Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-04-03
MEETING At ARMORY
PARADE AS ESCORT IN
DEMONSTRATION THRU
LOOP DISTRICT
LARGE CROWD pAcxs, STATE
BUILDING AS PArRlo1rc exeR.
c'ses ARE HELD Hc4eeH
sovs ON HEIR wAvA. LEAVE
FOR TRAINING.

Thouands gathered at th18rmory
this afternoon to gay their Godspeed
TO l2S selects from District No. ! who
left for TT. Wright, New York, ON the
1906 g., u. q q. train for their period
OF training. The boys were escorted
to the station by Il parade OF over /.
thousand people while hundreds of
others lined the streets to watch the
selects on their way to the station
The turnout today was almost double
any crowd ever watching the boys
from this district leave before.
The street parade which was
formed at the armory, consisted of
the Miller Fife and Drum Corps. the
members OF the G.. A. r.. the high
school cadets. the mayor and city
commissioners. Undine Hose Co.. the
members of the Chamber OF Com
merce, exemption board, honor men.
relatives Of honor men. citizens on
foot. and dozens OF automobiles filled
with citizens.
Al the train the men were lined up,
and after responding to the roll call
they we're turned over to the fourteen
llcutCnants under the direction OF
Squad Chief MacWillard Peterson
Tho fourteen lleutenants were
Karl Brown Leech Harding.
William p. Mahoney, Ottawa
John Faber, Jr., Mendoza.
VIM. NJ. Hesselman, Meriden
Fred b. Daggeit Marseilles.
Andrew Eckness, Ottawa.
Frank b. Munchow, South Ottawa.
Louis +. Fox, Ottawa,
Allen l.. Bernard. Seneca.
Charles j. Walgenbach. Earlvillc.
Walter Edgcomb, Waltham,
Raymond F, Schultz, Ophir.
Frank Smith Carpenter. Ottawa.
The crowd that gathered to tell the
boys goodbye today. was much
more serious gathering than which
badc other increments adieus
At the armory, where mass meet
ing was held, all seats were filled be.
fore the time for the exercises. A
large number of people were stand
ing. Sad, serious expressions marked
the faces of all those present The
people were unusually quiet, the only
noticeable noise was when the speaker,
Hon. Lee O'Nel Browne, was inter.
ruptcd several times by cheers
Before the address Fred BEEN sang
Wen Never Let the Old Flag Fall,
and after Mr. Browns talk Nj, BEEN
sang Keep the Home Fires Burn
ing."
Mr.. Brownies talk was one of the
finest ever head in Ottawa. He spoke
of tho responsibility resting upon
everyone when they gathered to bid
the boys from La Sale county good
bye--the boys, who had been called
upon TO defend the honor. safety ant
the homes OF the American people.
He told the selects the deeds the,
performed at this time would be writ
ten in history long after they were
all dead and gone, and all thQir brave
acts would live after them.
He spoke OF the seriousness Of th'
situation before us and declared i
was not Sunday-sch0ol picnic, or
pink tea. but because 1t was happen
ing 5000 miles away from the Ameri
can people, we could not grasp th'
full significance Of the danger. Th
present war is all Sherman said it va
lit is pure hell. and conditions vii
be much worse before they are mad
better.
He told how some OF the American
peoplc who will be called upon to pa
much higher taxes and larger Re
Cross assessments before the war J
over. The people in the United State
owe their prosperity TO this country
and should be willing to pay for 1t.
He spoke Of the sadness for tn
boys, and for the parents OF the boy
who we're about TO leave for war. bt
told them II the war was on ou
shores they would be glad to go
fight 10 defend their homes and pa
ents.
Mr. nrovne ended his talk by a,