The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1917-09-17
COMPANY A OFF TO CAMP
ENTIRE POPULATION OF THE CITY TURNED OUT TO
Do THEM HONOR

One of the most quiet, and most
| lonesome places in the world is the
place where boy has been and
where he isn't. So when you take a
hundred and forty boys in bunch
| out of a town the size of Ocala, you
will be right in imagining silence
and loneliness that fairly aches to
many if not to all.
The preparations to remove the
company that began Immediately
after the orders received Friday were
rapidly and smoothly carried out.
More than half the men and all the
officers were adopts at shifting camp,
and it took only couple Of hours
| Saturday to move everything except
| the arms and few absolute neces-
saries from the armory to the car for
the baggage in the Seaboard yards.
This included the personal baggage OF
the men, and although every man Is
restricted to a minimum, the belong
ings of lao stack up to considerable
amount.
Saturday afternoon, retreat sound
ed in Ocala for the last time until the
war ends. Immediately, the company,
| which was lined up before the armory,
changed from line into column. That
/ morning, the men had been given
their permanent positions according
| to height, which they are to hold as
/, long as they stay with the company,
/ or there is a company to stay with.
| This brought the taller men to the
right of the line and head of the
column and furthest from the square.
But as the column began to move it
| swung around on itself as smoothly
as regulars, and in minute the
front and rear marched past each
other, and in beautiful order the
company proceeded to the public
square.
Here was waiting the committee
which had charge of the comfort
| bags which have been so carefully
and lovingly prepared for the young
fsoldiers by their friends. Hundreds
of citizens, ladies and children, were
present. The company lined up on
the sidewalk before the eastern door
of the courthouse, and listened to q
brief address by Rev. Bunyan Steph-
ems. Mr.. Stephens words were few
but instructive and inspiring. When
! he finished, Rev. G. A. Ottman, Mr.
/. R. Chazal and other members of
the committee, aided by several vol
unteers, distributed the bags to the
soldiers. These bags and their con-
tents have been often described, so
suffice it to say they are neat, strong
ly made and filled with almost indis-
! pensable articles-things that man
! finds to his hand at home, but finds
impossible to obtain except at dispro-
portionate trouble and expense in
camp.
| The soldiers received their conven-
lent gifts with great pleasure, each
attaching to himself with great pride
the neat little blue bag with it's white
drawstrings. Then they shouldered
their rifles, swung around for the
briefest little parade on the square
| the last for God knows how long
and then marched back to their arm
I ory.
! The boys were not so numerous on
the streets Saturday night. As many
as possibly could get away were at
| their homes, bidding farewells to
their relatives and friends. Many
hearts ached when the bugle sang
taps for the last time until the war
| is over.
/ The company went on duty at
lo'clock Sunday morning, with all
present or accounted for. There was
little to do after rollcall. By that
time the people began to gather
around the armory in hundreds,
miles away, for Lake, Sumter and
represented In Company A.
Il = 4Io
ladies on the committee to receive the
| lunch boxes for the soldiers were at
the armory, and the boxes were COM
| ing in. There were $50 boxes alto
gether, each containing a generous
lunch for two. Many of the boxes
were tastefully decorated and all
were bountifully filled. Most of them
were sent to the company, but some
to individual friends of the donors,
and the favor some boys stood in was
shown by their receiving two or more
apiece. However, this made no diff
ference except in the sentiment, as
every man who received a superfluity
was bound to divide with his less fav-
ored comrades
When all the boxes were in, they
were gathered up by Collier brothers
and taken to the train, and they made
s good load.
i In addition to these dainty lunches
the Ocala House, where the company
has boarded while in Ocala, gave it a
| generous supply of solid food, suff-
cient for three meals, so it isn't likely
the boys suffered on the way to Ma
con.
i At 1925 the word passed to make
ready, and the men picked up their
arms and accouterments and fell into
line. A very few more minutes and
Captain Drake gave the order to
march. Instantly the little army re-
sponded and Company A was on its
way to France
i 1t was a very impressive sight to
stand at the bottom of Magnolia