The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1917-09-14

! in their own language. They were be-
ing held until Uncle Sam could be
convinced that they were not supply
! ing foodstuffs to our enemies across
the water.
We visited the Brooklyn navy yards
and saw Victor Nelson, one of our
sailor lads who lives in West Man
: kato and before enlisting worked in
F, the National Citizens bank. He is now
employed in the paymaster's depart
ment on the .battleship Havana"
He is the only Mankato boy there and
was surprised and pleased to see us.
He took us to the Soldiers and Sailors
Y. M. c. A. for luncheon and we went
through the large building which is a
house and haven for these young men
who are far from home. 1t made us
feel thankful that we live in a Chris
| tian nation where it's people provide
for the comfort and moral uplift Of
the young men. Victor looked we'll and
said he was well and contented and
wished to be remembered to his
friends.
Great Patriotic Demonstration. :
The next day we witnessed the
greatest patriotic demonstration New
York City has ever had when the
twenty five thousand National Guards
of the state bid farewell to their
friends and home state. They were
ready to start for France, but like all
other troops their departure was
shrouded in mystery. Beautiful and
fashionable Fifth avenue opened her
streets and hearts to these Boys in
Brown" Stores were closed and all
business was suspended for the day.
Only mail wagons and ambulances
were allowed to cross to Broadway. 1t
was said that two million people wit
messed this parade and we believed it,
for while we did not count them, we
thought we had seen twice that num-
Der. Grand stands were erected along
the avenue for the relatives of the
soldier boys, and here the millionaire
and the humblest laborer met and
mingled their prayers and their tears
for the dear boys of their own flesh
| and blood, who were to sail for a
| foreign land in defense of the country
which knows no rich or no poor when
it comes to sacrifice.
We were obliged on account of lack
of time, to decline an invitation to
lunch with our former Congressman
James T. McCleary. Mrs. McCleary
and son, Leslie, are at their summer
home in Wisconsin. Mr.. McCleary is
a very busy man and will be unable
to leave the city this summer on &C
count Of the war. He informed us that
all government contracts for either
iron or steel are made through the
American Iron and Steel institute, of
which he is secretary.
Sight Seeing in New York.
! After much sight seeing in New
York, which took us from the pinnacle
of wealth and beauty to the slums of
the Bowery, We proceeded to that
magnificent city, our nations capitol
While my friends went sight seeing
went alone to the capitol and spent
nearly day in the United States
senate where that momentous ques-
tion of the ''war profits tax" was be-
ing discussed. Among the members
whom it was my pleasure to hear were
Senators Hiram Johnson, California;
Henry Cabot Lodge, Massachusetts,;
Simmons, North Carolina; Gronna,
| North Dakota; Boise Penrose, Penn
sylvania; Reed Smoot, Utah, and La
=, Toilette of Wisconsin. Many seats
were vacant at first but when the roll
call began, the members of this august
body seemed to be everywhere at once
and nearly all responded to their
names. 1t is to the credit of Senators
Nelson and Kellogg of Minnesota that
they were in their seats and it was
not necessary to despatch page to
find them when their names were
called. Vice President Marshall did
not preside that day, but the chair was
filed by one Of the senators.
| The house of representatives was
not in session that day, but it was
through the courtesy of our congress-
man, F. F. Ellsworth, that I had
passes to the senate. Mr.. and Mrs.
Ellsworth and the latter's mother,
Mrs. Sheehan, called upon us at our
hotel and gave us a delightful drive
about the city and entertained us at
dinner at the Pawhattan Hotel. Much
it is here where the French, Belgian
and other allied representatives live
and congregate while on their war
mission to this country. Mrs. Ellsworth
has recovered from the serious opera
| ton which she underwent this sum-
mer at John Hopkins hospital in Bal
| timore.
The second Minnesota district has
a right to feel proud of it's representa-
! tive in congress during these times
when men must be fearless and take a
| stand either for their country or
against it, regardless of criticism or
consequences.
Letters from home informed us that
four of our Mankato boys had arrived
in Washington and were somewhere
| in camp, and we began telephoning
until we had the Second regiment of
| engineers located at the American
university camp where they had been
! stationed on their arrival from Ell
Paso, Texas. We took street car and
proceeded to find them. and upon en-
| tering the camp grounds and while
inquiring where Company e was locat-
ed, saw two familiar faces among the
5000 soldiers stationed there. These
faces at first wore an expression of
I wonderment and then changed to
/ broad smiles as only Corporal George
Black and Wheaton Williams know