The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1917-07-27
Chamber OF Commerce And
Citizens Join To Do Honor
To Local Troop
PLEASING PROGRAM
FOLLOWS BANQUET
Speech By Judge Houck And
Singing By Miss Harris
Highly Enjoyed

One hundred and ninety young men,
the members of Battery II, Ohio Field
Artillery, were seated in the spacious
banquet room of the Vine street
Church of Christ Wednesday evening
at the banquet table, one of the small
things the citizens of Mt. Vernon, led
by the Chamber OF Commerce, are able
to do for those who are going to
France, in all probability, to fight for
the honor and integrity of the United
States and the civilization of the
world
The room was artistically decorated
with the Stars and Stripes and about
$50 o'clock, after all had been seated,
the banquet began, a tribute to the
boys" by the people of the city. This
being the last week for extra feeds"
the boys all fell to their sumptuous
dinner with a zest that is only made
apparent by long march, which We'd
nesday constituted 13 miles, according
to Lieut. Headington.
Miss Estelle Harris, the New York
artistic, who is the guest at the home
of o. c. Ewart, East High street, and
who appeared in the May festival here
two years ago, sang "The Star Span
gled Banner" Miss Harris was lou1-
ly applauded by the battery boys.
The M. f.. church orchestra furnish
ed music during the banquet which
was greatly appreciated.
j. S. McCrackin who, with others,
was responsible for the banquet, pre-
sided as toastmaster, while Judge Lew
is b. Houck and Lieut. Headington
spoke to the battery members.
Judge Houclk, speaking for the citi
zens of Mt. Vernon, expressed the APP
probation of the Mt. Vernon people to
the battery eOmplimenting it on the
splendid work it is doing now and par
ticularly for the task the boys have
set their shoulders to-that of aiding
in the cOnquering of the aggressive ma
tons of the world, constituted in the
central powers.
The fact that Knox county should
send full war-strength battery to the
front was one of the points Judge
Houck dwelt on in his address.
Looking back half century, Judge
Houck recalled the struggle between
the north and the south of the United
States and the surrender of General
Lee which sounded the knell for the
! breaking of the shackles from the
slaves bodies and the absolute down
fall of slavery. However, the Judge
said, another form of slavery has evil
denced itself in the German govern
ment. 1t is this slavery, for the people
under the iron heel" of the kaiser and
his cohorts, that the United States is
of territory or the ACKNOWLEDGEMENT of
the nation but for liberty and free
dom.
Judge Houck expressed himself as
hoping to see every face he looked up
on at the banquet table again, after the
fighting in Europe. That the boys
may come back to their wives, sisters,
brothers, sweethearts and other loved
ones was the great hope that Judge
Houck entertained, and at the same
time added that he realized what a
distasteful thing it was for the young
men, the flower of Knox county's men,
to bid goodbye to those at home and
embark for the voyage across the At
lantic which would lead them to the
for tho world.
Judge Houck's address was broken
by rounds Of applause on the part OF
the boys and other people in the audi
ence Above all, however, it was ap-
parent that the judge expressed the
thoughts and appreciation of those
who are sending the battery forth to
the field of battle.
Lieut.. Headington was requested to
make a few remarks, whereupon he
rose from his seat and expressed the
appreciation Of the battery for the ban
quet which was given by the people of
Mt. Vernon. The officer was applaud
ed generously when he said with a
smile: MANY people have said Why
is Headington leaving his family to &c
to war; We fought that out at home
and | decided that a sign-painter and
a renresentatiYa WAS lust about as