Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-12-15

A few only ofs the thousands OF
American boys who enlisted with the
British troops at the outbreak Of the
war have come back alive. OF these
few, only two have the rare ability to
tell their graphic story in a way to
carry their hearers right to the battle
front. OF these two, one has been Sc
cued to tell the story Of life in the
trenches to the people of Augusta at
the Red Cross mass meeting Sunday
night at City hall.
K. Derby Holmes, the feature speaker
Of the wonderful mass meeting pro-
gram, crowded into Is brief months
more actual fighting than falls TO the
lot Of the average soldied in life
time. He joined the British troops az
Il time when they were in desperate
need of men. With little more time
spent in training than the average big
league ball player receives. he was
rushed into the trenches to help nold
a oppressed line. His first night in
the trenches he volunteered for
trench raid and the second night he
was one of a small party which pene-
trated the German lines and grapplei
hand to hand with Fritz. His daring
won him a little-sousht position on
bombing squad, the most dangerous
branch Of the service. Night raids
through no-man's land became his
speciality and he saw action of q most
rerve- wrecking sort. once he was
called on to lead a small party againsf
ar outlying trench. He took 1t, but re-
lief mover came and at length he was
l.uried alive by shell explosion Dag
ont at length he was sent to hospital
where they patched him up and sent
him back In the battle OF High
Woods he followed the tanks into ac-
ton. Later on he was again wounded,
this time so severely that he was non
orably discharged from the service
All Of this and vastly more he will
tell Sunday night, delivering his full
lecture, FOLLOWING the Tanks on the
Somme.'
Other speakers will be James G.
Rlainc. Jr.. assistant director Of Chap
tiers of the American Red Cross; and
Campaign Manager Dunnack. Mayor
Swift will preside at the meeting. Pa
trotic songs will be sung by cholr
representing the best musical talent OF
Augusta and the National Soldiers
Home Band will play.
This mass meeting will serve as a
brilliant opening for the Red Cross
Christmas Membership campaign.
which gets under way in full earnest
Monday morning. Twelve teams have
been ORGANIZED to conduct the actual
soliciting in this campaign. Eight OF
these teams. which will solicit i'll the
re eideuce districts, include on their
roster many of the most prominent Wo-
mon Of Augusta. Business houses. the
state House. the factories and the
rcsrItals will be solicited by teams
l..ade ND Of leading business and pro
f.-=Sional men.
ward Mrs Richard f. Goodwin cap
tain). Mrs. Lester r. Howard. Mrs. Nor
man J.. Bassett, Mrs. Sewan WEBSTER
Mrs Frank b Purinton Mrs. Geo r.
Prickett. Mrs. L. l.: COOPER; MIS-. W, III, r.
Harris. Mrs B. f, Bither, Mrs. Jos. VIII
Ward Mrs. Geo e Macomber tcap-
taim Miss Katharine DALEY, Mrs ID. l..
Higgins, Mrs. Harry THOMPSON, : MIS-
Mrs. Walter Stinson. Mrs. Blaine Owen
Mrs Chas. Purinton, Mrs. Richard F..
Toas, Mrs Samuel Stewart. Mrs. ID: W.
Adams. Miss Ai1een Morang, Mrs. ii, l..
Pishon. Mrs. Blaine $. Niles .-..,
Mrs. f. W Plaisted, Mrs. Paul j.. Bean.
Mrs. J. w. Beck, Mrs. Geo. H. Coombs.
Mrs. Daniel 3. Weeks. Mrs Cony Weston,
Mrs. George F. Andrews, Misses Murphy.
Miss Minetta Lee. Miss Par"ott
Ward AIRS. James f. Bagley cap
tain), Mrs Chas. F. Bilodeau, Mrs Ed
ward l. Herbert. Mrs Paul u. Sargent.
Mrs Walter S. Wyman. Mrs. Adelbert
w. Gordon. Mrs. Glenn w. Starkey, .,irs.
Frank McArdle, Miss Leona Casavant.
Mrs. Joseph Theberge. Mrs. Elzlar Ran
court Mrs. Leon Carey, Mrs. Joseph Pou-
lin, Mrs Raoul d Auteuil. Mrs. William
Kane, Mrs. Alfred J. Lacasse.
Ward Mrs Guy Gannett tcaptain),
Mrs. Rex Church Mrs. Percy Hill, Mrs.
r. h. Bodwell. Mrs. Fred Lord.
Ward 6-Nlrs. Samuel y. Tohey cap
tain). Mrs. Stevens. Mrs. Holway, Mrs.
W Purinton, Mrs. Beach, Miss Kelly,
Mrs. H. l.. Merrill, Miss Alice Sterling.
Mrs. G. NJ. Taber, Mrs. Richard Talbot,
Mrs. Springer.
Ward Mrs H. w. Cobb tcaptain,,
Mrs. Horace Colburn, Mrs. George Ner
rill Miss Alice Reynolds, Miss Mary y.
Edwards, Mrs NJ. A Priest. Mrs. Ernest