The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1918-10-11
A ROUSING MEETING

ntu va -
u,uday evening, and that room of
rm,ed capacity was crowded as it
:, nsver crowded before. The object
:, mic meeting was to stimulate the
,,artv Loan drive. and was one of
,orips of meetings there have been
IA in various parts of the county
,o,rg the past week. Corporal West,
!, mo Canadian EXpeditionary force,
Mrled out by Hun gas. was the draw
10 card and very strong card he
s,s 10 play. The corporal was accom-
,.ued on his tour by Prosecuting
Attorney Chas. A. Johnson and Harry
Kerr. of Okanogan, who lent their
,0res 10 the various meetings with
rost excellent effect. The pupils of
NO public school were out in full
hrce Monday evening contributing to
sir up enthusiasm by their singing.
number of popular patriotic songs
vprs sung under the leadership of
sB Starrett, Jr., the entire audience
inning with hearty good will.
E. Grant, chairman of the local
council of defense, presided and in
,roduced the speakers in his charac-
eristic happy vein. Mr.. Kerr was the
srst visitor to address the meeting,
and he spoke briefly, but along ardent
gatriotic lines. He was followed by
NJ. Johnson, who made a strong ap-
peal to the residents of Oroville and
yicinity to subscribe their full quota
10 this loan. He paid the people full
credit for their liberality in voluntar-
ly Subscribing over 100000 the first
lew days, but urged renewed activity
that the apportionment might be
reached. He stated that every district
in the county had met the call in full
except Oroville, Okanogan, Riverside
and Brewster, but he felt confident
those places would come across with
jn IS hours. He gave a hasty sketch
Of the services of Corporal West, and
ended IN introducing that gentleman,
Corporal West is not an orator, but
/ plain. blunt man and his simple
nle was plainly told in very plain
|anguage' He held the close attention
Of his audience and time and again
Als remarks were punctured with
hearty applause. His story was that
v the experience Of a soldier at the
ront, at the hottest part of the front,
. the most cruel and stupendous war
hat has ever cursed humanity. The
larrative of his escapes by flood and
'eld, bis experiences in camp and
iench, his facing such dangers, such
Missiles and methods of sudden death
. we're never heard of in former wars
vas intensely gripping, and yet the
cry worst features lost their shock
ng gruesomeness from the touches
nurnor injected into the story from
line to time.
corporal West announced at the
lart that he was a native of Ireland,
crn In Cork, which was an unneces-
ary acknowledgement as his rich
rogue gave him away, but an Aneri-
an Dy adoption, one of those adopted
ons OF foreign land as true and
oyal TO that land of adoption as
atYe born. In 1915 he was living
! seattle. but feeling that it was his
nly TO get In and aid in destroying
aat menace TO civilization, the un-
peaKable Hun, he went to Vancouver,
Y, and enlisted in a Canadian regi-
lent. In those days men were want
' ana wanted quick, and the organ
lauon to which he was attached,
lade up OF adventurous spirits from
l'aska and the Pacific coast states,
'as sent overseas after very brief
raining. They sailed in a ship that
a''ied 10000 men besides the crew.
'e expected that they would go into
'ns training in England, but those
'ere the dark days of the conflict
men reinforcements to take the
'aees OF the heavy losses at the
'on' We're needed, and the regiment
'ossed INTO France and was at once
CUT TO the front. The new arrivals
'on were under fire, going into the
'''ie OF the Somme. Afterward they
gre put In the trenches in front of
~, ridge, name that will go down
history glorified by the gallant
''u OF the Canadians. His story of
y y capture of Vimy ridge was brief
" lorceful. Indeed, in the short
n,e ne had to speak Corporal West
a. ! 70 touch briefly upon every phase
MS soldier life. Brief as the mar
a''e was It gave his hearers some
',s ',s, Oh the terrible scenes that the
''uiers IN the present war have to
ass through and the dreadful toll
'akes in human lives. And yet
'aid that he found much in the life
'a' 80 appealed to him that he would
,s ,surh We're he physically fit. His
.' oi German atrocities that came
aper MS personal notice was shock
. ana proves that half the crimes
lose oarbarians have committed in
no war have never come to the
:. ao"ledge of the people of this coun-
~ corporal West said that before
ehiisted he would not believe these
,o,ies OF German barbarity, but after
.''hs what he had seen he was con-
.a.ed that the Hun would stop at no
ue''y. He made a strong appeal
e'e audience to stand by their SOL
!. !" 'aus hghting so gallantly in
.ance by buying bonds to the limit
their ability.
.ne reason that Corporal West is
- IN service at the present time is
,, ~, he was very seriously gassed
MS service In the trenches
'. only were his eyes seriously af-
.s'eu out he lost one lung entirely
on the effect of the gas. He will
' u,er get back into active service
=. ~ ne Is doing all he can to aid In
.''ying on the war by such services
!, speaking for bond issues and sucl