Evening journal., 1918-08-02
NEGROES HAPPY ON
THEIR WAY TO Up.l
All Wilmington Gives Latest
Draftees Most Cordial
Farewell
BANDS AND LODGES
IN DEMONSTRATION

! The largest quota Of draftees seni
from Wilmington at any one time since
he United States entered the world war
vent yesterday when ii9 colored men
EFT for Camp Upton, n. Y. Rural New
Castle county sent i49 men in the same
lraft and Kent county furnished 92.
Sussex county gave 100 for the same
bamp last week and therefore did not
furnish any for the present quota.
II was a happy and care-free con-
! tingent and the send-off was replete
with inspiring and heart-interesting
f. )cenes. The many draftees smiled as
. hey marched along, doing cage walks
3 md other stunts that showed that they
were far from gloomy.
Long before the time Of departure,
he men could be seen appearing In
different parts OF the business section,
barrying suitcases, blanket rolls and
, other travel comforts, accompanied by
members Of their families.
In the line OF march, the soldiers in
embryo walked along with their arms
about wives or mothers, or sisters, their
, faces beaming and their heads erect
No previous contingent Of draftees had
anything on these men in the way OF
Z fcheerfulness and light-heartedness Only
occasionally could a wet eye be de-
tected here and there among friends
standing along the line Of march.
10 was probably the most elaborate |
demonstration attending the departure |
Of any draft quota from this city. Ger
fainly no previous departure had any |
thing on It in point Of crowd, CHEEKY |
farewells or enthusiasm OF registrants |
As the train pulled out Of the sta
tion carrying the 653 Delaware regis
trants. a great cheer went up from
the throngs packed about the station.
punctuated with many 9 God bless
you boys"
The train which was 10 carry the
men to Upton was held up for more
than half an hour by a break down
Of the Delaware road train at West
Yards No time, however, was lost in
starting the train after the down State
men were transferred 10 the thirteen
coaches which was waiting on the mid
die track In the station and as the
whistle emitted a long shrek and the
train began to move out, the biggest
demonstration Of the day occurred
Members Of the various boards who
have seen all the quotas go since the
first who left last September declared
quota TO be the happiest
bunch OF registrants that ever pa
raded Wilmington's streets TO the rail
road station.
Long before the appointed hour
French street below Fourteenth street
extending towards the Water Depart
ment building where three Of the ex-
emptlon boards are located, began TO
be converted into a solid mass OF
moving humanity. Wives. mothers,
fathers and sweethearts TO say moth
Ing Of small brothers and sisters, were
out TO see the boys of.
Negro organizations turned out %
salute the men and lined French
street from Sixteenth stret 10 Elev-
sntb where the turn was made to-
wards the old court house. AS the
Iraftees passed in the middle Of the
treet, the organizations stood at sa-
ute until the last man had passed.
lmong the organizations TO attend IN
body were: Tine Masons, the
nights of Pythiss, the Odd Fellows,
Il in full attire, and the Elks. bear
ng the sign "The Elks are feet on
DOT and are sure to get the Kaiser"
nd last but not least, the Sons Of
'eterans in khaki.
Previous 10 leaving the headquarters
7 the local boards comfort kits were
lstributed to the men by a Red Cross
nit This arrangement proved TO be
time saver by eliminating the task
( distributing the kits at the station.
s was the custom with the previous
Tuotas.
AS the men proceeded towards
darket street later joining the 222
nen from Board at the old court
iouse who took up an entire block
n the parade, the business section
II the city seemed 10 have taken a re-
,ess to see the boys off and many