Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1917-07-27

1dVlng Deen muSteIeu III iol so Vicc
on Wednesday evening, July is, 1917,
at the Wildwood city hall the new
local military organization, known as
Company No. 2, Heavy Coast Artil-
lery, National Guard of New jersey,
was called by the State authorities
sooner than was anticipated. After
the mastering in ceremonies a banquet
was rendered the comany at the Edge
ton Inn by. j. Albert Harris, whose
son is first lieutenant of the new COM
pany. He should he qualified for his
Jew duties, as he vas a student at a
military school in Ohio for two or three
years. The company numbers about
eighty young men, many having been
rejected because they could not pass
the physical test. In less than a week
from the mastering in ceremonies came
the call.
Therefore, many a heart was sad in
Wildwood on Wednesday afternoon,
July 25, 1917, but every heart vas proud,
for our boys were off to the training
camp at Sea Girt near the ocean in Mon
mouth county. Orders from the Adju.
tant General came Tuesday evening at
six o'clock and Captain Leslie s.. Cald-
well, the Wildwood jeweler, set out ina
mediately to call the company together.
Telegraphs were sent broadcast all over
the county and to points outside of the
county where some of the company
were working. By two O'Clock We'd
nesday afternoon, nearly every member
vas in uniform. . Some of the men
from Vineland came so late that they
had to don their kahkis on the train.
AT 2.15 o'clock the soldier boys fell in
line on Oak avenu Here Captain
Caldwell read the temporary appoint
mVnts of sergeants and corporals. He
also announced that j. A. Lloyd Harris
was to serve as first lieutenant instead
of Albert Lehr, WHIP. arshough e1ected
to that office by the company, was too
young according to law to serve in that
capacity. He is nineteen and a first
lieutenant must be at least twenty-one.
When the announcements were read,
the company closed in and marched
down Pacific wen to Spicer avenue
led by j. Albert Harris and Albert
Austin on horseback and the Wild
wood City Band. The Boy Scouts led
by Scoutmaster Beers, escorted the
company. The line then counter
marched on Pacific avenue to Wild
wood avenue. The company then took
its place on a semicircular platform
built especially for the occasion on the
empty lot at Wildwood and Pacific
n and was photographed. This
done the line formed once again and
marched to the Reading station where
a special train awaited the "Cape May
County Heroes u as Hon. j. Thompson
Baker called them. Then began the
signs and goodbyes of mothers and
sweethearts. 1t was a pititul yet glo-
rious sight. Every member of the
company is a perfect specimen of man
hood and prideto our city by the sea.
The band played ''The Battle Hymn of
the Republic" and the locomotive piped
a shrill whistle that meant that the
start was near. One more parting en-
brace and the soldier lads were on the
train. The band struck up "Americau
and the train moved slowly out of the
station shortly after three o'clock.
AS the train moved out of sight Les
ter M. Evans, a member of the COM
pany, hurried to the station in his au-
tomobile only to find himself left be-
hind. In despair he t%elegraphed to
Sea Girt to say that he would report
for duty Thursday morning He had
received notification atout nine o'clock
Wednesday morning aud motored as
fast as he could from Paulsbofo, where
he recently entered the employ of Du-
Points. After telegraphing he drove
over to see how Mrs. Caldwell was feel
ing. Shortly after his arrival u young
man came in, suitcase in hand. 100
late Mr.. Steele. The captain has orders
that there are to be no absentees at the
muster call tonight" The newcomer
was Joseph III. Steele, of Vineland,
who had been staying with his family
in Philadelphia, where he was notified
at ten : thirty Wednesday morning.
Mrs. Caldwell telephoned both rail-
roads to inquire if it was possible to
reach Sea Girt any more that day. She
received a negative reply. AT this
juncture j. Albert Harris entered the
store and spied the also-rans. He adj
vised them to go to Sea Girt the first
thing Thursday morning and assured
them that they need have no fear of
punishment, since they had a good ex-