New Britain herald., 1917-09-20
CITY THUNDERS A
 FAREWELL TO BOYS
Continued from First Page)

the Grammar school the children were drawn up on the front lawn where a pretty pageant was enacted. Two lit tie girls, draped in flowing robes of white and crowned as the Goddess of Victory, stood on raised platforms while their schoolmates held long streamers of red white and blue rib bons that radiated from their hands. At the depot it is estimated that al- most the entire 30,C0O people were gathered as the new soldiers boarded their trains and steamed away.
 Cheers Greet Parade.
 The scene at the armory, from which other men had marched out to the Spanish war, the Mexican border service and also te present war, was one of bustling activity but only the new soldiers and a number of officials were permitted to enter. As the men arrived, some carrying travelling bags others With suit cases, others with paper parcels, one or two with their meager belonging wrapped in cloth and still others whose only earthly pos sessions for which they seemed to care were boxes of cigars, the glft or friends, the roll was called and when all was ready the parade formed. First came the pldIOCI OI pOAACS' headed by Detective Sergeant A. J. Richardson and Lieutenant Samuel Bamforth who mingled with the crowd along the roadside to prevent any possible. although entirely unexpected Outbreak Then came Chief William T. Rawlings, who himself marched out as a lieutenant to the Spanish war in 1898. Sergeant William C. Hart and a squad of eight policemen Included in this squad of bluecoats were two officers who are themselves in draft Motorcvcle Policeman William J. Hayes and Patrolman George Filing CT. Then came the American band, the two Home Guard companies in command of Captain Samuel Magson, another Spanish war veteran, and Lieutenant Willim H. Spittler respec- lively. and City Guard in command of k Col. w. w. Bullen, also a Spanish war veteran, the Tabs drum corps and then Civil war veterans. The national coSors were also carried, one of the color bearers being Sergeant William Rice. who is likewise a veteran of '9S The first real cheers of the anX- ious on1ookers came when the thin l ranks of the gray haired Civil war veterans, led by Commander Spencer H. Woods, marched past. Although ! their numbers were few, their frames bent and their steps tottering, their spirits were nevertheless young and they held their heads with a strange erectness as they marched along. 1 Other loud cheers greeted the veterans of the Spanish American war but it was not until the new members of the National Army passed in review that the real demonstration came. There cheers There were shouts of friend bidding farewell to friend and some of those in the crowd kleaped into the parade to shake hands 1 with a friend or relative: Likewise some of those in the parade stopped momentarily to say last word to those they were leaving.
 gAs the parade swept along through the principal streets the hands played stirring marches, America, Here Is My Son. and the "SJar Spangled Banner predominating The South church chimes were also played. At the depot three special cars were Waiting on the Commercial street kstding for the soldiers and with but
 ttle confusion the men climbed aboard. The station platform was packed, crowds of young men thronged the station roof and the tops of freight cars, while other thou sands lined the tracks.
 City's Offering Leave.
 SWhile the train bearing the local Contin gent was taken back to the Washington street siding to be switched onto the main line another special train of eleven cars, bear eng other soldiers from Waterbury and other western points in the state, ,A,~,A Io11 peered one or more heads and many smiling faces and the car platforms
 were crowded. Presently the train
 bearing the New Britain boys was
 Attached to the other. There was a