The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-09-12
OYER 700 REGISTERED
nv BARRE UP TO IP. M.
Ehgibles Were Prompt in Responding to
the Governments Demand for Put
ting Themselves on File.

Paraphrasing the words of a famous
American commander upon his arrival
at the tomb of Lafayette, stalwart can
dldates for future armies of the new de-
moeraey came forward to the registra-
tion places to-day and said; America,
here we are The spontaneity of the
response here in Barre exceeded all ex-
pectations. Prospective registrants were
knocking at the doors of city hall. where
the eligible IN all six wards were to reg
lister, before the registrars had opened
for business at o'clock. BY noon more
than 600 men between the ages of IL
and 45 inclusive, had registered and at
o'clock the 200 mark had been passed.
In some respects it was more salts.
factory registration day than June 5,
1917. when men of the 2l-3l class came
forward. Then, the draft idea was new
to this generation and while evidences
of slackerism were so slight as to be al.
most negligible, it was a novel experience
and men went about the business with
no slight degree of trepidation. To-day
all was changed Comparative figures
show that the rush for registration cards
in the earlier hours OF the day was even
greater than a year and more ago. Nat
urally many desired to get it off their
minds before going to work, and as the
registration officials were ready for them
promptly at o'clock they had their op-
portunity.
Registering Barre's quota was q much
simpler process to-day, and the work
proceeded without the slightest confu-
sion. Most of the men whom Chief Reg
istrar James Maekay selected to assist
him received their schooling in the work
in 1917. Twenty men were picked and
they performed commendable service
with a high degree of efficiency. They
reduce their task to the simplest terms
and the man who appeared for card
was not detained any longer than was
reasonably necessary. The statement
that men born Sept, IL, 1900, must reg
lister and that men born Sept. II. 1872,
should not register, helped many to de
eide for themselves whether they were
eligible.
Upon arriving at city hall, where the
council chamber and the school commits
sioners' Office were reserved for the reg
istrars' tables, the prospective registrant
had only to answer a few questions.
First he was required to fill out a card
with his full name, permanent home adj
dress. age in wears, date of birth, his
race. to state whether he was American
born or naturalized, his occupation and
the name of his employer, and the name
and address of his nearest relative. Then
he received his registration card and his
duties for the day were discharged. The
voluminous QUESTIONABLE, which is to be
mailed to him later, belonged to tile
troubles Of tomorrow.
The registrars were uncertain who
was the first to register to-day. As a
matter of fact several were registering
when the o'clock whistles sounded, and
IL was difficult TO determine who first
set his name to the card. Enough that
every man on the local registration board
was agreeably surprised to learn that
the registrants were not waiting for
grand rush just before closing time to.
night. From o'clock until noon there
was not a moment when someone was
not waiting to be registered, and at times
the corridor at city hall was pretty well
crowded with men, As soon as the gran
ite manufacturing plants closed down for
the noon hour there was a redoubled
rush, which did not abate until well
after | o'clock II was quite apparent
that the eligible men were desirous of
accommodating the registrars as we'll a.
themselves by appearing early. 1t
CONTINUED on eighth page.l