The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-12-28
keokuk Men From Camp Dodge Left
This Morning by Train for
Their Quarters at Des
Moines.
HAD WEEKS FURLOUGH
Crowd at Station This Morning Was
Composed Of Relatives and
Friends and Was
Quiet One.

soldiers at Camp Dodge ends tonight
at midnight, and this morning at
o'clock thirty-three men in charge OF
Lieutenant Hawley A. Gould embark
ed over the Rock Island for their
quarters in the cantonment AT Des
Moines. Some of the men who came
down with the party last Friday by
auto. have already returned, and
some Of the officers have q LONGER
leave.
The soldiers met this morning at
the Elks' club at $50 o'clock, where
a number of friends had gathered.
and where Mayor Lotion, Chairman
Abel of the committee and Dr.. g.
Walter Barr met the men for last
word Of farewell. Chairman Abel
and the mayor distributed cigarettes
and tobacco to all of the men.
With Lieutenant Gould In COM
mand Of the boys, they formed IN
columns Of four, and headed by the
Keokuk Concert band marched to the
depot Members Of the Elks lodge
formed an escort for the party.
They carried their flags that have
done duty for all Of the good-byes for
two years.
The cold wind made 1t hard for
the band men and some of them took
the skin of their lips, trying to play,
At the station, however. the instru-
ments were warmed up enough to
allow the band to play 1.-THE Star,
Spangled Banner and AUD Lang
Syne."
The train pulled out at o'clock
in charge of Conductor Gibson. The
official report of the special commits
sioner was mailed in the same train,
and reported the return of the Keo
kuk troops as follows:
KEOKUK, Iowa, Dec. %. 1917.
Major E. 8. Hayes, U. s. A,
Adjutant Eighty-eighth Division,
| N. A., Camp Dodge. Iowa.-Sir:
/ have the honor to report that
we have returned to their quar-
tiers in Camp Dodge all the men
we brought to Keokuk by motor
vehicle on leave granted by
| authority of division headQuar-
| tiers letter of December Is, as
! modified by General Getty's tele-
| gram of December "a. The men
left Keokuk at a. m. this morn
ing, due to arrive at Des Moines
] at 2:45 p. M by schedule and
! by p. m. at the latest.
Doubtless the general COM
handing will be glad to know
that while here the men all
stayed at their homes practically
all of the time, and uniform
was rarely seen down town.
The action of General Getty
/ and his staff officers who as
sisted us in bringing our soldiers
/ home to their families for Christ
mas is very highly appreciated
by all citizens here. Allow me
to tender you my personal
thanks for much courtesy and
great aid in my own work while
engaged in this rather difficult
] movement which otherwise would
have been impossible.
Yours very respectfully,
G. WALTER BARR,
Special Commissioner for the
City of Keokuk.
Station Crowd Silent.
at the station there was large
gathering of relatives and friends to
see the men off There was little
demonstration, this time. The men
were serious, and talked in low
tones to those who accompanied
them. They seemed all to feel that
next Christmas they could not be
home for the holiday season. There
was no cheering as the men left,
just handshake or a wave of good
bye. 1t was mighty business-like
farewell
The men are expected to arrive in
Des Moines this afternoon by two
o'clock, if the train is on time, which
it probably will not be, on account
of the cold. The men will arrive in
plenty of time. however, to get to
camp before the finish of their leave.