitable ends will result. Surely it is worthwhile to
have a hand in such a project.
Could the preacher find a moral in all this? We think so. There is
such a thing as conservation of personality as well as of natural forces.
We'll let the poet point the moral in a rather blunt way:
God gave him passions, splendid as the sun;
Meant for the lordliest purposes, a part
Of nature's full and fertile mother heart,
From which new systems and new stars are spun!
In Folly's Court and carnal pleasure's mart
He flung the wealth life gave him at the start,
(This, of all mortal sins, the deadliest one,)
At dawn he stood, potential, opulent.
With virile manhood, and emotions keen
And wonderful with God's creative fire,
At noon he stands, with Love's large fortune spent
In petty traffic, unproductive, mean—
A pauper, cursed with impotent desire.
—Ella Wheeler Wilcox.
Ball League Plans
Start In June
LEWISTON,   LANESBORO,   WINONA,
DECORAH AND CALEDONIA IN
5-TEAM CIRCUIT
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Company 1729's baseball team will
play its first league contest of the 1940
season on June 1, against Lewiston.
Not much is known of the strength of
the other teams of the league which
consist of the Lewiston, Lanesboro, Winona and Decorah CCC camps. It is
expected, however, that they will be
strong enough to offer plenty of competition to the Caledonia team.
Caledonia's own prospects, to date,
are exceedingly bright. In its first two
contests, which were played against the
town teams of La Crescent and Caledonia, it made very impressive showings, winning both contests by magni-
ficant margins. The pitching of Dunn
and Highlen was so effective that other
members of the club have had little
opportunity to show their powers in the
field, but they have handled what opportunities they did have with enough
ease that the appearances would indicate that they will be able to give the
pitchers plenty of support when support is needed. The batting of the
team, as a whole, has been above reproach. Demand has especially distinguished himself at the plate, with 2
home runs and a near .500 batting average. He is not alone, however, in the
slugging field, as both Maxwell and
"Danny" Webster have garnered
homers, and Ruth and Coleman have
clouted three basers. The other members of the outfit have come through
with enough doubles and singles in the
strategic moments to insure plenty of
working margin for the pitchers.
Just how effective has been the
pitching, can best be illustrated by the
fact that, in 15 mEings of competition
Dunn has allowed 4 hits and struck out
25 batters. Highlen has appeared in
only 3 innings of competition, the last
3 innings of the La Crescent game. He
handled the La Crescent batters easily.
On paper and from its showing to
date the 1720 club would appear strong
enough to make a good showing in any
league.
1940 Schedule
June 1—Lewiston vs.  Caledonia.
June 12—Lanesboro vs. Caledonia.
June 19—Winona vs. Caledonia.
June 26—Decorah, vs. Caledonia.
July 6—Caledonia vs. Lewiston.
July 17—Caledonia vs. Lanesboro.
July 24—Caledonia vs. Winona.
August 3—Caledonia vs. Decorah.
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ENROLLEE FINISHES HIGH
SCHOOL BY CORRESPONDENCE
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Clarence Follis is another of the enrollees who have found the value of
the educational program in the CCC.
When Clarence entered company 1720
a year ago he lacked one semester's
credit for graduation from high school.
About four months ago he enrolled in
a correspondence course through the
University of North Dakota, and on
May the 24, he was able to graduate
with his own class at Springfield, Mo.
Clarence was granted his re-enrollment leave at that time in order that
he might graduate with his own class.