Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1912-05-22
GRANT COUNTY NOTED
FOR ITS PATRIOTISM
Continued from first page)

While in Lancaster, 1 was made
guest at the pleasant home of Mrs
Martha j. Showalter, leading mem
Der of the Ladies of the Grand Army,
and her son She has been depart
ment president Mrs Showalter is
intensely patriotic in spirit, and is
active in patriotic work. Her late
husband, Comrade r. B. Showalter, a
member of the I'd Wisconsin cavalry,
and a leading Grand Army man of the
state. died last November.
With Mrs. Showalter I attended
reception at the Grand Army hall,
where [ was able to meet and form
the acquaintance of several comrades,
Ladies Of the Grand army and mem
bers of the Relief Corps. It was a
pleasant occasion. There were three
or four talks by those present along
patriotic lines.
The post home in Lancaster is a
fine large room. we'll furnished, and
decorated with many pictures and
portraits Of civil war times The post
at Lancaster, Tom Cox, No. 1872, is
lively one. 1t reported last December
fifty seven members. James Treloar
is the commander and A. G. Morse
adjutant.
On the following day I had the
pleasure of visiting all the public
schools of the city, also the Catholic
parochial school, 1t seems to me
that have never found lot lot of
young people more deeply interested
in everything concerning the flag and
its significance than those boys and
girls of Lancaster. There are, per-
haps, three reasons for their being as
they are. First, the general patriotic
spirit of the place. Second, the
passing, day after day, by those
monuments in the park. Third, the
influence Of some very patriotic teach
ers. am glad to say that the chill
dren in the Catholic school are not at
all behind the others in their love for
our flag and regard for all it means.
Father Wambold is himself full of
patriotism. and he secs to it that
there are flags in the rooms Of his
school,
There is a fine high school at Lam
caster. The principal is W. F.
Trainer. and he has for one of his high
school assistants Miss Martha Lewis,
daughter Of our comrade Hugh Lewis.
| heard it said that she is a fine
teacher, we'll liked by all who know
her. I would like TO speak more in
detail of the schools and their teach
ers but I am lacking space.
I wish in particular to speak of a
patriotic declaLatory contest [ had
the pleasure of attending on the even
ing of May 1 This kind of contest
is an annual affair in Lancaster.
Three or four of the schools hold each
a preliminary contest, and from those
contestants are chosen the speakers for
final trial What I attended was the
preliminary tryout of the 18th graders,
taught by Miss Clara Jacobs. I have
attended many such exercises, but this
was the most interesting to me of all
I would like by and.by to witness
the final contest, where the highest
three of those l heard will try con
clusiGns with the highest three from
another school.
The boys and girls whom I heard
speak did both themselves and Miss
Jacobs credit. Their program was as
follows:
Judith of 1864, Eva Taylor; AS the
Flag Goes by, Frieda Wetter; AS the
Moon Rose, Gertrude Avery; Colonel
Ingersol and the Soldiers, Donald
Dyer; A Lesson in Marble, Hazel
Clanton; The Soldiers Reprieve,
Myrl Burrows; A Perfect Tribute,
Leo Henkel; Pro Patria, Evelyn
Livens.
The judges ranked Myrl Burrows
first, Hazel Clanton second and
Donald Dyer third. L have often heard
the Soldiers Reprieve recited by older
persons but was never before so i'm
pressed and affected by the beautiful
story. Miss Mryl certainly deserved
the marking she got. A Lesson in
Marble was written by a Lancaster
lady and it had direct reference to
the soldiers monument in the court
house park It was eloquent in it's
patriotic sentiment, and was we'll
spoken by the young lady who recited
it. hope some day to print it in
this Corner.
This matter of contests is one of
the patriotic activities of the Ladies'
of the Grand Army. Mrs Showalter
and her niece Miss Portia Showalter,
one Of the city teachers, take a special
interest in it. Miss Portia is a
daughter of John Showalter, lieu