The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1917-10-02
MT. Vernon's Own Goes To
Do Its Bit For The
United States
TRAIN is LABELED
THE BERLIN SPECIAL
Absence OF Scenes AT Part
ing Reveals Patriotic Spirit
OF Knox County

With the mingled cheers and tears
of monster crowd 1872 Knox county
and MI. Vernon men composing E Bat
terry, Ohio field artillery, entrained at
7:E5 O'Clock Friday morning and
promptly at 1870 o'clock started on
their journey to the training camp at
Montgomery, Ala. Berlin Special"
was chalked on one of the cars.
Seven coaches were furnished by
the B. & O. railroad to accommodate
the artillerymen and their baggage
and equipment. The train reached
Mt. Vernon about G:30 o'colck, coming
from Newark. lN Battery never looked
better than it did Friday morning as
the men took leave of their friends
and, with sober faces, fell in line for
the last roll call of f Battery in Mt.
Vernon until the war ends. With the
train waiting for them the men re.
allied more strongly than ever the
responsibility upon them, and the sor-
row of parting with wives, sweet
hearts, mothers and friends merely OBJ
scured the outward appearance of
their eagerness to get on their way
and begin in earnest the serious work
of fitting themelves to do their bit"
for the United States.
The leaving of the battery was re-
markedly free from the scenes" that
usually form part of the leave-taking
of any body of soldiers, despite the
fact that practically every mans par
ents were in the crowd that was there
to wish the boys good luck" AS the
troops entrained, the crowd surged
from before the barracks to the train
and here and there a mother, sister or
sweetheart with red eyes or man
with unnaturally sober expression and
a voice that quivered as he shook the
hand of stalwart son in uniform and
said God bless YOU were all that
would indicate to q stranger that the
boys were leaving for anything more
serious than Il trip to camp for few
weeks vacation.
The baggage coaches had been
dropped" in Mt. Vernon Thursday for
the battery and the greater part of the
baggage other than the personal ef-
fects of the men We're already on board
when the remaining coaches and en-
gine arrived Friday morning. AS soon
as the train arrived Mess Sergeant Jo-
seph Trimble and the battery cooks
boarded it and began operation in a
portion of one of the cars set off for a
kitchen, where a quarter of beef and
large pile of vegetables indicated that
e Battery would enjoy dinner on board
the train.
Color Sergeant Van Horn proudly
exhibited silk flag with the flagstaff
coverd with flowers interlaced, which
had been presented to the battery by
]. II. Worley. Many of the men car
ired packages presented to them at
the last minute by family or friends.
A bit of cheerful advice was chalk
ed on one of the coaches of the bat
terry special, being the slogan "Smile,
d-n you, smile!" AS the men fell in
for roll call they seemed to take this
advice and stood at attentions flashing
cheerful smiles at the folks" in the
crowd AS the train pulled out, Mt.
Vernon, as represented by the large
crowd of spectators, made an attempt
to cheer but failing to make it ring
out, contented itself with waving of
hats and handkerchiefs
The soldiers replied to the repeated
good byes" with shouts and waving
of arms and the last coach of E Bat
tery's special slowly disappeared from
view. The battery is scheduled to ar
rive in Montgomery sometime Sunday,
probably in the evening, going from
here to Cincinnati and then south.