Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1921-11-18
MEMORIAL ROOM Is
VISITED BY MANY
Stevens County Memorial Armory
Houses Banner Collection of
War Trophies and Relics

War trophies and relics are inani-
mate things, but they seem strangely
vital when connected as part of the
life history of the men from your own
community. Badges that have been
worn by old fire eating yanks, hob
nailed shoes which have. encased the
feet of a boy you watched enter ser
vice, and auto tag used. by another
who died in southern camp, all
these are exceedingly precious in the
eyes of those who have known the
old :.yanks and the boys and have
rubbed shoulders with them in civil
ian life.
The brilliant colors of the insignia
worn on the blouse sleeve by the men
is one of the first things that attracts
the eye when you enter the Memorial
room in the Armory. They recall
men marching in parade and families
at depots welcoming veterans home.
Almost all of the divisions in the
United States are represented. Pre-
served in case of glass they will be
priceless to: the county and to the
state as time goes Dy.
The Voss collection of photographs
shows many boys in uniform, but
some of the pictures. are all the more
interesting in that they show the men
| in their work or business clothes and
looks as if they were taken Just as
the boys left the farm or the Office.
/ Four volumes of service records tell
of thetbwork of these, men and the
others from the county in the war.
| A relief map which was once the
property of the former crown prince
showing the exact place where the
Americans kicked OF into the big
fight has been loaned to the county
by Arthur Woodman and is one of
the most interesting of the war troph-
les on exhibition. Woodman found
the map in building near Mt. Fau-
con where from an observation tower
between Meuse and Argonne wood
the son of the former kaiser directed
the maneuvers of his armies. En-
gineer's maps used by the Eighty
Eninth Division are on display showing
! the objectives and daily operations OF
the men. The hours of leaving and
the hours of attack are all shown in
plan form on the parchment.
A silk flag tattered from use and
age, the flag of Company X, 90 Regi-
ment of Infantry Volunteers imparts
to the room an atmosphere of that
other war of 1851 when our men
were as gallant as in 1917. Near al
hand is an eagle which a sturdy sol!
dier from the north carved from woo6
while he was confined in Libby Pris-
on. 1t was brought home by John
House who was also a prisoner there
and who told the story many times
before his death year ago in Morris
Several cavalry and army civil wal
swords and one brass candle stick
used by captain, each has a history
of it's own. The visitor may read oi
the assassination of Lincoln in New
York Herald of April Is, 1865, one
of the very few copies of the issue
still in existence.
A Datto sword from Luzan and g
small Spanish dagger found in Sar
Domingo brings the time to 1898 anC
tells the story of American men in
the Philippines. Inscribed in Span.
ish on the sheath of the dagger is the
tale of a murder committed by the
weapon. 1t was loaned to the col
lection by Colonel G. G. Thorpe.
! Most of the trophies and emblems
however, pertain to the World Wal
closer and in consequence more vital
to the people of this generation. A
! machine gun belt Of forty-three cart.
ridges on display in one of the cases
was used by an American in an Air
plane, and an Army testament was
inscribed by another American boy
on the Peace Table of Versailles
4 Hanging in frames by one of the win.
dows are the service records of Wal.
ter Tripp of Morris, Gale Golden Of
Chokio and Charles Macarthur OF
Hancock, the three boys for whom
the American Legion posts in the
4 county are named. Mess kits, army
and navy uniforms, and pup tents tel
of the life in service, and splendiG
collection of posters, large assort
ment of war pamphlets, and a Rec
Cross outfit reveal some of the work
done at home.
The walls of the room are stained
mahogany and the floor is green octa-
gon tile. The curtains are cream
repped next to the window with
green overdrapes. Illumination il
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