History of Santa Clara County California with biographical sketches, Part 32

Author: Sawyer, Eugene T
Publication date: 1922
Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 1934

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One patriotic endeavor for which great cre- dit is due the Council was the launching and helping to bring to success the 1917 war gar- den campaign. The Council's efforts were successful in obtaining lower water rates and free water for many vacant lot gardens in or- der to promote food production. Meetings were held from time to time whenever mat- ters of grave importance had to be discussed, new members were added until at the Novem- ber 16th meeting the personnel of the Council was as follows: Mrs. J. P. Shambau, chairman of the Women's Committee; Mrs. W. H. Shockley, chairman of women's committee on food conservation ; Mrs. John G. Jury, chair- man largest group of women's activities; George E. Hamilton, chairman committee on commercial economy; Miss Stella Hunting- ton, chairman collection of books and period- icals; H. M. Ayer, chairman fire protection ; H. B. Martin, food administrator ; H. W. Mc- Comas, four-minute men ; Byron Millard, city fuel administrator ; E. A. Wilcox, county food administrator ; D. J. Flannery, general speak- ers' bureau; J. M. Parker, Liberty loans; Judge H. D. Tuttle, non-war construction ; E. A. Richmond, chairman Red Cross; Fred L. Fehren, Stanislaus plan; W. S. Clayton, chairman war donations; Joseph F. Hancock, war gardens; Prof. H. B. Leland, chairman war history ; Dr. James B. Bullitt, chairman war savings stamps; C. S. Allen, war service league, and Mrs. L. T. Smith, women's mobil- ized army. The name of the Council was now changed to the Santa Clara County Division of the State Council of Defense.

On May 5, 1917, the Young Men's Christian Association started work on a national cam- paign for $3,000,000 for war work. Of this amount, Santa Clara's quota was $5000. This fund was raised at the request of Uncle Sam and was to be used for work among the sol- diers and sailors of the United States. The

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request included a call for 1000 of the Asso- ciation's best trained secretaries to work with the soldiers. For this drive California was divided into nine sections with nine execu- tive secretaries in full charge of the financial features. The Santa Clara County division, with San Jose as headquarters, included San- ta Clara, Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito Counties.

R. H. Gossom, a well known "Y." worker, had complete charge of the district, and John R. Mott, General Secretary, was at the head of the National Campaign. The San Jose campaign received the hearty endorsement of the local "Y." directors on May 9, 1917, at which time R. H. Gossom was present at the meeting. Hiram A. Blanchard, president of the San Jose Association, was delegated to select a district committee to operate the "drive," with the able assistance of John D. Crummey, vice-president, and Geo. C. Wilson, secretary. At a dinner on May 11, State Sen- ator Herbert C. Jones explained the Associa- tion's objective. It was stated that the plan of mobilizing 1000 secretaries included extra equipment, educational and for amusements, for the benefit of the soldiers at every army post. This equipment was to include 200 pianos, 200 buildings, 200 moving-picture ma- chines, 200 phonographs, 40,000 pounds of ice per day, 1000 pens and barrels of ink for the home letters. There were to be added 95 trucks and tons and tons of reading matter. Plans were completed and at a "Y." dinner on May 22, Senator Herbert C. Jones presiding. two "Generals" were chosen to head friendly opposing teams in the campaign for the $5000. These generals were District Attorney Arthur M. Free and Senator Frank H. Benson, who was also general chairman.

At Grace Baptist Church on Sunday, May 20, Frank D. Keene, who had left the College of the Pacific to join the colors under the standard of the Marines, and Hector Sawyer, local high school boy, also a "soldier of the sea," told an interested congregation of what the "Y." means to the enlisted men. These San Jose boys were home on their first shore leave and gladly enlisted their time in the cause of the "Y.

On the evening of May 22, the generals, captains and enthusiastic workers gathered for dinner at the Y. M. C. A. and the follow- ing morning, May 23, the campaign for "$5000 in two days" began with a rush. The two teams, headed respectively by District Attorney Arthur M. Free and Senator Frank H. Benson, had ten sub-teams, each with a captain and two workers. Others were to be added as needed. The captains of the Free team were: E. N. Richmond, Judge F. B.

