The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1917-10-04
SOLDIERS CO TO
SOUTHERN CAMP
ONE OF THE BIGGEST CROWDS
EVER IN CITY SEE DEPARTURE
OF SOLDIER BOYS
PEOPLE SHOW VITAL INTEREST IN WAR
Lunches Furnished Under Direction OF
Red Grassland Plays And
People Cheer

Last Friday afternoon was one of
the big days in the history of Brook
ings, both county and city. Again, as
in 1898, boys of the county have gone
off to fight for the honor of the coun-
try and the freedom of mankind. If
there were any pacifists around town
that day they kept very quiet or
stayed at home, there was no place
for them down town on last Friday.
Everything went off with the preci-
sion of clockwork, due to the good
management of Captain Weber of
Company c, his officers and men. All
the packing was done and all the men
had said their personal good-byes, long
before the hour for marching to the
depot. Soon after one o'clock the stu
dents of the college came down in a
body and headed the procession. They
swung into Main street and lined the
sides for over two blocks. Then came
a party of little girls from the public
schools carrying bouquets of flowers
and following them came the band.
Then came Company c in ranks Of
four. Marching through the lined
street, they crossed the railroad tracks
and marched down to their sleepers
and were assigned to their sections.
The band took its station at the head
of the street neal the crossing and
from time to time as We waited for
the train to come from the west they
.discoursed various patriotic selections.
The wait was less than an hour, and
the long train of sleepers, with the
troops from Redfeld, pulled into the
station. While the engines u~ncoupled
and went TO haul the Brookings cars
to the head of the train, the Redheld
company dis-embarked and marched
down Main street to rest from their
long ride since leaving Huron. The
freight cars attached to the train We're
loaded with the baggage of the local
company, the food supplies and
lunches were transferred to the bag
gage car in the middle of the train
and everything was ready for our boys
to start on their long trip to France.
Just fifteen minutes after the an
nounced time the train pulled u for
the east at fifteen minutes Of three,
and Bookings had seen the last Of
her boys for some time to come.
That there were wet eyes, and sor-
rowing hearts was something to be eX-
pected, but outside of the mental an
guish, there was nothing to mar the
good behavior of the crowd, of the
boys, or of the prompt and orderly
manner in which all of the detail
were handled. With such a crowd to
keep off of the tracks, as three trains
pulled through the yards, with the
switching of cars and the loading Of
baggage, ii was a testimonial 20 til"
regular and special police that no ac-
cident Of any kind marred the occa-
sion. The railway officials who had
the handling of the trains are also to
be complimented on their efficiency.
The crowd was larger than the one
that saw Company X depart for the
Philippines, in 1898, but as there were
no so many box cars for the men and
boys to perch on, it did not show up
as large in perspective. Several pic
lures were made of the streets, the
march and the railway yards, and the
Register gives in this issue two that
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