The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-12-22
Soldiers in Camp Dodge Are
ALI Smiles as They Reach
Town This Morning at
2:30 O'clock.
THEY HAD GOOD TRIP
In Spite of Cold and Bad
Roads Trucks Made Jaunt
in Good Shape-People
Along Way Hospitable.

Keokuk has her soldier boys at
Camp Dodge home for Christmas. IL
is really hard to tell which Is the
more pleased, the town or the boys,
Perhaps the whole sentiment can pc
best expressed in the terms OF he
big a%rtilleryman who said:
"Say, but it makes US feel good 10
know that you people care. mere
are SO many of us in camp thal we
don't figure very much individually
but when your home folks do this
for you, we'll, we just think It's fine.
And every nan within earshoL
echoed his sentiment, and smiled
broadly. The only fly in the whole
ointment is that there Is a discrep-
ancy in tJa time of the expiration OF
| the passes, but it is probable tnis
will be adjusted just as other diI-
faculties in connection with the
home coming were arranged.
The bows are asked to meet the
| Keoklk committee tomorrow morn
ing at 10 o'clock at the Elks CLUB 10
talk over this matter, and TO see II
The passes can be extended 10 reau
| seven days, instead Of five, as some
OF them now do.
The soldiers from Keokuk arrived
home this morning between goo n
2.3O o'clock, tired but genuinely
happy. Why not, they were coming
home for Christmas. And right
it won't be amiss to say that they are
a splendid looking lot OF fellows n
are men to be genuinely PROUD OF.
The trip from Ottumwa to heokuk
was slow, but was made with only d
slight mishap, one OF the Cameron
trucks broke a front spring. 1ne
Sinton trucks came through without
a mishap. :,
Drivers and Truck Owners.
Considerable credit must be given
To the boys who drove these trucKs
oliver Bailey and Bob Weldon were
the pilots ON the Sinton trucks anu
F. Mccoy drove Cameron's- Johh
Meister and Guy Singleton Went along
az mechantcians for the trucks. Inc
generosity of Messrs. Slnton anu
Cameron in making a most reason
able estimate for the use or their
trucks is being heralded all over tho
state. They are charging only Sioo
for the round trip, and are paying
mechanicians and paying for the
wear and tear and the fuel. On trains
coming into Keokuk from every dlrec-
ton last night people were taking
about the patriotism Of the keokuk
truck owners as compared with the
enormously high prices it was saio
that truck owners were charging IN
darlington and other towns much
nearer Des Moines. And If you want
anv other testimonials, just ask the
soldiers, they'd vote for Sinton or
Cameron right now for mayor anu
see that the election was a landslide:
The trucks carried banners In req
and green letters, "Keokuk Is Tah1ng
Us Home for Christmas" These ban
ners were placed on the cars at camp
| Dodge and were transferred at VI
tumwa to the trucks there, so that
there would be no mistaking the
crowd. The Keokuk trucks arrived
at Ottumwa at $3.50 O'Clock. n
about five minutes later the 1lrst
truck from Des Moines landed IN.
| This carried part of the white BOYS
| and all Of the colored men. Inc sec
ond truck had a little engine trouble
and the Keokuk trucks and the FIST
Des Moines truck went u as relleI.
but it was able to come the rest oil
the way under its own power. .
mayor at OIIuT1Wd.
At Ottumwa the crowd was met by
Mayor Ed. S. Lotion, C. H Bank and
Isadore Carwahlo, the latter two
from Keokuk, originally, but who are
making their home in OttumWa. May
or Leney of Ottumva extended ofhcia
assistance and turned the town over
to Keokuk. The Ballingal Hotel,
through its manager, Bert Somers,
! opened its doors to both white and
colored men, and gave the boys a
warm welcome. Everything possible
to make them comfortable vas done.
The Ottumwa Courier tells OF the
arrival there in the following:
Fffty-two Keokuk boys, in serv-
ice at Camp Dodge, were in Of
tumwa this afternoon enroute to
their homes. They arrived here
in automobiles from Des Moines
and a committee headed by Mayor
Edward S. Lotion met them at
the Ballingal hotel. After a short
visit, the men left for Keokuk in
three large motor trucks which
were sent here by the Dam City
citizens.
Through the efforts OF Dr.. G..
Walter Barr, the men received
Burroughs for n week. The citi-
zens raised by subscription $3.50
to defray the expense of bring
ing the boys to Keokuk and back
to Des Moines. Isadore Carwalho
and C. H. Bank, Of Ottumwa,
whose homes are in Keokuk, aid
ed Mayor Lotion in making plans
for the boys from Ottumwa to
Keokuk.
Mayor Lotion said that no set
program has been arranged for
entertaining the boys when they
reach Keokuk, as he said they
/ would he glad to get hama and