Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-06-05
REGISTRATION DAY IS
PASSING OFF MINUS
INCIDENT
MANY ARE ELIGIBLE
Bv NIGHT IT Is EXPECTED 1900
MEN WILL HAVE SIGNED CARDS
mo. sHiRKERs OR SLAcKERs
IN EVIDENCE HERE DURING
DAY REGISTRARS ANNOUNCE.

DAY REGISTRARS ANNOUNCE.
Ottawa Is doing its patriotic duty
today
Diyest of all forms of outward dis
play the city gave itself over to sober
consideration of registration in ac'
cordance with the Presidents wishes.
Approval was heard IRON all sources
at the action taken by the Patriotic
Day committee in postponing the par
adc scheduled for this afternoon
BY . o'clock tonight 1t is estimated
that every eligible man between the
ages Of II and 80 and residing within
the limits of Ottawa and South OF
tawa, will have appeared at one Of the
seven registration precincts and sub
mitted himself for prospective service
In the armies of the government
Brighteyed, shoulders thrown back
and heads erect, the men entered The
booths with firm realization OF the
Importance of the task they were
about to perform and not one ohJec-
tor was discovered who refused to
subscribe his name to one of the draft
I'D tIat tnu
other cities did not manifest them
selves In any part OF the county, ac'
cording to reports made to members
OF the County Registration Board. In
Ottawa the morning and afternoon
passed off without incident From an
onlooker's viewpoint. the occasion
might have been common or house
variety Of election.
Many Seek Exemption.
A large number of those register.
ing today are married men with fam
lilies dependant upon them. rev
failed to cite this as a reason for
their seeking exemption under the
draft There were not many VINO
represented themselves as. havng
parents or brother or sister under
twelve years Of age solely dependant
upon thm The law, when the exemp
tion board sits, will be construed to
eliminate those having parents or
other close kin dependant on then
earnings for sustenance and other sup
port.
Practically all the unmarried men
between the draft ages were forward
In their conduct at the registration
table. They openly admitted they
had no dependents and seemed per
fectly willing to take their chances
on the draft and, if they should be
drawn, their conduct denoted that
they would be perfectly willing tt
fight for Uncle Sam in case they
should be called upon to do so. There
was no sembiance of the death war
rant" fa.acies that eastern agltat0r'
Gprung as an eleventh hour couI
against registration The men gave
registrars facts with faces abean ant
with good nature written on ever.
line, OF their counteDances. In thos'
cases where a little apprehension
might be felt by the registror, h
took particular pains to conceal nj
uneasiness from the registration
board.
Start EARLY.
All seven precincts report an earl
influx of eligible men willing an an,
ious to get the lob off their hands.
From O'Clock. when the registration
booths opened, until oc,ock, who
men employed In business houses an
Offices, disposed Of their duty wit
buslness-lke rapidity. From 3 9o'cloc
on until 5 II is expected that thos
having no sparticular work to perforI
will attend their registering. Ate
o'clock and up to .. when the poll
close, all the laboring and workme
In factories and trades, will appear .
the registration places and sign the
cards. The heaviest rush Is expecte
between the hours s and > p- II.
Expect 1,soo to Sign.
Registrars In all sections report
heavy list OF eligibles and by night
Is expected that fifteen hundred
possibly more, whom claim Ottawa
their homes, will have Affixed the
signatures 10 registration card
Government experts base their figure
upon an estimate Of ono of avallah
military age to ten inhabitants Of u
country. IN this case Ottawa won
supply twelve or thirteen hundre
but indications this morning and du
Ing the early afternoon wnre that tn
number would be decreased befo
the registration places are closed
night,