Brown, A. S. Bacon, Rev. J. A. Sutherland, L. D. Bohnett, J. D. Crider, C. E. Kelsey. Prof. C. M. Osenbaugh and W. G. Rambo. Benson's team was captained as follows: E. R. Wagner, D. J. Denhart, H. M. Barngrover, L. P. Edwards, Rev. George I. Long, J. D. Crummey, W. L. Atkinson, H. A. Blanchard, A. G. Wilkins, and C. F. Crothers.

The dollars rolled into headquarters in a steady steady stream and in two days San Jose went "over the top." This did not end San Jose's gift to the Y. M. C. A. During the dark days overseas and the time of dread and waiting here eight Y. M. C. A. secretaries left San Jose to minister to their soldier brothers. They were George C. Wilson, local Y. M. C. A. secretary ; Rev. William L. Stidger, pastor of the First Methodist Church; Rev. O. P. Bell, former pastor of the United Presbyterian Church; Senator Frank H. Benson, John H. Tupper. Jesse H. Hedger, Fred Evans, Char- les A. Miller, and Rev. E. A. King. The inti- mate experiences of these unarmed crusaders for human liberty are chapters of history writ- ten by the white light of unselfish service.

Other men came into the work particularly for overseas service, but in the person of George C. Wilson, San Jose's Y. M. C. A. sent a real secretary to the front. This was his life work, the great endeavor that held his heart in its keeping and to him came the gravest experience. For more than seven months in the St. Mihiel and other salients. he was constantly under airplane and shell fire. One night on an errand of mercy to the boys at the front, the truck in which he was riding through the blackness of the unlighted night along a perilously shell-pitted road, col- lided with another machine. In the terrific smash Wilson was very seriously injured. Wandering away in a delirious condition he stumbled and fell into a shell hole and was gassed. Some time passed before he was res- cted. Invalided to the south of France he re- iused to be an invalid and soon returned to the horror of actual fighting scenes to minis- ter to "his boys."

Jesse Hedger, previously in active "Y." ser- vice at home, just "had to go." When the call came, Rev. O. P. Bell went to France and found his work among the Russian soldiers. Rev. E. A. King went to France after the signing of the Armistice to carry out an edu- cational campaign among the soldiers. Karl Kennedy, a former San Jose lawyer, went from San Francisco as athletic instructor about the same time.

With its members numbering 100, the first Red Cross membership drive in April, 1917, was conducted by Mrs. A. A. Fowler. The Red Cross Christmas Roll Call that com-

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menced December 11, 1917, under the direc- tion of the Woman's Army added more than 17,300 names. Early in April came the plea for funds with which to purchase material for the making of hospital garments. These ap- peals alternated with the ones for old linen. old muslin, bedspreads, and turkish towels. Three rooms in the New Century building at the corner of Second and Santa Clara streets, were donated by the De Saisset estate for the surgical dressing department of the Red Cross.

On June 12 the garment rooms opened at +1 South Second street, their use being kindly donated by the Phelan estate through Mr. A. C. Darby.

On June 19 came the first call for comfort bags for the boys of Companies B and M, then stationed in Nevada. The W. C. T. U. assisted in preparing 125 comfort bags. Though shipped immediately through some inadvertence they failed to reach the boys 11n- til almost a year later when a letter of thanks arrived. It came from Captain L. La Hue, and was written before sailing for France.

The first work under the direction of Mrs. Hobson was prepared by Mrs. David Burnett. Mrs. S. Van Dalsem, Mrs. W. R. Wilson, Mrs Fillipello, Mrs. R. Syer, Mrs. A. D. DuBrutz, the Misses Dorothy White, lda Wehner, Sybil Hayes, Miriam Hayes, Cecille Brooke and Miss Chapman. The first cutting of garments was done by Mesdames W. Gross, W. Van Dalsem, P. F. Gosbey, S. W. Gilchrist, Arthur Langford, Charles Wayland, Walter Murray. W. G. Alexander, George Muirson, Ernest Conant, L. Blackford and other willing volun- teers whose names failed to be recorded.

