The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-02-27
GOLDEN VALLEY
GUARD CARRIES
HOME YE BACON
Crack Squads from Live North
Branch Town Show What
Application Will Do
Is CREDIT TO THEIR PEOPLE
Organization with Membership Of
115 Shows Fine Spirit
The New Leipzigers

What close application and determ
ination can accomplish, even in the
face of apparently insurmountable diff
ficulties was demonstrated by the
Golden Valley home guard when its
crack squads under command of Capt
Martin Joyce took first honors in the
war conference maneuvers here with
its exhibition of the Butts manual
and bayonet drill To see the guards.
men 60 through their maneuvers OH
the stage Of the Auditorium one would
have been convinced that for years
they had the benefit of intensive drill
with the arms which they used. AS
a matter of fact, the guardsmen used
rifles which they never had had in
their hands until the evening before,
and all of the movements which they
executed with such precision and
grace had been acquired by "arm
work" alone, without the use of a
weapon Of any kind. These boys for
weeks had drilled with imaginary
rifles, going through all of the routine
prescribed by the Butts manual and
the bayonet drill, and only within the
last week or two have they had wood
en- rifles at their disposal. In spite
of the great difference in size and
weight between these dummy guns
and the Bismarck home guards As
! Springfields, the Golden Valley team
had so thoroughly mastered its drill
that it went through the maneuvers
with the heavier and longer Bismarck
rifles without break.
The Crack Squads
The crack squads consisted Of Capt.
Martin Joyce. Corp. Ben Halpern,
Corp. Charles scharf, and Privates
John D. ;Boldt, Carl c. Wittmayer,
| Arthur Helbling, W. F. Ebersviller,
Ed Schari, Henry Edmark, Steve skal:
ski, Henry Becker, Glenn Schwalier,
H: G.. Rostin,ily; John Jackson, Mike
Engbrecht,> Odin Olson and A. w.
Hess. They came down Under com.
mittee composed OF L. Lewis and O..
H. Kuhl. The boys had no uniforms,
but, undaunted by this fact, they bor-
rowed suits from the Golden Valley
band, and they came down and carried
of the bacon, not only making splen.
did showing in the Auditorium exhibit
ton, before 500 home guardsmen as.
sembled from all parts of the state
and 800 civilian spectators, but Great
ing a very favorable impression in the
several parades which the home
guardsmen featured. -, ,s,. ..
That's the sort of stuff the North
Dakota home guard is made Of" said
Capt. E. G. Wanner, chairman Of the
governing board, today. DO you
wonder that I'm almighty proud of
this bunch. Is there any reason why
the whole of North Dakota shouldn't
oe proud of them and delighted to
think that men, of this calibre are 10y
al enough and selfsacri6cing enough
10 give up their time to this work"
The Golden Valley Guard
The Golden Valley home guard was
organized December 1, 1917. and it.
had an original muster roll OF '115
members. Since the date OF organic
alton half-dozen or more guardsmen
have gone into the national army, and
an average of. .95 men now answer
roll-call every Friday evening. In ad-
dition to the regular drills held each
Friday, volunteer drills are conducted
during the week. The boys are heart
end soul for the service, and they put
a pep into their work which Is good
to see. They have neither guns nor
uniforms "but they're coming" as one
of the men said here today.
Martin Joyce, the commander, is an
old regular army man, serving two
years and eight months in the Philip.
pines, where he did his full share to
quell the insurrection, as member OF
the 10th U. s. infantry. Dr.. w. F.
Plassman is first lieutenant, and T. w.
Salvin Is second lieutenant. The rank
and file is composed of the pest bust.
ness and professional and farming
men OF the Golden Valley district.
They use the Golden Valley municipal
hall as an armory, and, altho the drill
floor is but so by Is feet, they have
acquired. q proficiency which probably
can be excelled by! no other home
guard company in North Dakota.
1--WE cannot say enough in gratitude
to the Bismarck home guard" said
Capt. Joyce today. "Ctp. Wanner
and the local men nave certainly treat
ed US royalty. They have done every.
thing in their power to show us q
good time, and speak for all Of our
boys when l say that they have sue