The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-08-14
WORK OF SHOCK
TROOPS RESULTS
In A Big SAVING
OF NEEDED GRAIN
Scores Of Men Released
For Service Elsewhere
By Invaluable Labor

By Invaluable Labor
The question of transporting
"shock troops" from the city to the
grain fields, is just now one of the
most important with which the la
Dor bureau officials have to deal.
All city owners Of trucks and auto
mobiles, who are willing to aid in
the transportation Of shockers,
should enlist with the United States
employment bureau Immediately, 1t
was announced TODAY.
Fargo "shock" troops, by their
labor in the fields adjacent to the
city, have released scores of farm
laborers for work in other sections
of the state, and have helped to pre-
vent labor shortage which might
have resulted in severe damage to
the grain, according to statement
today by William English, examiner
in charge Of the Fargo office of the
United States employment bureau.
Il cannot speak too highly Of the
very efficient and timely work that
has been accomplished by the vari-
Gus troops" said Mr.. English. "They
have not only released workers for
sections Of the state in which there
are no Shock troops, but by their
invaluable work have made it pos
I sible to handle the grain promptly,
mus preventing a probable heavy
| loss"
Mr.. English believes all grain
within 15mile radius Of Fargo will
| be cut and shocked within a week.
! He anticipates that there will be
| little difficulty IN securing enough
men for threshing, as the average
laborer would much rather thresh
than shock.
Mr.. English has listed the various
troops in the city, and is filling calls
OF farmers as made.
A Joint teamf representing the
Northern School Supply company
and Stone Ordean- Wells company.
with their performance last evening,
claims the shocking record for Fargo.
| Thirteen men working 1 hour so
minutes shocked a 35-acre wheat
field that was heavy enough for a
% bushel to an acre yield.
AS a result of the remarkable
showing, Ralph Brown Of the Stone
! Ordean- Wells company, Is inclined
to accept the challenge Of Colonel
Fleming's Forum squad, issued
| broadcast several days ago to take
| on all corners, in a free-for-all con-
test over a five hour route. Nego-
tlat1ons are under way for the ex-
hibition, which might be made the
plot Of motion picture tragedy.
Last evening The Forum crew
migrated to the Porterfield farm
southwest of Fargo, where a, sixty
two acre field Of wheat was shock
ed. incidentally an elegant chick
en- banQuet-a feast for a king-Was
served by Mrs. Fred Franz, as a re-
suit Of which several of the per-
formers were disabled from over
eating. The troop will go to the Finch
farm, near Dilworth, this afternoon.
Blacks shocking bunch put I'D IS
acres OF heavy wheat last night on
the Bennett farm, west Of town.
Work was done under difficulties as
the wheat was wet and somewhat
lodged. Trucks donated by the Man
chester Biscuit company and Bergseth
Fish company, hauled the troops to
the farm. A small crowd from the
store will go out again this evening
and finish the field.
Thursday a large force will leave
the store to tackle the big field and
volunteers should phone the store if
they care to denote their services.
Ten members Of the Fargo police
force went out to the Ed. Hagen farm,
six miles northwest Of the city on
Tuesday evening and shocked eighty
acres Of grain. These husky cops
gave a good account of themselves,
putting in only a few hours at the
Job.
The Delco Light shock troop drove
out to the Wade Wetz farm, near
Gardner, Tuesday evening, where they |
shocked IS acres Of grain gby dark. |
AS there are only seven in this troop, |
36 acres is a mighty good record.
Thos. Turner's insurance troop, and
26 employees of the Fargo Laundry |
Co., 20 persons in ALL shocked 80 acres |
Frank Bennett farm, west of Fargo, |
Tuesday evening.
The Standard Oil Co. troop under |
Gen. e. r. HazeItine, left Fargo Is |
strong Tuesday afternoon. and before |
1t had become too dark to work had |
shocked 1870 acres on the Frank Beat |
on and Mike Murphy farms, 10 miles |
members Of the troop lost the road, |
and hit into the first good-looking |
field, shocking 25 acres on what they |
DSA1SNS0 IOudy WAS the OlllS t1aBBaFC |
farm. All earnings Of this troop are
donated to the Red Cross.
EFF you can't shock, you can at least
donate the use of your automobile or
truck to convey shocking groups to
farms in the vicinity" says VIM. Eng |.
lish, in charge Of the Fargo branch |
Of the United States employment
service, who requests all auto owners
willing to take out shocking groups
to inform the employment agency.
Forty volunteers, under Major Cen
eral w. G. Sauve, Colonel B. I. Keat-
ing and other well-known military
leaders, went to the Campbell farm,
IL miles southwest Of Fargo, Tues
day evening and between 6 o'clock
and dark accounted for 100 acres OF
heavy wheat. The division arrived L
at Campbell hill about o'clock and
after taking refreshments, proceeded
to modern warfare against an enemy
Of 100 acres" says the official report
Of the engagement today. Among the L
was Quartermaster Har-
vey, who is In charge Of the knights
Of Columbus hut at the North Da-
.sota Agricultural college, who did +
excellent work, the fact that he came
from lows, where they are SO many
brave workers, making tt easy forI
him. His story OF grading five acres L
! day iJl flig time, however, was
slassed by other workers as sounding
zoe MUCH like the tales told bN Bill