The first society to volunteer as a society was the P. E. O. organization. These ladies offered their services through Mrs. W. C. Bailey and worked through the entire war pe- riod later taking charge of the knitting rooms at the Theatre building. Late in the fall of 1917 the production and garment rooms were moved from South Second street to a suite of five rooms in the Theatre building.

San Jose had many busy Red Cross circles, each doing its best under a capable chairman to keep us up with the quotas alloted. Among those circles were St. Vincent's circle, Mrs. W. P. Dougherty, chairman; Eastern Star circle, Mrs. A. B. Langford, chairman : College Park circle, Mrs. M. Candee, chairman ; Moreland circle, Mrs. LeRoy Anderson, chairman ; Hes- ter circle, Mrs. Elizabeth Smith, chairman ; Y. W. C. A. circle, Mrs. Mary Bolan, chairman ; Normal Training school, Miss Margaret Glea- son, chairman; School Women's club, Miss Edith O'Brien, chairman; Ladies of Macca- bees, Mrs. Nellie Thompson, chairman; Ra- chael Fox Union circle at Burbank. Mrs.

Maude P. Boynton, chairman ; Glen Eyrie W. C. T. U. circle, Mrs. A. C. Saunders, chair- man.

This pioneer year in war work was filled with difficulties, but it perfected an organiza- tion, and when the report came in for the first year's work, under the guidance of Mrs. W. B. Hobson, it was a document to be proud of. In 1917 the total receipts, $20.401.65; disburse- ments, $926.30. Total number of articles com- pleted by San Jose Chapter, 22,287. From May, 1917, to May. 1918, the sewing rooms completed 8133 pairs of pajamas ; knitted gar- ments, 190,025. For the same period the pro- duction in the surgical dressing rooms amounted to 228.264 articles. Refugee work comprised 3032 garments. For local use the production rooms completed 266 pneumonia jackets and 2800 masks. From May, 1917. to May, 1918, the garments and surgical dress- ings numbered 152,487. From May. 1918, to May, 1919, the production totaled 153.338. For the entire period the dressings and gar- ments numbered 287.825. The Junior Red Cross produced 2316 garments.

The Home Service Department of the Red Cross assisted 1452 families from May 18. 1918, to April 30, 1919. The money expended amounted to $6,488.88, and of this disburse- ment, $2,178.33 came back.

From May, 1917, to May, 1918, the sewing rooms completed 8133 pairs of pajamas. (f knitted garments: socks, sweaters, wristlets. helmets, mufflers, shawls and stockings-a total of 190.025. There were in this quota 12,806 socks and 3662 sweaters. For the same period the production of the surgical dressing rooms amounted to 228,264 articles, including 5-yard rolls, pads, pneumonia jackets, masks, compresses, drains, tampons, bandages, front line parcels, heel rings and sponges. Of com- presses alone there were 183,723 made. Refu- gee work comprised 3032 garments. Of mis- cellaneous garments there were 26,305 com- pleted. This list included aviators jackets, pil- low cases, bed socks, helpless case shirts, pajama trousers, boys' suit, boys' trousers, drawers, undershirts, underdrawers, bed shirts, ambulance covers, ambulance pillows, ice bag covers, convalescent covers, bed jackets, hot water bag covers, girls' petticoats, girls' dresses, napkins, scrub cloths, wash cloths. handkerchiefs, tray cloths, quilts, comfort bags, operating leggins, sheets, unhemmed squares.

From May, 1917, to May, 1918, the gar- ments and surgical dressings numbered 152,- 487. From May. 1918, to May, 1919, the pro- duction totaled 153,338. For the entire period dressings and garments numbered 287,825. Nor was the Junior Red Cross doing "junior"

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work along the lines of production. With a junior membership of 13,120 the garments pro- cluced were 2316.

