The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-03-01
They Go To Camp Dodge To
Enter National Army
ARE FETED IN MANKATO
Number of Contingents Treated
To Supper; Big Parade
To Depot
From Mondays Daily.


Nearly seven hundred conscriptet
young men of Minnesota On theil
way to camp passed through Man
kato Saturday evening. The exact
number was sos. The boys were or
two trains, the first leaving Mankatc
about seven o'clock, and the second
rushing by on it's southwark triI
about midnight, and did not even stoI
at the Mankato station.
The seven o'clock train was the
one in which the Mankato people
were particularly interested, for that
bore off thirty of the finest young
men of Blue Earth county, to be
drilled for service against the kai-
ser's ruthless autocracy. On that
train also were 10 from Lyon coun-
ty, forty from Lincoln county and
seventy eight from Brown county
making IS in all.
The midnight train, which did not
stop here, carried seven men from
West Duluth, fifty nine from Carlton
seventy three from Pine City, five
from Walker, seventy-fve from Ait
kin, los from Brainerd siXty-four
from Shakopee and fifty-two from St
Peter, or 40 in ALL
The seven o'clock train was to
take $50 more aboard at Lake Cry
stall and fifty-four more at Blue
Earth, making 492 recruits in all on
that train.
Mankato certainly did ample honor
to all the recruits that sojourned
here Saturday afternoon and evening
The conscripted boys were frequently
heard to remark on the royal treat
ment they received. They also high
ly complimented the marching of the
local company of the home guard and
the high school cadets in the big
parade.
1t was $40 in the afternoon when
the train bearing the contingents
from Lincoln, Lyon and Brown coun-
ties arrived at the Northwestern un-
ion depot from the west. The boys
were not long in alighting. New
Ulm, ever alive and energetic, had
two bands to accompany her boys.
One was the famous Hofmeister
band, formerly the second regiment
band of the Minnesota national
guard. There were thirty eight play
ers, all in blue caps and blue uni
forms. The other musical body was
the Goose Town band, also of New
Ulm, and not so slow an aggregation
as the name might suggest. Several
big flags were carried by the New
Ulm contingent.
Escorted to Supper.
The three contingents were greet
aI Nv Mo- Of hn VT
Battalion of the home guard, Lieu
tenant Roy Bates and others, and
were soon escorted 20 the two
churches where the ladies were ready
to serve splendid suppers. The march
from the depot to the churches, the
Baptist and the Episcopal, was a
parade Il: itself, though not nearly so
large as the one that formed later
on the return to the depot
While the boys were enjoying an
excellent repast, other sections of the
evenings procession were forming.
Company C of the sixth battalion of
the Minnesota home guard and the
Mankato high school cadets assembled
at the armory and were soon in COM
pany formation.
At the court house was collec
ton of thirty Smileage books, that
were gievn out to the Blue Earth
county recruits, being just enough
to go around. The donors of these
books were Drs. Holbrook, Sohmer &
Osborn, fifteen books; George G..
Krost, five; Edward Grogen, three;
Mrs. Edward Grogan, two; J. E.
Reynolds, one; Walter Braden, one;
Miss Eta Boston, one; Mrs. F. R. Field,
one; R. H. Allison, one. The A. M.
Stein clothing store sent up liberal
supply of collapsible drinking cups,
a most timely and appropriate gift.
At the head of the evening par
ade marched the headquarters Off
GERS of the sixth battalion of the
Minnesota home guard, namely, Ma
jor G. A. Lewis; Lieutenant Roy
Bates, adjutant to the major; Cap
tain G.. A. Dahl of the hospital corps
and Sergeant Major Wilkes.
Then followed the Sandon band of
thirty pieces. The boys were arrayed
in their usual red caps and red capes.
Next marched Company C., under the
command of Captain Roy Allison, with
full uniforms and rifles. DR.. F. l..
Stephan carried the flag.
High School Cadets in Line.
After these marched the high
school cadets, also in uniform and
armed, and commanded by Captain
Merritt Sugden. The flag was carried
by E. W. Gottschalk, one of the al
ternates of the Blue Earth county
contingent and member of Com
pany C.
Next came several we'll known Of
ficials, Samuel B. Wilson, chairman of
the Public Safety commission for
Minnesota; County Auditor c. l..
Kennedy, Sheriff Anton Osten and
DIR. Roy Andrews of the local exemp-
ton board.
Then marched the Blue Earth
county contingent, thirty conscripted
boys and five alternates, with Henry
Gerlach as captain. Next came the
Brown county boys. headed by Cap
tain Charles Amann and Sheriff w.
J. julius of Brown county Next was
the Goose Town band. After this
was the Lyon county contingent,
the Lincoln county boys headed by
headed by Captain Walter S. Halland
Captain Joseph H. Curtis.
Most Of the conscripted boys wore