Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1917-05-30
MOTHER OF HERO
IS PROUD OF HIM
Son Of Blind Texas Woman
Carried First Flag At vimy.
he WILL COME HOME SOON

Bob Davis. That "unknewn Texan"
Always Was . Good Boy and Sent .
kiss Home In Every Letter From the
Front--Hs Went Because He Saw
His puty.
A few days ago word rang through
the land that the Stars and Stripes at
last had appeared on the battle front
In France. An unknown Texan" the
dispatches said. had carried the flag
up vimy Ridge when the Canadians
captured that important link In the
German line.
Maybe he was an unknown Texan"
to the rest OF the country. but he wasn't
unknown to q little white haired won.
an at Bland Tex.
When neighbors read the dispatch to
her-for she u blind-thc wrinklcd.
gentle face lighted up. the bent form
Strengthened
MY boy carried the hag!" abe ex-
chained. TT was Bobby. just know
II was"
And the mothers intuition seems 70
have been right. fer It has been pretty
definitely established that Bob Davis
Of Bell county. Tex. was the man who
first took the stars and Stripes into
action In the great war Mrs. Davis
has been notified by the British war
Office that her son was wounded In
the attack on yimy Ridge. The .mea-
ger dispatches telling Of the unknown
Texans" exploit said he had fallen
wounded during the battle.
Ne VIII Como Homo Soon.
Bob Davis mother II probably the
rruudest woman IN the United States
today. The last two years have been
.ull OF sorrow and dread for her. but
those angIished hours OF forebodinS
are forgotten now. Her boy has
| proved himself the hero she always
KEW him TO I've. and. best OF all. he
| viii surely come home soon for one ~
his fee; was shot AWAY. and. Of course,
| he can lie Of no more use on the battle
| front.
| The battle Of vimy Ridge was the
| climax TO Bob Davis wandering. nd-
| ven,urous career. Finding life moroto-
nous In the tiny Texas village Of Bland.
where his fntisr. David Josiah Davis,
was the neighborhood preacher. he left
| when a boy and wandered Into farof
places. He was In the United States
life saving corps and the regular nrmy
for several years and was In Canada
when the war began. The conflict
| prom ised new excitement for the nerves
OF the>sail young Texan. already 1adcsl
By the hmi;ine of civil life. He at once
enlisted In a Canadian exresiitionary
force and was sent TO Europe early In
1915.
Bob Davis was good son. He never
forgot his aged mother. and he wrote
many letters to her. Knowing she was
blind, he addressed the letters TO his
cighteen-year-oId niece. Miss Mintie
Jones, and the girl read them to the
white haired woman and wrote the
mothers replies. Every one Of Bob
Davis letters ended with some such M
expression a. this. kiss mother fol-
me-" or "Give mother a big hug and
kiss for me" Each letter referred L
some little Incident Of Bob's childhood
that he knew would be engraved JUROR
his mothers memory.
i Fought Per World Freedom
II was not alone spirit Of adventure
that prompted Bob Davis to offer hil
life for the allied cause. This extrac,
from one Of his letters proves that fact
Quite few Of the boys who soldier
ed with me have been put out OF ac-
ton. They were good boys and great
] pala II am able 10 do a. much a.
i they did Will die as I know each Of
them died-satissied that have done
my bit for the freedom Of the world
and civilization have served In the
II nnks before. but that was only for
4 experience. This II different 1 am
here because ! think Il Il my duty
! 10 be
The Texas legislature plans to honos
Bob Davis IN some signal way. prob
ably with fund that will more thar
offset the handicap Of his lost foot
And. too. there is being planned a BIZ
homecoming welcome for him when hs
shall return from Europe But more
precious to Bob Davis than these trib.
utcs undoubtedly VIII be the loving EN-
brace of little. white haired woman
and the words, uttered AZ only moth.
L. A..