Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1917-10-04
BY Earle H. Tosteyin.
Especial Correspondent Of The Hera

Especial Correspondent OF The Herald
With the First North Dakota.)
On board North Dakota First Regi-
ment Troop train No. 8, in the heart
OF the Cumberland mountains Of
Kentucky. Oct. picture the dirty
railroad yards Of Chicago. You have
seen them and your memory recalls a
squalid row Of back porches begrimed
and besmirched by the smoke Of days
and years belching Of the engines.
On the third story porch of one of
white haired old lady. a white knitted
shawl about her shoulders. who wav-
ed a nag with n hand and wiped
tears from her eyes with the other.
The train was passing slowly by and
the. boys heard her call: God Bless
You Boys!' Come back home again
and bring my W boys with you"
She appeared SO fresh and clean,
her white shawl, snowy hair and clean
flag were such a contrast to the slum
surroundings that it reminded one of
setting.
Typifles Spirit Of All.
She seemed to the boys. however. to
typify the spirit of the states through
which they have been passing in the
past three days on the way to the
training camp at Charlotte, N. G.
Everywhere from, the home towns
Of North Dakota to the big cities such
as st. Paul, Chicago, Cincinnati.
Knoxville. the greeting has been the
same. Get the Kaiser. Boys!" is the
slogan adopted by the people every
where. Cheers have been mingled
with tears, but the sons of North Da-
kota have entered into the big war
game with pep" and spirit which
bids fair to last throughout all trials
and tests which they may encounter.
Home Folks tho Best.
The treatment given the boys by the
folks back home will linger as long as
900 people must nave been at the sta
/. ton at Valley City when the troop
trains from Fort Lincoln reached
there and Company G and Headquar-
ters company were picked up. Sever
al thousand more were at Jamestown
waiting, hours ahead Of time, for the
fourth train bearing Company H Of
that city. Fargo gave the boys a won-
dertul send-oh. so did h other towns
and cities of good old North Dakota,
but you folks back home know all
about that.
All five of the trains bearing the
First Regiment North Dakota Infan-
try left the confines of the state after
dark, and 1t was just after morning
mess when the trains reached st.
Paul. Here the boys were served by
the st. Paul Red Cross chapter which
maintains a booth in the union depot.
Every boy on the first three trains
was given a package of cigarettes. an
apple or orange and as many post
cards as he needed, stamped and
ready for mailing. These were COL
lected later. This was the first OPP
portunity the boys had to write back
home. The troops made the old train
sheds ring with their cheers for the
Red Cross sisters.
Drill ut Albert Lea.
Albert Lea was the next stop and
the first place where men were taken
from the train for exercise. Five
thousand people turned out at the
depot to see the. North Dakota boys
and to listen to the First Regiment
band who staged an informal concert.
The troops were taken on a hike
through the main streets Of the city.
Over the Rock Island line to Chica-
go seemed an interminable journey
for stops were made at country sid
ings.
All Trains Together.
All five trains were in the Chicago