Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1917-08-30
VOL. xXxlV
Old Settlers Had
Successful Reunion


tiers reunion closing last evenin
was one of the largest gatherings
the history of the association. Owe
8 1000 persons from all parts of tn
county attended
At the morning session officer
were elected; G. w. Hurd, Abilene
president Ed Arnold. Chapman; Z
". Naill, Herington; John Book, Tai
mage, vice president; r. w. Hoff
man, Enterprise. secretary and treas
orer. The appointment of an Off
cial historian to keep records of tn,
county was authorized. A sumptu
GUS dinner was served and the Her
ington Ladies' band, with c. L. Plei-
ser of Abilene as leader, gave some
splendid music throughout the pro-
gram.
At the afternoon session J. II. En-
gle, president of the association, pre-
sided.
Lieut.. Gov. W. Y. Morgan made the
principal address, speaking on his OBJ
servations while on a recent trip thru
Canada and he described the suffer
ing apparent on Canadian streets:
Dreading the News.
Eevry night the cable brings across
she ocean the names of Canadian SOL
.diers reported dead, wounded or miss
ing. The list is made up and early
in the morning the wires from Otta
wa carry the governments message
to the local authorities of the home
community of the soldier, and they
Dotify his family and post the infor- !
rDation in a public place. All the
mothers of Canada are nervously I
waiting for the ring they do not want
30 hear
Yes said a Canadian officer to
whom / mentioned this side-light OF
war times, II believe the women of T.
Canada suffer every morning more
real terror and racking dread than
the soldiers do in France when they
go into battle.
This blow often falls very sudden
w and on a whole community For
instance after every battle such as !
Ypres or the Somme or Vimy Ridge, +
when a Canadian division was in the ,
hard fighting, 1t has happened that =
nearly all of a company or battal- I
on, or even a regiment, have gone i
lown, killed or wounded within an :
sour, ore a few minutes. The next c
morning the town or county from
ahich that force came, gets the news
md nearly every family has lost a son
lr brother. 1t must be more difficult :,
o bear than it would be if the home
,illage were in France. Not only does
he hard news break, but there is no 'i
no stimulus to keep up a.
he nervous system. Small wonder,
indeed, if the mothers and wives Il
those men are in the trenches, wait Z
18th strained and tense and hysterical a
erves for the ring of the telephone
r the ring at the door, which may VI
,ean that their turn has come ca
re
Our Coming Problem.
After a few months of war a new ce
roblem presents itself. 1t is not a TT
leasant one to contemplate but it 70
inevitable and must be faced The no
lestion is, how to help the returned de
'ippled soldiers find places in the Of
orld of work and business ba
When soldiers are wounded in the bo
enches of France and Belgium they fo,
e taken to the field hospital, then m.
a base hospital in the rear, then by
,spital train and hospital ship to =.
all
red or whose wounds are likely to
on be gotten over. leaving the men
shape to return to the fighting
le, are taken care of in these hos
tails OF France and England. Those pal
no have injuries which preclude any tor
ought of their being able to fight tie
ain, are sent back across the At the
ntic as quickly as possible This is he
ne because the men wish to be at in
near home. their folks want to see per
em, and the supplies necessary to ing
lintain them in Europe are saved ter
cry week an average of five hun Z
ed Canadian soldiers make this re- ma
n trip, and are placed in the hos wa,