The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-09-05
One of the Biggest Scenes in
Her Rich History When
Lee County Boys Start
to War
ALL KEOKUK WAS THERE
Farewell at the Union Station
Was Inspiring and in Har-
nlony with Her Serious
Patriotism.

All Keokuk, sincerely and almost ST.
Iently told the boys going to the war
that they are behind the army and
will keep the home fires burning, in
wonderfully impressive. big and in
spiring scene at the union station ear
" this morning.
There gathered there thousands Of
Keokuk men and women, young men
and young women, from every walk
of life in the city, when the ninety
nine Lee county recruits, each just
twenty-one years old, entrained for
Camp Dodge.
The platform was crowded, every
body seeming to want to get as close
TO the brown coaches as possible, and
the hill of Johnson street for block
was filled with automobiles and
trucks each full of people looking at
the scene from that point of vantage.
The Start Of the Soldiers.
The long procession turned into
Water street from Main with band
playing and flags waving, the crowds
of paople approaching on all the side
walks from up town hurried along,
and the Rock Island train stood ready
with a wisp of steam shining white
from the top of the engines escape
valve.
The long column of Elks opened and
halted with it's right at the coach
steps every man with a large flag
raised. Between their lines marched
the column of twos of soldier boys,
with John c. Scott leading, and here
and there a mother walking inside
the lines with her son.
Without pause the recruits
marched up the car steps and into the
coaches prepared for their first move
ment in Americas campaign against
The Hun
The Last Glimpse.
In a minute, heads and hands were
thrust through coach windows, each
band grasping that of many persons
on the platform. The band played
Keep the Home Fires Burning, and
the final goodbys were said with
hearty godspeed and few tears, for
the women were all very brave.
The minute hand of the railroad
watches moved on toward the verti-
cal. AT the first notes of The Star
Spangled Banner, every hat was
raised At exactly o'clock, John c..
Scott, on a coach step raised his hand
in the signal to start The band broke
into Aud Lang Syne. The deep tone
OF the engine bell rolled out solemnly.
The train began to move. almost i'm
perceptibly at first and then faster
and faster A thousand hands and
some women's handkerchiefs waved
from the crowd, but there were no
cheers, and almost silence except
the music of the old farewell hymn.
everybody stood like statues and
there was one crowd of people stand
Ing still. The train disappeared, hid
by the red brick building with it's
semaphores and common work and
play of humanity-and the Lee county
boys were gone to the war.
The crowd turned silently and
quietly started home and to business.
In the Early Morning.
Forty minutes earlier, large num-
Der of people gathered at the corner
OF Sixth and Main streets. The re-
cruits were in the Elks hall, there re-
ce1ving their last instructions from
chairman Scott, and t e iower floor
Of the club house was filled with
Eiks. In Sixth street was the keokuk
concert band, and in Blondeau street
uncle Sans drum corps
Gut through the portico and down
the wide steps of the Elks' club came
members of that order each with a
nag Evidently most of them were
mere And in their rank were some
81 the most prominent citizens of
neoKuk, bankers. lawyers, physicians.
!oOoers, merchants, contractors, and
capitalists, as we'll as workers in al
most every occupation. Behind them
uarched the recruits in squads, each
Under an acting corporal.
without a pause, the procession
was formed Following the band was
tne city council, and then the Elks
win the flags of our allies in the
Hont, Then came the mail carriers,
eut IN force, with the drum corps
leading the remnant of the G.. A. r.
sun living. The column of recruits
eame next, led by John c. Scott and
accompanied by the other members of
ne exemption board, A. p. Meyer and
Or K. H. F-egers.
keokuk Behind the BOYS.
as 1t marched into Main street and
aVwn TO the levee, the procession was
larry three blocks long. the E,lks
"uhe having column of block and
a.aif. and the recruits filling about
block.
Even at the early hour, Keokuk had
.elneo out to show its feelings for
s; s,s soldier boys. The sidewalks were
t "eo with people, few standing to
s eoA, put most of them going down
hs.eet beside the column marching TO
'ue music of war songs.
Dehind the procession was large
n, of automobiles and at every
,h street they stood waiting for
'nr column to pass.
Inen came the big scene at the
station.