Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1919-05-13
South Paris Sees War Exhibit Train,

Interest in the train carrying war
exhibits, which was at South Paris In
the interest Of the Victory Loan Tues
day, was demonstrated early in the after
noon by the steady procession of auto
mobiles which passed through the vii
lage towards the station, beginning more
than an hour before the time, $50, adyer.
tised for the train to reach here. People
went on foot also, and the scholars from
the several schools marched and carried
flags.
1t was made q general holiday, and
families came from miles around.
Doubtless the crowd assembled at the
station and about the grounds numbered
1900 to 1000 people.
In way the scene was q reminder of
several other occasions during the past
two years, when the people had assem-.
bled to see Co. D of, or to give God
speed to large contingent of drafted
men. And yet it was 80 different. The
crowd seemed indifferent, unenthusi-
sstic, almost apathetic. Thank God, we
were not there to see our boys leaving to
suffer discomfort, Inconsistencies, pain
and possible death. The tension of
oSs9oA wa Sobohti0aos WIN IhC olOIt-
ness and outbursting manifestation of
patriotic fervor which accompanied 1t,
was gone. The people, even in their
travels about the limited area of the
grounds, were indolsnt and leisurely in
their movements, as they waited for the
train to appear, and seemed much like
idle curiosity seekers. Even when they
were addressed from the train by vet
Grams Of the battleflelds of Europe, they
did not rise to the occasion, but gave the
young soldiers really inadequate recep.
ton.
The train, which had gone to Norway
for the first part Of the afternoon, came
from there as Q part Of the regular pas
senger train, and after the 3:39 train had
come and gone, the exhibit train was set
on the side track opposite the open
ground, and Alton G. Wheeler briefly
introduced as the chairman for the short
program, A. j. r. Helmus of the Red
Cross.
Mr.. Hslmus spoke very briefly, urging
subscriptions to the Victory Loan for
'finishing tbe-job." He introduced next
Sergt. John Hines Of the 4th Division.
In doing this he said that Sergt. Hines
was sent to establish Communication be-
tween two units of the army, after five
others had one by one attempted 1t and
been killed. he succeeded, but on his
way back was caught in q barrage and
lay in q shell hole for twelve hours, and
when he finally got back to the lines, his
hair had begun to turn grsy-!the visible
evidence of which appeared on the young
mans head.
Sergt. Hines told some laugbable
stories of war happenings, made a good
appeal for bond subscriptions, and was
interesting to hear, but he was just as
ELUSIVE regarding his own acts and
experiences as most OF the boys are-he
said nothing whatever about them.
The next speaker was Sergt. LIST Glass
Charles NJ. Weiner of the Medical Corps,
Hospital SO. He also made . good sp-
peal on the bond sale, and told of some
of the things the men had done of special
interest to the medical corps, such as
submitting to incubation with trench
fever in order that the disease might be
successfully combatsd-dying for their
country as truly as II cut down In going
over the top.
Before the speaking was finished the
doors were opened to let the crowd 60
through the train, and the big guns and
numerous articles of war equipment
were viewed with much interest, though
so large was the crowd that it was neces-
sary to keep them moving fairly rapidly,
and there was little opportunity for de-
tailed examination of anything before
the time scheduled for the train to leave.