By the President's proclamation June 18-25. 1917, was Red Cross week, and a nation-wide campaign opened. San Jose did her part nobly. At the time of the opening of the Red Cross campaign the officers of the local Chap- ter were Dr. M. E. Dailey (since deceased), chairman ; Mrs. W. P. Dougherty, vice-chair- man; W. T. Rambo, secretary ; V. J. LaMotte, treasurer. One of the first Red Cross benefits was a dance and Red Cross drill given May 24 by the G. C. Review, No. 4. Ladies of the Maccabees, Captain Amy Thompson. A. D. Ferrari, of the Italian-American Progressive club, came forward with a suggestion for co- operation.

On May 27 Dr. M. E. Dailey received a telegram from John J. Clymer, director of the Pacific Division of the Red Cross, appointing a meeting in San Francisco. Dr. Dailey, Dr. W. C. Bailey, J. O. Hayes and W. C. Andrews attended this meeting. The result of this conference was a meeting of the local chapter on June 6. At this time Samuel G. Tompkins was appointed chairman for the Santa Clara County campaign and Arthur M. Free was made campaign manager. Karl Stull as ehair- man headed the activities of the following publicity committee : Alvin Long, J. O. Hayes, Jay MeCabe, H. L. Baggerly, W. L. Prussia, S. R. Walls, R. O. Bell, Judge W. A. Beasly, E. M. Rosenthal, J. E. Hancock, Alexander Sheriffs, C. M. Osenbaugh, Dr. M. E. Dailey and John D. Kuster.

The exeentive committee ineluded Samuel G. Tompkins, chairman; Arthur M. Free, campaign manager ; S. W. Waterhouse, Hen- ry M. Ayer, D. J. Flannery, Karl Stull, W. T. Rambo, Alexander Sheriffs, Judge W. A. Beasly and A. P. Murgotten, secretary.

On May 9, 1917, the San Jose chapter of the Red Cross met at the Chamber of Com- merce to arrange for the coming drive. The Chamber of Commerce, by Joseph T. Brooks, secretary, offered the use of a room in the building for headquarters and the services of the office force

lliram .A. Blanchard, with the assistance of 150 girls, compiled a roster of 10,000 names for the assistance of the campaigners. A club women's committee under the direction of Mrs. W. B. Irish was appointed and Mrs. Stull, publicity: Arthur Holmes, round up ; Mrs. W. B. Irish, musical entertainment ; D). J. Flannery, waste paper ; H. A. Blanchard. eards, etc. ; L. M. Simonson, treasurer and cashier ; committee on lodges and societies. W. G. Alexander, W. F. Curry, Ed Distel ; newspapers, Sheldon Wills, J. O. Hayes, H.

L. Baggerly, Buel Anderson ; stunts, Jay Mc- Cabe, R. O. Bell, Alvin Long ; outside press, .Alvin Long; pulpits, Arthur M. Free; theat- ers, Gene Rosenthal ; schools, J. E. Hancock, C. M. Osenbaugh, M. E. Dailey, Alexander Sheriffs.

Then the publicity committee worked over- time. Full page ads appeared in all the pap- ers. No one will ever forget the immense Red Cross poster that lifted against the sky on top of the First National Bank Building. With its statue of Liberty and pertinent ques- tion "Will you fight or give?" no one could escape it. It veritably "shouted from the housetops!" Then team captains were chos- en. Those selected for the work of raising the mercy fund were D. M. Burnett, Henry G. Hill, John P. Fitzgerald, Dr. Charles M. Rich- ards, Charles M. O'Brien, S. W. Waterhouse, Richard Bressani, John J. Jones, Judge F. B. Brown and Herbert Jones.

San Jose had $100,000 to raise and 200 workers for the job. Karl Stull chalked re- turns on his blackboard and the first day's ef- fort went down as $14,600. Just then Jack Graham's war song, "We'll Fight for Yankee Doodle," made its appearance and became a feature during the Red Cross drive, being ttsed by theater orchestras and bands all over the country. Lodges contributed liber- ally ; there were all kinds of benefits for the Red Cross. Mrs. B. E. Laughlin wrote and personally supervised the beautiful presenta- tion of a children's cantata, "An Evening in Dreamland." The charms of the dreamland were enhanced by pupils of Miss Hughes and Helbert Hitching, who gave a program of dances, and the pupils of Mrs. Theresa Par- ker and Prof. De Lorenzo, who gave voices of song to fairyland.

