The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1919-03-14
FROM VERNON
LECTURE DELlv-
Erred BY REV. PALMER
Farmers, Institute Is Held and
Report on Consolidated
School

Report on Consolidated :
School
Especial to Free-Press
Vernon Center, March Monday
evening at the opera house notwith-
standing the clustering cold and al
most impossible. roads, there being
neither autoing nor sleighing, an al
most capacity house greeted Rev. w.
X. Palmer of Minneapolis, who came
back to the old home town filled with
happy recollections and friendships
which had been made during several
years residence here, to tell in his un-
effected happy way the great work of
the Y. M. C. A. which he has been
doing here and overseas for nearly
two years. We all have read and
know to some extent of the war work
of the Y, X. of c., Salvation Army,
etc., but to hear it from one who has
really been in it and as you might say
"over the top" enables one to get an
| impetus of these organizations that no
amount of reading would do. AS a
prelude to the speech of the evening
Mr. Palmer answered the criticisms
to the Y. NC. A. that are Appearing
in print. Relating several of these
criticisms which had appeared in the
late papers he explained how impos.
sible the thing was and could not pos
sibly have been enacted as they were
not uEder Y. NC. A. jurisdiction. 1t
is a military organization and comes
under the same war restrictions. Ev-
cry secretary of the Y, NJ. C. A. and
other similar organizations received a
letter at Christmas time from Gener-
al Pershing commencing them for
their splendid work which this organ
ization was doing. 1t was indeed in
.teresting to hear Mr. Palmer tell of
his preparations for overseas work.
Previous to going over he was en-
gagged in Y. M. C. A. work at Fort
Smelling. with longing, but no hopes
Gas he supposedly for getting across.
One day an officer asked him if he
would care to do Y. M. C. A. work
across the ocean to which he replied
in the affirmative, but added that he
supposed he was too old. The officer
said a man is as old as he feels. In
that case Mr.. Palmer said, I'm .as
young as they make them. In few
days he was sent to Chicago where
he spent several weeks in training,
then to New York and in due time was
sent to Princetown to take course,
in French. In this study he proved a
very apt scholar and was graduated
in three days with orders to return to
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In May the boat with $4,000 troops,
217 Y. M. C. A. and several Y. w. C.
4. workers left harbor. They were
eighteen days on the water. When a
three days journey from Liverpool a
sub marine was sighted by the sub
destroyer. who exploded five depth
bombs. 1t was reported the sub was
sunk. The battle between the boats
took place two and half miles from
the ship but so great was the explo-
sions that the ship trembled and
shook like leaf With no more ex-,
citement they landed at Liverpool
and soon were Sent across to France.
His hut" was well up in the front line
where he worked for three and half
months. They were so near that
shells burst near them and at one
time shell exploded a short distance
from where Mr.. Palmer was at work,
killing three men instantly and severe
ly lwounding six others. One night
after-the hut was wrapped in slumber
a gas attack was suspected and gas
masks were ordered to be donned.
These masks, like the poor, are always
with you, generally hanging around
your neck stated Mr. Palmer. Mr..
Palmer must have been only about
half awake when the order to don the
masks came, and perfectly sound
asleep when the order came to re-
move them, for along toward morning
feeling awfully uncomfortable he
awoke to fird his mask still on. , He
hastily took it off gas or no gas and
found that the gas attack if there had
been one was long past, and that he
had needlessly suffered the incon-
venience of wearing it for several
hours. After being in the hut for
about three months he found that he
wasn't quite up TO the standard in
health and in some ways the climate
was not agreeing with him. He. was
rapidly losing flesh and on examina-
ton by the hut physician he was or
dered to hospital, but refused to go,
saying when he went there he wanted
to go as soldier, did, on stretcher,
$50 he was left at his work about eight
weeks longer when he was sent to
Paris foN physical examination and
where he met his, waterloo. The phyA
sicians ordered hfs return to- the Unit
ed States as soon as he was able to
travel. He landed at, New York the
latter part of November and arrived
lat Minneapolis in time to. spend
Thanksgiving with his wife and
daughter. Aftery.a week'sS rest he re-
sumed the Y. M c.. A. work at Fort
Smelling, Mr.. Palmer wore the Y.
NJ. c. A. uniform which resembles
those of an officer with the insignia of
the order, embellished on the collar
and sleeve of his coat He had his gas
mask, with him which he put on and
also exhibited a piece of shell that had
burst near his hut, killing and wound ;
ing several. Mr., Palmer, who is fast
|regaining his health, is a splendid
specimen of American manhood. That
his mind, soul and body is in his work,
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