Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1918-09-14
TO BOOM WAR SAVINGS
STAMP CAMPAIGN
Brilliant and Successful Attack Fri.
day Forenoon in Augusta by the
Browning Machine Gun Company.


ful attack in the War Savings
Stamp Campaign yesterday forenoon
by the Browning Machine Gun Com
pany under the command Of Lieut..
Scruton. quartermaster at Fort
Preble. The Market Square sector
was selected for the place Of attack.
mere was a gentle fall of rain re-
minding one of other parts of the line
IN France. Men and women had
been observed massing themselves
IN Market Square. The purpose of
TINS formation was suspected but it
'ook the sharp work of the machine
gun to make clear the detectives.
Promptly at IL o'clock there was a
ciatter of wheels and into the square
swung the motor truck which had
been rapidly advanced from Gardi-
ner. On the truck was mounted the
browning machine gun and around il
were grouped Lieut. Scruton and his
men. On the truck were flying
American flags: on the sides were
the inscription Twenty War Savings
Stamps will Buy Browning Gun"
The Wrapping were quickly removed
and the gun was revealed ready for
ITS efficient work as soon as a belt of
wicked looking cartridge were placed
in position.
The crowd moved forward. Lieut.
Scruton gave very interesting talk
about the gun, its structure, capacity,
cost. its efficiency compared with
other makes, cost of ammunition.
amount used in a day and other most
interesting facts. He also gave some
interesting incidents which had hap
pened in Franco.
The crowd listened most attentive
~. they were glad of the opportunity
10 see one of these guns about which
we have read so much
1t would Of course have been real
isuc to have heard the gun firing
and caught the sound of the type
writer" as they are called-and that
ominous pop-pop- pop pop pop pop
pop. But only service ammunition is
carried and it would have been UNI
safe to fire the gun in Market
square. Bullets shot into the air
might have fallen within the city and
shots directed toward the river would
have ricochetted on to the East side.
little realism was furnished lust
before noon when the rapid fire of
automatic pistols was heard to the
EAST of the Soule building The
echo was altogether sa tisfying
Lieut.. ScrutCn then called into ac-
tion Carpenters Mate Sutherland,
Charles w. Sutherland of L. S. S.
Holyoke. This young man enlisted
in the Navy at San Francisco and
has seen a good bit of country He
was former vaudeville star. He
sure is q star. Nimble and sure
footed as cat. quick-witted as a
son of the Emerald Isle. taking in
every corner about him at a, glance
he started in on the real work of
selling War Savings Stamp. Seated
beside him was Walter Poore. clerk
of the postoffice and in charge of the
War Savings Stamp Department,
with a basket of stamps and thrift
had the crowd on the jump in a.
minute. He asked for buyers of
guns, ammunition and equipment for
the Boys. who will buy the first
gum" A voice in the crowd shouted
I'm take one" and Norman J.. Bas-
sett stepped forward with the dough-
The stamps began to fly, ten-dollar
bills, five dollar bills and ether
amounts were called for. Suther-
land kept up a running fire of COM
mentS which were highly interesting
and with appeal to The Bankers
and Good Business Men, that he
ca ,h oil
ing the latter "A chance to kiss the
lieutenant" he made the money fly
like the Huns. Cony Weston, who
has been the chairman Of the Mer-
chants Association bought n good
supply of ammunition. Guns were
also bought by George T.. Macomber.
w. II. Gannett and katharine Hill.
Sutherland also sold a gun to Ar
thur Whitney as he SAID For the
Boy in France" referring to Mr..
Whitneys son Allen. But the feel
ing of patriotism on the part of ALI
present, of men who are hard at
work and our citizens generally made
them come forward with a smile and
hand over into Uncle Sans keeping
the money which he asked to win a
victory.
Sutherlands job is to sell R thou
sand dollars worth of stamps in
every place to which he goes. At II
O'Clock the gun was moved UP to the
gates of the Edwards mills and a
crowd soon gathered there. 1t was
an inspiring sight to see men and
women, some of whom could speak
only the language of our Ally.
France, coming forward to buy
stamps The French are most re-
liable people.
When the bell sounded at one
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