Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1917-08-21
Leave on Early Morning Train Over
the Northwestern to Join the
Third Regiment in
Des Moine..
MANY BID THE BOYS GoD.sPEED
Soldiers Maintain Resolute Cheer
fulness and Home Folks Re.
strain Their Tears.

$50 long, old fellow! See you in
France!" and a firm grasp of the
hand, marked the parting between
the soldiers leaving Monday morn
ing to join the "First to France
regiment now being reorganized at
Des Moines, and the ones who are
awaiting orders here to entrain for
the southern drill camp at Deming,
N. M.
Telephone orders for the entrain-
ment of the drafted men from the
Second Iowa organization-C COM
pany, Regimental Supply company
and Headquarters company-sta-
toned in this city, were received by
Captain Harold y. Smith of Supply
company Friday evening. The orders
were for transportation to Des
Moines and instructions to have the
men fully equipped and ready to
leave Monday.
The soldiers, designated for trans
fer. were relieved from duty
until Z o'clock Monday morning,
when they reported at their vari-
GUS camps preparatory to the depar-
ture for Des Moines, where they
Join the reorganized Third. The
length of time that the troops will
re,pains in. lea Mninez--has----he been
placed anywhere from two weeks to
b month, but it is certain that their
movement east will be delayed no
longer than is absolutely necessary
to complete the reorganization Of
the regiment.
Despite the fact that few knew
until yesterday morning the hour of
pops departure, relatives and
IA 5 Of the eightv-nine men from
C ipany, the Regimental Supply
COM any and Headquarters company,
who were transferred to the Third
Iowa for immediate service in
France, were at the station to bid
them God-speed when the special
soldier train pulled out of this city
at $3.50. The troop train was made
up at Eagle Grove and carried bag
gage car, three coaches and caboose.
The transferred members Of the MAJ
chine gun company of that place
were already aboard, which, with
the men from here, were joined by
forty-three members of Company l
OF Ames on the route to Des Moines.
The brave words and CHEEKY, if
forced, smiles for the soldiers spoke
volumes of the changed spirit of the
people of Webster City today to that
of little more than year ago
when the local company embarked
for border service. At that time men
and women wept openly, with the
utmost depressing effect upon the
departing men, and it must have
taken weeks to eradicate the memory
of the woe-begone faces of the loved
ones left behind. But all this was
changed yesterday. The soldiers
maintained q resolute cheer
fulness and called jocular farewells
to friends, who answered in kind.
The hand clasps were no less hearty
and hearts no less heavy, but the
tears were CONSIDERABLY saved until
after the boys had gone.
Major Lund spoke briefly to the
assembled crowd and said that if
the community would befriend the
boys who have already offered their
services to our country, the finest
and best thing each individual can
do is to whole heartedly encourage
recruiting. The officers feel strong
ly adverse to pting-conscripts to
fill UP the national guard organiza-
tions, composed of volunteers. 1t is
an accepted fact that the men who
volunteer have totally different
spirit from those drawn into SER
vice. and in order to maintain the
wonderful morale of the guard, it
is hoped to secure enough men by
volunteer enlistment to refill the
ranks.
There is no indication, at present,
that further withdrawal will be
made from the local companies, and
everyone IL urged to boost for the
boys-our brave. willing soldier
boys-who left US this morning, and