The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1918-01-30
Home GUARDS
OUT AFTER MONEY TO BUY
EQUIPMENT-BENEFIT AT
IMPERIAL.

Little has been heard lately of the
Madison company of home guards,
but that does not indicate that they
have been idle. On the other hand,
Capt. Robertson tells us that the boys
have been working hard at drill ey-
cry Tuesday night in the high school
gymnasium. The membership of the
guard now numbers about 100, many
of the original members having join
ed the United States army and navy.
There is no provision made by the
state for financing the home guard,
the old national guard fund not be-
ing available for this work. In order
to start a fund for this work the 10
cal guardsmen are planning a num-
Der of home talent entertainments,
the proceeds of which will be turned
into a purchasing fund for the guard
for the purpose of e%quipping them
with rifles and uniforms. Many Of
the boys intend to buy their own
equipment, as it is such that it can
b. used for other purposes. The uni
10TH Will Ne Slllllldl W the INSului
army uniform except the blouse,
which will be a copy Of the English
army blouse. Many of the boys CON
slider the rifles as a good investment
and will buy their own. For every
rifle hat the home guard buys the
adjutant general of the state will
supply one, so hal only so rifles will
need to be purchased by the local
boys to complete the equipment of the
entire company.
There is no question but that the
home guard is a needed and neces-
sary institution. The interest taken
in other towns of the state and in
other states is evidence OF this. Min
nesota has doubled her appropriation
of this fund. One business man in
Sioux Falls is reported to have given
the guardsmen there a check for $175
to be added to their purchasing fund.
At Oldham, our neighboring village,
a company has been formed with a
membership of 20, and will soon be
mustered in by Capt. Jas. Robertson,
of this city. The town board of that
place has furnished them with a
building in which to hold their regu-
lar drill and is helping them in all
other ways possible. With the old
national guard in the federal service
and most of them now over there,
it behooves everyone to get behind
this home guard movement and boost,
for the state is thus left without any
organized protection whatever, in
case of a serious outbreak of any kind
or a severe storm which required the
services of a guard. This is another
way in which many who are unable to
go to war can do their bit" by back
ing up the home guard with their
moral and financial support, and is a
cause in which too much cannot be
done. In such strenuous times as
these there is no telling when the
services of an organization of this
kind will be needed.
The first of the home guard bene-
performance at the Imperial theater
next Wednesday, February b, matt
nee and evening. The picture shown
will be "Womanhood, the Glory of the
Nation" The picture was shown here
sometime ago and all who saw it at
that time pronounced it n of the
greatest of the patriotic films ever
shown. In all, four shows will be
run, a matinee at 1870 for the gener-
1 al public and another at 3:15 for the
{ students of the city schools and the
Normal school, all OF which will dis
miss early in order to give the pupils
$ a chance to attend. The matinee
E price will be 10 cents. In the eve
ming two shows will be run, one al
T 7:15 and one at 9:15. The evening
y price will be 25 cents.