Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1918-11-11
c-satest AFFAIR Ever Witnessed in
CITY Is Held as Word OF Armi-
stice Signing Comes.
r,ISER BILL is STRUNG UP
r.onle TuabIe TO Withhold Enthus-
izsm as Thousands Sing and
Cheer Over Great News.

| Peace
Rock Island has never before in
a. history put on such a demon
/ L-a,jon as 10 did early this morn
- and after the workingmen had
i.srned thar Germany had signed
- aruaistice which meant a letup
q all warfare
/ twice before celebrations were
.+sred all for naught, it being
issp,ed that the announcements of
zee were premature. Today's af-
air has never been, and probably
T4yer will be, surpassed. 1t was
Rock Islands gala day.
plans for a parade were made,
Int abandoned when the populace
,ook the matter IN its own hands
and staged a procession that Will
never be forgotten. Bands were
,ot needed. Tin pans. wash boil
ers. buckets. barrels. etc. that con-
aimed noise-making possibilities
vare pressed into emergency duty
and furnished enough racket TO
drown out a hundred bands.
Work was abandoned for the day.
Navor William McConochie official
" proclaimed the day a legal one
i m celebrate. His proclamation was
needless. The people needed no
one 10 tell them that they could
demonstrate their sentiments.
TO He'll With the Kaiser"
Washington Crossed the Della
vare-Pershing Crossed the Rhine"
Not Peace-Victory."
Down With the Hun"
"Our Lads Are Coming Home"
Banners, flags. steamers and
placards with the foregoing in
scribed in any manner on them
we're carried through the business
section of the city.
Arsenal Holiday.
At the Rock Island arsenal, too,
l all employees were accorded a holt
day. Men and women employees of
The shops and Offices, the majority
Of whom reported at the regular
hour IN the morning, were notified
that the signing of the armistiCe by
Germany would be celebrated by
holiday. and that the regular work
ing-day would be suspended.
Singing and cheering, and in reg
ular formation approximately 12,-
900 employees marched out of the
island, down west avenue shortly
after s o'clock to take part in the
various celebrations planned dur
ing the DAY in their home cities.
The holiday was the first which
the arsenal employees have expe-
rienced during the last year and a
half during which time maximum
production had been the sole object
Of both the authorities and work
men.
Not a factory in the tri-cities
remained open after o'clock this
morning. Business houses of the
city were forced to close their
doors as the demonstration increas-
ed in size and the employees fiocked
to join in the gigantic parade
which started before sunrise and
continued throughout the day. No
letup in the celebration was fore
cEsted until late tonight.
Kaiser Bill and all Of his gang
Of Potsdam were hung and tram
pied by the people throughout the
city. Efgies Of the German ruler
we're strung up TO lamp poles, made
and torn apart and strung up with
American flags over their heads.
At las this morning, Rock Is
land time, the magic words, "Armi-
stice Signed" flashed over the
wires of the Associated Press and
into The Argus Office. a leased wire
being maintained in The Argus Of
fee through which the authentic
war and other news of the day is
given to the public.
Argus Flashes News.
Three minutes after the words of
the signing were received, The Ar
! gus placed an extra on the streets
OF the city after first notifying Com
missioner John Murrin Of the wa
terworks department to sound the
Waterworks whistle which was to
tell the Rock Island people Off
elally that Germany had signed the
armistce which eventually means
1 permanent peace and represents
victory for the allies.
Colonel Leroy T. HiIlman, com
nandant at Rock Island arsenal
was Informed of the armistice
signing and Of the authoritative
means by which the news was Civ
20 Rock Island through the Asso-
GATED Press wire. Previous bogus
announcements have placed Off
: 0aLs In doubt concerning any an
houncement Of importance but well
fone messages issued by an au-
thoritative medium such az the AS
Isolated Press.
Before . O'Clock The Argus plac-
a on the streets . second extra
ehtion in which the armistice sign
lg was given more in detail. II
gohtalned all available information
eohcerning the announcement made
W the state department in Wash
lston and the wireless flashes that
Sere sent 10 this country from
overseas.
Inese extras were delivered to
ae doors OF each Argus subscriber
ne city. Newsboys were sup
sueo with and furnished extras to
nose IN the residence district who
we're not already supplied.