The never-to-be forgotten pageant was a gigantie Red Cross benefit, staged by 1500 performers and witnessed by more than 5000 people on June 1. The pageant of history and allegory was written by Miss Helen Stock- ing, with music by Miss Ruth Cornell, and song verse by Clarence Urmy. Joseph E. Hancock, president of the Drama Association, was responsible for the pageant, which was given under the directing genius of Garnet Holme.

Alexander P. Murgotten, secretary of the committee, donated needed office supplies and the Argall brothers quartet volunteered their services for the entire Red Cross campaign. Frank Sabatelli's gift for the cause of human- ity should not be forgotten. Ilis subscription was $100, and he was only earning $2 a day as a common laborer. The largest single con- tribution was secured by D. M. Burnett's team-$2500 given by the estate of E. Mlc-

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Laughlin. The waste paper campaign, en- gineered by Dan Flannery, was a valuable as- set in the final computation of funds. The women's team under Mrs. Lilian Arnold turned in over $2000. Hundreds of dollars were given at a mass meeting at the Victory Theater. The speaker was Lieutenant Golds- worthy, a wounded soldier.

On the night of June 27, San Joseans were astonished to see the lights in the cross on the tower of the First Methodist Church turn from white to red. Rev. W. L. Stidger, the pastor, gave the following explanation: "I consider that lighted cross turning its face north, east, south and west as the symbol not only of that Christ who died for liberty and freedom, but I also feel that it symbolizes in an especial way the light that the whole Red Cross movement is spreading in the dark places of the earth in these cruel war times." Paul D. Cambino, whose services for the changing of these lights were lent by the Blake Electrical Company, did his "bit" in this unique transformation. Cambino had never climbed a tower. The wind was blow- ing, too, but he swallowed his fear, climbed to the top and made the change.

Sunday morning, June 24, the final appeal of the campaign was made. Spontaneously, patriotically, whole-heartedly, the appeal was answered and all day Monday the dollars rolled in. Monday afternoon and evening Manager Clover, of the T. & D. Theater, gave the entire proceeds to the Red Cross. W. E. Johnson and the Argalls sang; Helbert Hit- ching presented an attractive program of dances; an orchestra composed of members of local union No. 153, under the direction of Carl Fitzgerald, volunteered their services ; Joseph Blum, manager of the Jose Theater, lent two of his best acts; Judge E. M. Rosen- thal acted as stage director. Jay McCabe's able committee sold candy. The only thing they were not able to do was to make change! These patriotically energetic salesmen who forgot their arithmetic under Jay's direction were: W. L. Prussia, Ernest Lion, Henry Hirsch, Leroy Parkinson, Dr. James Kramer, Dan Flannery, R. O. Stewart, F. (). Reed, Karl Stull and Arthur Holmes. The drive was a success. Chas. M. O'Brien's team led with $15,229.61, and the sought for $100,000 became $135,000. Generous assistance was given by Nellie Farliepp, Belle Gallagher and Mrs. Floy Johnson, of the court house. One of the heaviest burdens fell upon Louis Sim- onson, expert accountant and under sheriff. He devoted all his time to the work and the sheriff's office was transformed into a Red Cross headquarters. His assistants were

Eleanor Brown, Dicey Baugh, Marguerite V'ella and Mrs. J. F. Charles.

The next was the book drive, started in the War Service Committee of the American Lib- rary Association. Not with howitzers and shrapnel was the tedium of camp life to be destroyed, but by books, papers and maga- zines. The call was for $1.000,000.for reading matter, the biggest movement of the kind ever contemplated. At five cents per capita, San Jose's quota was $1750. Mrs. John E. Rich- ards, president of the board of library trus- tees, presided at a preliminary meeting held at the city library to arrange the campaign. Senator Frank H. Benson drew the secretary- ship. Charles F. Woods, recently appointed librarian, explained the purposes of the drive. The active campaign commenced September 24, 1917, with Librarian Woods in charge. He was ably assisted by Miss Stella Hunting- ton, county librarian.

