The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1917-09-19
.SADGOODBYE
WAS GIVEN TO
SOLDIER BOYS
Recruits Left Today Amid
Tears and Cheers
1000 AT STATION
New Soldiers Were Escorted to
Station BY Band, Old Soldiers
and Home Guard.

Between four and five thousand
people living in Bennington and the
surrounding towns turned out this
morning to bid farewell to Benning-
ton county's first contribution to the
national army. AS the train pulled
out from the station over the Chat
ham division of the Rutland railroad
the entire width of Depot street ana
the park in front of the building were
packed solid with humanity. 1t was
not an enthusiastic crowd, although
many did what they could to make a
show of cheerfulness that they did
not feel. The pathetic element of the
occasion was too strong. Hundreds
spatted their hands but when one is
winking back the tears, his applause
is apt to indicate the feelings behind
Il.
Shortly after o'clock the men
lined up on the lawn at the Vermont
soldiers home where a considerable
portion OF them passed the night and
the roll was called by County Clerk
]. j. Stakeholder of the Bennington
county exemption board. AS they re-
sponded to their names the men
stepped to the front until the second
line was formed and stood at atten-
ton They then formed for the
march to the station.
Headed by the Bennington city
band the parade marched from the
home over North street to Main, east
over Main TO Depot and north over
Depot to the station Directly in the
rear of the band marched the veter-
ans of the civil war led by Post Com
mander A. NJ Downs and with 36 men
in line. Several more survivors of
the civil war who we're unable TO
march rode in a large automobile.
The distance from the home to the
station is fully three quarters of a
mile but the old soldiers kept their
formation and presented a striking
appearance considering the years that
have elapsed since they, too, marched
away to war. Following the veterans
came company A, first Vermont vol.
unteer militia, command by Capt. c.
l.. Holden. The home guard made an
excellent appearance. The drafted
men, fine looking set of young fel
lows as one would care TO see
brought up the rear and were cheered
all along the line. The band
worked" in great shape. From the
time the parade left the home until
the train pulled out from the station
the music was either continuous or
marked by only short intermissions
and helped wonderfully to dispeI The
gloom of the occasion, ss
There was such throng at the
station that the members of the
Women's League for National Service
experienced some difficulty in dispos
Ing OF the generous lunches they had
prepared and the cigars that had been
donated, but during the delay while
the men we're being checked up the
distribution was successfully accom-
plished.,
Every one in the crowd was i'm
pressed with the personal appear
ance of the conscripts. Most of then
were compactly built young men moi
much above the average height with
the tan Of outdoor life impressed up
on their clean cut features, the type
| that has made Vermonts reputation
in every army assembled on Ameri
can soil. The general comment was
that such men would do their duty
wherever sent
The men were in charge of Majol
l.. d. Taylor of the adiutant generals
headquarters who came to Benning
ton for that purpose. II is creditabl,
to the county that all but three of tn,
81 conscripts responded to the cal
and the three absentees were pror
erly accounted for. One had alread,
enlisted and is in the service Il
Texas. Another, native of the Wes
Indies and who could have avoide
service had he so desired. was 4
/ Canada to adjust some personal ma
ters. He left word with the pos
master to forward his call but IN
postmaster failed TO carry out the r,
quest The third man had moved {
another section Of the county but wa
finally reached by telephone.
| During their stay in the village th
drafted men were entertained by th
members of the Bennington War Il,
lief committee organized followin
the recent liberty loan campaign
The men registered at headduarter
the county court building at 2 o'oloc
and again at 6 o'clock. Followin
their second registration they gathe
ed at the Putnam house where III
banquet was served. Not all Of III
drafted men were present at IN
hotel, as those who lived in odjoinin