The Oakley herald. [volume] (Oakley, Idaho) 1908-1961, 1921-02-04

n DeileNeu u De al
IA most unique in American history
and n that has given tremendous
impetus to the nationwide fight OF
the American Legion to obtain al
least simple justice for sick and dis
abled heroes Of the World war, was
staged IN the thriving little desert
city of Tucson, Ariz, recently.
Led by Gov. Thomas Il. Campbell
and national, state end local repre-
sentatives of the Legion, the entire
citizenry Of the community brought
every business activity to a standstfIl
for a day while more than 5000 men
and women In overells or other qppro-
pirate working garb, drove their auto
mobiles to Pastime park, three miles
north CT the town, and labored with
their hands to expedite construction
of an emergency public health serv-
ice hospitsl for tubercular eY-service
men.
Governor Campbell, e. j. Winslett,
national vice commander of the Le-
gion /; State Commander Bert II. Gin
gan, Mayor o. G. Parker and hundreds
of other prominent business and pro-
fessional men of the city and state
appeared In real working clothes and
manipulated shovels. picks. hammers,
saws and w~heelbarrows in the great
est frenzy of activity the community
had ever known. The immediate re-
suit was that the emergency instltu-
ton which government engineers
originally had estimated 1t would take
three months to build. was brought to
virtual completion within n week.
and more than 500 tubercular dere-
ncts of the war who had been unhos-
pitalized and partly shelterless, sud-
denly found themselves with a roof
over their heads
The whole demonstration was
planned and carried out within q lit
tie more han 4s hours, while Governor
Campbell and State Legion Comman-
der Clingan made flying trips from
Phoenix to address a mass meeting
under legion auspices at the armory
on the evening preceding he park
event and to participate In the heavy
work" there next day. The chief
executive of the commonwealth
pushed a w~heelbarrow full of rocks,
drove an ex-army truck and wound
I'D his strenuous afternoon with an
mpassioned plea to Tucsonians and all
good Americans to get together and
rtand squarely behind the legion In
"the most important movement now
starting here for the benefit Of dis
abfed ex-service men that has yet be
rup In the United States"
AT the conclusion of his address.
the oyeralls the governor had worn
the afternoon, and which fig
1red -conspicuously In several hundred
feet Of movie" film unwound by a
Pathe News camera man, were auc-
toned OF to the highest bidder, the
Morgan McDermott post OF the legion
at Tucson. Approximately $500 for
benefit Of a welfare fund for pa
tents at the hospital was realized
from the auction, each bidder being
to hand over the sum offered,
irrespective of whether IL was high
enough to get the clothes. The bid
the Legion Post was $40.
The attention of r. W. Galbraith,
IT., the ~legion's national commander,
vas first attracted to the Tucson sitr-
.tion after II. d. MscArtan. the public
health service physician in charge Of
he hospital, had gone to Washington
nd reported that more than half Of
ba 100 natienfs then In the instifu-
ion were sleeping In condemned
Irmy tents, and that there were ap-
,roximately $50 other tuberculsr ex-
Iervice men entirely unhospitalized
o the community as a result Of the
pngesfiou which followed the usual J