The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1918-03-15

MISS mary Oehlh0ffen is home
from South Bend for a few days
visit with home folks.
Miss Kittie Smith attended a st.
Patrick's dancing party in Watervliet
on Thursday evening of this week.
A meeting of the Directors of the
Van Buren county Farmers Mutual
Insurance Company was held at the
Office OF the secretary B. l.. Breed on
Tuesday.
Mr.. and Mrs. A. f. Van Week
entertained a number of friends on
Monday at six o'clock dinner in
honor of their daughter Miss Peggy,
it being the third anniversary of her
birth.
Mrs. Glen Fullenwden and Mrs.
Harry Kritz of Waveland. Indiana
and Frank Bilbo of Russelville, In
diana were here to attend the funeral
of A. Bilbo, returning to their re-
spective homes on Thursday Of this
week.
The first Van Buren county boy to
lose his life i'm battle with the enemy
was Lowell Kellar of Gobleville.
His father, George Kellar received
cablegram on Friday stating that
his son had been killed by a German
gas bomb.
Twenty-Five ladies of the Coterie
who could vote, turned out en-mass
Monday, marched to the polls and
cast their votes for the new library.
Other members of this organization
voted earlier in the day. Nearly
every lady Of the Coterie club was an
enthusiastic booster for the library,
and did everything within their power
for the success of the proposition at
the polls.
On March 1st, the Germania Fire
Insurance Company, one of the oldest
companies in America, founded in
1859, changed it's name to the Nation
al Liberty Insurance Company of
America. The change in name was
necessitated by public misinterpreta-
tion of the former name,, many be-
lievirg it to indicate German origin
and German affiliation. The company
was founded by Americans, and its
capital is invested in American Sc
cureties. Since the outbreak of the
war, the company has been active in
securing recruits for the United
States Navy and Marine CORPS. and it
recently contributed $4,000 to the
American Red Cross.
Paul Smith was in Big Rapids the
first of the week and returned on
Wednesday with contract for the
position of Agricultural Agent for
Mecosta county safely tucked away
in his pocket. Paul is one of Paw
Paws most progressive and highly
esteemed young men. He is eminent
ly qualified for the position but the
news that he is to leave this county
will be received with regret by the
entire community. All will join
however in congratulations to the
good people of Mecosta county on the
splendid acquisition to their citizen
ship. and wish Mr.. and Mrs. Smith
the best of success and all the good
things in life in their new home.
They plan TO move and be on the job
by April first.
The democratic caucus was held in
the council rooms Saturday afternoon
u. w. Lee was chairman and III. l..
Mcneil, secretary. 1t was decided
to leave portion of the ticket blank,
which was a practical endorsement
of the men nominated on the other
ticket for those Offices. Charles
Mather was nominated for Treasurer
Charles Sheibley for Highway Com
missioner; Lanford Cole, Member of
the Board of Review; Bert Gleason,
Justice of the Peace; and A. T. Stew
enson. II. ID. Wright, David McCanr,
and o. f. Smith for constables. AT
the close of the caucus, Charles
Mather made little talk and an
nounced that if he was elected to the
Office for which he had been nomin-
ated, he proposed to give one half of
his salary to the Red Cross and other
kindred War Funds. This offer, he
said, was made on his own initiative.
1t is sometimes said that "Orce a
German, always a German at heart"
There is ample evidence to prove
that statement is false. For instance
resident of our village, Carl Ger
hard Grashorn, who was born in
Germany sixty-seven years ago last
Wednesday, is now a patriotic loyal
American citizen. with two sons in
the American Army. The eldest,
Leo, enlisted in Hospital corps from
the University of Wisconsin and has
just arrived safely in France, and
Robert is at Camp Grant. Mr.. Gras-
horn served several years in the Ger
man Army, erlisting in 1870 during
the Franco-Prussian war, which gave
Alsaace-Loraine to Germany. He
joined the army one year before he
became of military age, and served
until the peace terms were complied
with by France. In addition to the
loss of Alsaace-Loraine, France was
compelled to pay war indemnity to
Germany in the sum of One Billion
dollars. This sum, Mr.. Grashorn
states was fully paid just six months
before the final installment became
due. Mr.. Grashorn is familiar with
every highway and crossroad around
Toul and Nancy where the American
troops are now fighting. He came
to America forty-three years ago and
a