The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1917-12-14

| the boys.
J Those members of Company
who came home last night are sub
ject to call to duty at any moment
/ and they must return to ST. Pau
next Tuesday morning. A larg
convention of union workmen will b
held in Minneapolis next Tuesday.
From War Correspondent.
| At the Old Capitol, ST. Paul, Mimi
/ December 5.-Up to the present tim,
the home guard companies in ST Pau
have passed a quite uneventful day
| The streets have been unusually quie
for the downtown thoroughfares O
so large city. Company c of Man
kato has done little else than marcel
back and forth, to and from meals
between the st. Paul hotel and the
, armory
The boys have been treated royalty
! They had breakfast and dinner il
the superb basement cafe of that no
tel and tonight they are assembled or
the second floor of the old capito
building for another feed.
Company G did not go to the st
Paul union depot this morning, but
left the train at point not far from
Seven Corners. The boys marched UP
that we'll known street junction and
thence on to the armory.
Appearance in st. Paul.
The appearance of the seventy five
Mankato home guards clad in civilian
overcoats and carrying great blanket
rolls over their left shoulders anG
rifles over the right, must have been
most unusual to the citizens of the
Sanity City But other companies
that came from the smaller Minnesota
cities, were similarly ACQUIRED
Newspaper photographers were on
hand to get snap shots for electro
types.
1t was expected that the boys would
be the object of many sneers and jeers
as they marched along the streets but
this was not so. Company G was ac-
costed but once, as far as is known,
and that may not have been in so
very hostile spirit This was just
aft erleaving the train. A group of
menstood along the tracts, and one
cried: Come on, you have monkey
ed long enough"
On marching into the armory hall,
Company G received warm greeting
from the several ST. Paul home guard
companies, and the company from
Morris Hurrahs for the Mankato
boys were given with hearty good
will. The most cordial feeling pre-
vailed among the many companies. 1t
could not be better.
Drill BY Redwing Company.
The Mankato boys noted with con-
siderable envy and admiration the re-
markably fine drill that was given at
the armory this afternoon by the Red
wing company. That unit has evident
ly worked very hard and has the ad-
ditional advantage of having a cond
siderable numer of men and officers
of military experience
There is plenty of diversion, al
though all of the units are kept very
closely under the eyes of the Off
GERS. This afternoon the Redwing
boys entertained themselves, as we'll
as the boys of other companies, with
a mock court martial.
Just before dinner at the st. Paul
hotel today, D. NJ. Jones and DR.. Ben
jamin McCleery, assisted by chorus
of home guards, entertained quite a
gathering by singing familiar airs.
Mr.. Jones played Accomplishments at
the piano.
When the Mankato company came
this morning it was under the COM
mand of First Lieutenant Roy Alli-
son. Captain G. A. Lewis was away
IN hi1c frin hrrt 70 1nornn6 nf
the call to duty, and he sped directly
from Chicago to ST. Paul, and joined
the boys at the armory this morning.
Don Blue Overcoats.
The boys have laid aside their civili-
an overcoats and are wearing a blue
uniform with cape and brass buttons.
These blue overcoats are odd, but
very serviceable Blue Striped caps
and cotton gloves have also been is
sued at the armory to the boys. Thus
the home guards are we'll protected
open to the criticism of wearing civili-
an garments in the place of military
garments.
1t is the expectation tonight that the
boys will sleep on their blankets on
the floor in the armory This is not as
nice as a feather bed, but they are
glad to undergo little hardship for
the good of the state and the nation
The situation may be best summed
up by saying that the boys are not
working hard, but are holding them
selves in constant readiness for serv-
ice.
And the Morning After.
At the Old Capitol Building, ST.
Paul, Mimi, December Tt is eight
O'Clock in the morning Company c is
here for breakfast this morning, to-
gether with other companies of the
home guard. l understand there are
eleven companies in st. Paul now
Four of them from Duluth are making
their quarters at the old capitol build
ing. The other seven, those of Man
kato, Morris, Crookston, Anoka, Red
wing, Austin and Faribault are quart
cred at the armory.
Most OF these, myself included, slept
on hard boards last night, making
themselves beds with blankets and
overcoats. l slept right on the floor
under row of seats in the gallery
Several others around me were like
wise accommodated. | feared / would
not sleep on such bed but to my sur
prise | got as sound nights sleep as
ever before in my life, and | think
that was the same experience of the
rest, who undertook to sleep at all. A
few had cots