The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-07-23
Huge Troop Train Leaves for
camp Pike, Arkansas at II
O'Clock Monday Night
With Selects.
SOUTHEAST IOWA QUOTA
Hnndred New Soldiers Fu1n-
ished by Keokuk; County
Outside Same Number
Parade is Immense.
IBy Ray e. Garrison.l

EBy Ray E. Garrison.l
yao,uk,s thousands thrilled with
nride, wept, prayed and cneereo as
r. nowerful locomotive of four
. a troop train whistled shrilly
i me railroad yards, coughed and
nulled southwark to Camp Pike, in
Arkansas, Monday night near the
hour OF eleven.
Aboard were q hundred men, the
flower of the city's young manhood,
another hundred strapping Lee coun-
~ sons, thirty-seven Van Buren, and
more than six hundred Washington,
hes Moines, jefferson and Louisa
connty candidates for a place in the
worlds greatest war.
The city never before witnessed a
scene that quite paralleled the god
sneed of parting that was tearfully
and smiIingly bestowed upon the
voung selectmen of the several coun-
ties at the union depot last night.
Greatest Parade in Years
A parade that accompanied the
nearly $50 Lee and Van Buren, new
| soldiers 10 Iuc pldSS VI SiIA
excelled ANYTHING of its kind that the
citv has known in years. Civil war
days NAV have filled the air with
martial spirit equally as great as on
Mondays occasion, but those days
could not have been greater in their
patriotic ardor.
Organization after organization OF
fraternal and military men swung
into line at $3.50 o'clock to the blare
of four brass bands, and as the selec-
tiyes themselves stepped from the
Elks' club, heads high and testing
with the thousands who thronged the
streets, cheer after cheer went up.
The big pageant was skillfuly
handled. and, instead of proving I'M
.wieldly. the long columns of march
ers paraded as if they were accus-
toned to it.
Says Official Goodbye.
Men of the Elks' lodge formed
Gordon about the selectmen as they
descended the club steps after recetv-
ing more than an hour OF instruc-
tons from John c. Scott, chairman
Of the exemption board.
Mayor Ed S. Lotion, on behalf OF
the city, sped the men forward to
thtll uuJy, anu hio NoiSS Shho'ANN 49,
he did so.
I'VE old timers will do all that we
can to see that the wives, the
mothers, the sweethearts Of you men
are taken care Of" said the mayor.
A. P. Meyer, secretary to the ex-
emption board, had a word to say
to the men, then the roll was quickly
called and the squads fell rapidly in
behind their leaders and marched
away.
Relatives Surround Men.
When the parade reached the foot
Of Main street it was halted and
ten minutes time was given relatives
of the departing men to say farewell
to the selectives.
Wives kissed husbands bravely,
while old mothers looked trustingly
In the faces of sons. Young women,
the sweethearts Of the men, kissed
their soldiers unabashed.
Then there was swift march to
the waiting coaches, less than hun
bred yards away. Windows OF the
cars were soon filled with the men
and with shouts of glee they made
threats of what we won't do to the
kaiser and his gang"
Bands played, the swaying, rest.
less, anxious, eager thousands called
out goodbyes, and for twenty min
utes-the shortest twenty minutes in
the cfty's history-there was lively
justing by the embryo military men
Off to Can the Kaiser.
At 1920 the Washington, Des
Moines, jefferson and Louisa coun
ties special troop train pulled into
the station with the 629 men aboard
shouting to the jostling crowds a,
the station
There were nine cars in this train
and many of the men were farmers
Here and there neatly dressed
young y1g business man could be seen
Kaiser HAMMERS Union No. 209,'
other large placards were hoisted
through the windows by the men.
Reach Camp Wednesday.
The Lee county and Van Buren,
coaches were attached to the real
OF the train and at 1880 o'clock be
gan the long journey south. The
men formed the largest quotas these
counties have yet given to the worlt
war.
Troop trains are not run fastel
IMAM fifteen miles an hour, and 1t j:
probable that the men will not reach
Namp Pike before Wednesday after
noon.
Take Charge Of Men.
:, rave men were given command O
we Lee county selects. Louis j
buescher Of Fort Madison was first il
Sonmand, John Perdew Sheldon o
heokuk, second; Francis Ward New
som' third; liner r. Carlson of Keo
AUX. fourth. and Al. H Wnnneke, fifth
Ihe men in cbaroe Of the snIIardS 6,