The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1917-02-02

the day. After these came the high
school cadets, arrayed on blue-gray
and carrying guns. Then came the
band. There was quite an aggregation
of high school boys and girls. who had
| been drilling for the occasion, and
many carried flags. Flags were also
carried by two other contingents
those of the Y. M. c. A., numbering
about 200, and of the Mankato Com
march was under the management of
| Clifford Russell and Harold Anderson.
Harold Mcconnell led the yells.
So dense was the crowd that fol-
lowed this large parade down Front
street from Jackson that the majority
of the people did not really see the
parade at all. Those who were on the
outer edge of the crowd, next to the
street, and those who could look down
from windows and other points of adj
vantage, were favored over most Of
the throng.
The returning soldiers and their
escorts marched from Jackson down
Front street to Washington, and then
over on Second and to the armory. So
thick was the gathering about the
armory, that it was necessary for
several police officers to keep most
Of the people out. Only those whose
entrance was necessary for some
particular function were admitted.
From time to time after the dismissal
of the company, the boys would come
out, and mothers, sisters and other
relatives were there waiting to meet
and embrace them.
Inside, Company H lined up on one
side of the hall. and the high school
cadets on the other. 1t was sight to
be remembered. There were the sea-
soned soldiers, who, though they had
been in no fight, had had an actual
taste of military hardship, privation
and responsibilities. On the other
hand, there were the youths, perhaps
future soldiers, who had barely be-
come acquainted with the rudiments
of military discipline. Major c. R..
Richardson was proud and justly so
of the showing that the boys of the
high school made as a result of his
instructions Captain Paul Walker
and Glenn Paulson handled their COM
panies with a skill that showed the
results of hard work and earnest ap-
plication.
Lunch Again Served.
After the companies had been dis
missed, lunch was again served to the
Company Fl boys and their friends in
the hall. The cadets did the serving,
while the victuals were prepared by
the ladies of the banquet committee.
Captain B. M. Cosgrove Of Com
pany III left early in the evening for
his home at st. Peter, where he is
city superintendent of schools. He was
one of the four commissioned officers
who had come back with the COM
pany, the others being DR.. A. G. Lied
loft of the medical corps, and Lieu
tenants H. NJ Hauck and Cyril Spicer.
There were just fifty-four members
of the returning company, and two
of these belonged to the headquarters
company, leaving ffty-two regular
members.
"These fifty-two members must be
increased to sixty-fve by the first Of
June, and all of these must take the
dual oath, to serve the state and the
IdIlOu, i'll OluSl W SCI tllC hutiohoi eiio
under the new law" the captain re-
marked. "This national oath binds
everybody to serve three years with
the colors and to be three years in
the reserve. Later on this number
must be increased to seventy-fye and
still later to one hundred. AS it is
now, only three of the enlisted men
of the company, in addition to the of
ficers, have taken this dual oath, So,
you see, there is work to be done.
eff Company H is made part of
the federal service as the law con-
templates, there will be $50 year for
every private, $500 a year for the
captain and about $3.50 year for
each of the lieutenants. If the re-
quirements of the national govern
ment are not complied with, then the
state will have to bear the whole ex-
pense of the support of the company.
The nation will give no help"
The captain spoke of the fine health
of the men who had just come back.
He remarked however, that the last
of the boys to come back were the
pick of the national guard. These boys
did not leave on account of sickness
or any sort Of disability.
Captain Cosgrove was asked wheth-
err he thought he could retain the
captaincy of the company, living at
ST. Peter and not at Mankato. He said
he did not think that could be made
permanent arrangement, but he
would remain at the head of the COM
pany for the present.
RESISTED THE OFFICERS