The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1917-02-22
TIL EBOYS HOME
GIVEN OVATION
RousING WELCOME BY PUBLIC
IN CENTRAL M. E. CHURCH.
A SPONTANEOUS oUTBURST
Demonstration Was Equal To the
Send OFF" Given the Boys When
They Left To Enter the Ser
vice of Uncle Sam.


| Company II Bird Iowa Regiment In
Ifantry boys are home after months oil
guard duty along the Mexican border
with the Iowa Brigade at Brownsville
IIaxas.
Cur boys arrived following muster
out at Des Moines, on special train
lover the Rock Island at seven-thirty
O'Clock Tuesday evening, February 90
1917, in company with the Ottumwa
lads who were taken to their homes
on the regular Rock Island train at
nine thirty o'clock, two hours later.
Following the arrival of the train
at the station the Company formed be.
hind The Iowa Brigade Band with the
least delay and marched up First
street to First avenue, west TO Market
and north to the Central Methodist
church where the public turned out
enmasse to give the men of the com.
pany a rousing homecoming. 1t was
I a spontaneous outburst OH the part
of the people, mark of appreciation
of the local company that could not
be other than pleasing to the men~who
wore the uniform.
This demonstration was equal 10
the farewell or send off" given the
company on the Sunday morning
months ago when the company left
for Des Moines to enter the service
lat the mobilization camp at Des
Moines.
Great crowds of people. relatiyei,
/ acquaintances and friends of the
company members thronged the sta
ton or lined the streets and avenues
leading from the station to the bust
ness part of town. "Old Glory" float.
ed above the street at the intersection
of Rock Island avenue and First street
and was specially illuminated by spot
lights thrown against it. Flags were
floating and displayed along the way
and special electric decorations in the
park bespoke the warm welcome on
the part Of the townspeople.
AS the train pulled into the station
tn eband was playing national airs
but as the coaches came up to the
platform this was drowned out by the
cheering of the multitude that pack.
ed every available foot of space at the
south end of the Rock Island station
The boys made their way out of the
crowd with difficulty. The band
moved forward to Sixth avenue to
give the soldier lads chance to form
behind the Grand Army escort of
honor that was special reception
committee. After a few moments Ut
Ia stop the line moved forward and
marched between solid masses of PEG
pie lined along the curb and side
walks all the way from the railway
station to the church. AS the parade
passed the crowd fell in behind fillins
the street between lot lines, one solid
mass OF humanity.
Feeling of a different character
moved the occasion but the demon
stration and the crowds appeared to
be as great or greater than those wit
Messing the departure of our troops.
No intention was manifest to KEEP
the boys away from relatives, friends
and their homes for more than d
causal greeting and the program at
the church was soon in full swing.
Only small portion of the crowd that
followed to the church could get into
the building. Cheers followed the
boys to their place in the church and
greeted them as they took their seats
The program was soon over and the
lads were released to their friends
and their home ones.
The program.
Mayor j G. Harold was chairman
of the meeting at the church. His
words sent the boys upon their way
and it was appropriate that he be the
first to offer formal greeting upon
their return. Order in the big audi
ence was secured by the playing Of
a medley of I, national tunes by the
band Mayor Harold took charge and
the High School Boys Quartet sang
while the huge audience was settling
itself.
Col ]. f. Mcneil welcomed the
boys on the part of the G. "A. r..
allied societies. His words were few
but weighty and when he referred to
the conditions existing in the world
to-day and to the problems that CON