Over 200 posters in red, white and blue pla- carded the town. Each donation of $1.00 or more entitled the giver to an engraved name plate in one of the books purchased. "Send your name to the front if you can't go" was a drive slogan. Day by day the amount in- creased. Then came Saturday, September 27. 1917,-the last day of the week's drive. It was a great "Tag Day." A bevy of San Jose's pretty girls, under the direction of a committee headed by Mrs. A. A. Fowler, played "tag" all day. The members of this committee were Mrs. A. A. Fowler, Mrs. J. E. Richards, Mrs. Chas. F. Woods, Mrs. G. W. Hommedieu and Mrs. Nina Moon. Tag Day brought $300 and the end of the drive for funds. Librarians Woods and Huntington with the assistance of the interested commit- tees and volunteer workers had "put it across." Other book drives followed. The cry from overseas was answered by San Jose.

On May 1, 1917, San Jose high school stu- dents heard the war garden program outlined by Prof. H. B. Crocheron, of the Department of Agriculture, University of California. He held the official appointment made by Dean Hunt, of the College of Agriculture, to enlist the help of boys too young to enlist for other service. At the time of his visit to San Jose he found that the high school agricultural department had 114 pupils interested in prac- tical farm production. These student-farmers constituted an agricultural club, under the dir- ection of Prof. J. R. Case, Jr. This first meet- ing resulted in the 'enlistment of 350 high school boys who pledged themselves to crop production and to assist with the year's har- vest.

Food production plans occupied the earnest attention of the council of defense. A citi-

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zen's committee under the leadership of E. E. Chase became interested. The Rotary Club stood solidly behind the campaign. By May 2. 1917. plans were well under way to super- vise intensive gardening. Every man, woman and child who owned or could borrow a bit of land made up a committee "of the whole." Campiglia advised the Rotarians of the cam- paign progress in other sections-and San Jose just rolled up its sleeves and went to farming.

The response to the appeal for vacant lots was an avalanche! All schools received visits from the committee. By May 3 the Horace Mann children had taken 30 lots, each having more than 4000 square feet. The Grant and Longfellow children planned to cultivate their own back yards. School heads agreed to farm lots themselves or in co-operation with the children. Rotarians grabbed a piece of land some distance from town and planted 50 acres of corn. They also offered special induce- ments to school children in the form of prizes. Then work began in earnest. Weeds and dry grass trembled and tin cans knew their hour of doom had come. First of all, the vacant lots must be well "soaked" or the ground would be lumpy at the plowing. This. water- ing was undertaken by the Rotarians. The council of defense and other interested organ- izations found the San Jose Water Company eager to help by reducing rates for home gar- dens and donating water for vacant lots. The San Jose fire department, under Chief Edward Haley and Assistant Chief Herman Hobson, volunteered to do the flooding of the lots. The street department, directed by Chief Engineer Walter H. Hunt, were to furnish teams and a plow and do the needed work on as many lots as possible. The Bean Spray company offered a tractor for plowing the larger lots and groups of lots.

Then the 100 Boy Scouts of the First Me- thodist Church, under the leadership of Rev. Frank Mclain, each pledged himself to "feed a soldier." They promised to forget vacation -and they kept that promise. They put on an unexpected and novel program. One even- ing in May, headed by two stalwart policemen and armed with rakes and hoes for weapons, they marched through the down town streets. The Scouts bubbled over with patriotism. One little laddie said : "Maybe I'm too little to car- ry a gun, but I can make a garden!" For months Rev. Frank McLain, Mr. Farrier, of the First National Bank, George Norris and Donald Arguello had worked on the Boy Scout movement in San Jose and their efforts found recognition in the cheers that greeted this patriotic parade of volunteer food pro- ducers.

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History of Santa Clara County California with biographical sketches, Part 32

Author: Sawyer, Eugene T Publication date: 1922 Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co. Number of Pages: 1934

Author: Sawyer, Eugene T
Publication date: 1922
Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 1934