Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1918-08-14
A LETTER TO THE COUN-
TRY FOLKS FROM
UNCLE SAM
BY HIRAM MOE GREENS.
Editor Woman's World.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Dear Nephews and Nieces:

Dear Nephews and Nieces:
Even before you open this letter
know that you will know what it is
about. Some one of you-Lemuel
Jones guess it was-said the last time
] was out to your house for Sunday
dinner, that / hardly ever came around
and almost never wrote, unless it was
about money matters. Well, / guess
that Lem is about right but as the fell
low said when some one offered him
sympathy because he lost couple of
fingers in corn shredder, "You can't
feel any worse about it than l do"
I'm sorry that this unfortunate af.
fair that we are in is taking so much
money. But I'm glad right down to
the very bottom of my heart that we
can raise the money to see the whole
thing through. / know you will raise
ft-but We'll come to that later.
The other day was in New York
and | went out to see one of those big
transports for soldiers. There were
little tugs all around her waiting to
get her headed straight into the stream
and further down, near the Statue of
Liberty some battleships were waiting
to convoy the transport. It was an in
teresting sight. 1t meant so much. And
| couldn't keep my Adams apple in
its place, and there was q kind of
mist before my eyes-until through the
tears I was trying to hold back, l saw
Eb Roots boy, George, looking over
the rail on the top deck The last
time / had seen him he was cultivat-
ing corn on that ten acre piece down
on the state road next to Asa Half
fOrd's.
Somehow when I saw that boy up
there didn't want to cry. My blood
got warm instead of cold and every
muscle in my body was as taut as
violin string. My heart just swelled in
my body. In all my life I never felt SO
proud and so much like being able to
fight, as / did then.
And said to myself "There goes
Eb Roots boy, George. He is only one
boy In a million and more that are
over there now. But there are others
will stand back of him. and all, every
thing. that he and his comrades, and
the ships and the men and the flag that
flies over them stood for"
I could not feel and I do not feel
now, that the folks back home would
waste anything that might help to
\ring George Root back. l know just
as well as know my own name that
George Root and the boys like him
would not offer themselves as the SUI
preme sacrifice to our cause, and those
for whom they were fighting be small
and niggardly about doing their part.
During this coming year it will be
necessary for us to spend twenty-fQur
billion dollars. 1t is tremendous sum.
But is not too much to pay for world
at peace, with us all as free as God
Intended we should be.
But remember that our total annual
income, all of us put together, is only
about fifty billion dollars, and so it is
going to take about half of all our in
come this next year. That means that
you must stop all waste. Our waste
runs into the millions. You must stop
that waste and then you must put this
saving with other money you have In
Liberty Bonds. It is the surest, safest
investment you can make. You have
my personal guarantee and you know
have never failed on anything have
ever attempted, and though I hardly
need to add it never will fail.
Adjust your affairs to meet these
new conditions. / know lean depend
upon you. Gorge Root and every boy
In q. S. uniform knows that you will
do your part, and so do the mothers
sons of Britain, France. Belgium and
1taly-our allies-know you will do
your part.
Be brave-hearted about 1t. 1t is
big thing, a tremendous thing, but 1t
has, been the big things, the great
sacrifices that have made us great
people and have builded our great ma
ton that we hope may be greater still
in the eyes Of the world and greater
still to our God in his heaven.
Talk 1t over. Help each other.
know you will all do your part.
am
With love and pride for you all,
eH.spasnse.s4Is Your