USA > California > Santa Clara County > War history of Santa Clara County > Part 7
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This gift of $10,000 to the war fund did not end the leeal effer ef Catholie helpfulness. Father Walsh and Father Cex of Santa Clara College fol- lowed the flag everseas te levingly minister te the men of every nation in every need. Father T. C. O'Connell, pastor ef St. Patrick's church, spent more than a year on the fighting front, offering his earnest chaplainey with all its wealth of broth- erhoed in the service of the boys-our boys-under the cross-emblazened banner of patroitie Cathelic- ism epen scasame of "Everybody Weleeme."
CHRISTMAS CHEER
Christmas 1917! The first Christmas when the blue stars shown darkly in the white light ef the Great Star! The first lonely Christmas without the beys! The only eheer possible at home was the cheer we might send to follow our hearts that were away in eamps and cantonments or overseas. The first idea of Christmas Cheer eame to Eleaner
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WAR HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY
A. Brown and she talked it ever with five other San Jose girls: Marien Geldsmith, Marien Cassin, Maude Thomas, Evelyn Johnson and Luita Arnold. It was one of these wonderful ideas that grow and grow into something beautiful. There was no need of newspaper publicity-wherever a heart beat true 'with tenderness and there was the pulse of patriotism er Christmas spirit the idea of "Cheer for the boys" took root and developed instan- taneously.
At the Chamber of Commerce on November 1, 1917, there was a meeting. Eleanor Brown and her five girl friends met with representatives of the Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary Club, the Red Cross, Y. W. C. A., Y. M. C. A., and the Woman's Club and other organizations to make plans and perfeet some kind of working com- mittec. J. J. McDonald was made chairman and Luita Arnold secretary. Others present were Mrs. Charles Osenbaugh, Brownie Schillingsburg, Mrs. W. B. Irish, Mrs. Arthur Langford, Mrs. Claude Winans, Dr. M. E. Dailey, Charles R. Parkinson, W. T. Rambe and Joseph T. Brooks. There was ne difficulty in ascertaining the object of that meet- ing. The intention was just to lovingly send to each boy in trench er camp, a Christmas remem- brance "from the folks at home." Committee leaders were quickly selected. Finanee, Eleanor Brown; publicitiy, Mrs. A. B. Langford; to secure the names of the boys, Mrs. W. B. Irish; supplies,
Mrs. Claude A. Winans; bex packing committee, Mrs. N. J. Gray. Later Mrs. F. J. Loel, Mrs. S. L. Cunningham, Mrs. W. M. Beggs, Mrs. J. J. Mc- Donald, Judge W. A. Beasly and Jay McCabe were added to the general committee. More and more were added until San Jose simply became a committee of the whole to see to it that net one boy from home-wherever he might be in the wide, wide world, was forgotten!
Mrs. Claude A. Winans shared her committee- ship with Mrs. Bert Goldsmith, Mrs. J. E. Han- eock, Mrs. D. L. Smith and Mrs. A. D. Grant. That gave the Woman's club a place of prominence in the supply department and the club recognized its Christmas honors by offering te pack the boxes.
The matter of getting the names of the hoys was a difficult task. Judge Beasly and Miss Stella Huntington was added to the committee headed by Mrs. Irish. For a time it seemed that ne ade- quate list could be secured. Even the state of California could not furnish such a list. Boys from here had enlisted everywhere. They were widely scattered. Appeals were made in every way and gradually the Christmas list lengthened and Miss Huntington was kept busy cataloging them.
Mrs. W. B. Hobson, secretary of the San Jose branch of the Needlework guild came forward with an offer of the guild's gifts that had been eelleeted during more than two months. City Manager Thomas H. Reed wrote a Christmas greeting and a copy of it accompanied each box.
Jay McCabe and J. J. McDonald started a campaign fer 500 pounds of stuffed prunes and
that 500 became 700. Attractive boxes placed in the Hotels Montgomery, St. James and Vendome, in each of the six eity banks and in Jay McCabe's stere, each with a picture of a soldier and a Christmas tree on ene side and a sailor and a Christmas tree on the other, mutely but eloquently invited contributions teward "Cheer."
At the high school there was another litt's bex inte which the coins fell with a happy elink. Everybody wanted to help. The Silver Links club of the Y. W. C. A. offered to crack all the nuts fer stuffing the prunes. E. E. Chase offered the use of his packing house for the preparation of the delectable goodies. A. L. Hubbard brought four Christmas trees down from the Santa Cruz moun- tains to decorate the street corners as reminders to every passerby that the Christmas Cheer can- paign was on!
Beoks couldn't go inte those boxes but stories eould. So under the direction of Mrs. W. B. Irish continued stories from the magazines were selected and bound. There was to be a Tag Day and the Boy Scouts and normal school girls all offered to help with this. The Scouts planned to "tag" the automobiles while a committee of 40 girls "' tagged" the people. More than 10,000 tags were printed and donated by Mrs. Mae Wright and the American Can company gave all the tin "money boxes" into which the coins fairly jumped on Tag Day-Saturday, November 10, 1917. This day, under the direction of Mrs. J. J. McDonald, Brownie Schillingsburg captained the blue teanı, Luita Arnold led the red team and Frank MeLain marshalled the forces of the Boy Scouts under a white banner. Lieutenants were Maude Themas, Mary Goldsmith and Marien Cassin. Forty nor- mal school girls and 20 Boy Scouts accompished wonders! All day the coins jingled inte the con- tainers with a silvery promise of cheer! All day responses were more than willing. It was almost Christmas and hearts at home were lonely-and very tender. When night came and the tired "taggers" counted the money there was $1175.80. What did being tired matter? Think how many Christmas boxes that money made possible! That very day the packing had commenced and love was in every touch, folded in every paper wrap- ping and tied closely in each dainty red ribben.
Volunteers were called for and on the morning of November 16, 1917, 45 women armed with big aprens, fruit knives and unlimited energy gath- ered around the long tables at the Golden Gate Packing company's plant and began the stuffing of 700 pounds of prunes! This werk under Mrs. Claude Winan's direction progressed rapidly-and stickily! As fast as the pound cartons were filled they were packed for delivery to the Woman's club where the Christmas cheer boxes were pre- pared for shipment.
The original plan called for 500 boxes. There at least 900 altogether! They went to every state in the union, 150 to France and 25 boxes to Hone- lulu. In addition to the boxes about 300 pounds of candy was sent to the boys whose names arrived
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WAR HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY
late. The 30 women who did the packing watched the last tin-lined box tied on December 1 and only they knew how much beside the gifts and "good cheer" was tucked away under cach cover that a kindly little Boy Scout fastened securely as his labor of love for the big brother"' somewhere. There were raisins, nuts, candy, stuffed prunes, gum, a songbook, cakes, socks, toilet articles, local papers, Jack Graham's Songs "We'll Fight for Yankee Doodle" and "Where the Cherry Blos- soms Bloom," stories and the city's Christmas greeting. There were many things you couldn't sec. These seven-pound boxes were boxes of love and cartons of longing. They held pride-and prayers.
The first thing to catch the recipent's atten- tion would be the city's greeting. Its warm- heartedness must have seemed like a handclasp across the distance-the handclasp of a friend!
"San Jose bids her soldier boys, wherever they may be, a Merry Christmas. We would like to have you think of San Jose not as a collection of houses and stores, a mere hive of busy people, but as a living personality whose heart warms to you who have left home to defend our beloved country in this time of danger. We would convey to you a bright reflection of our Christmas cheer. We miss you from our firesides and amid the rejoicing of the holiday season we are at once sad and proud that you are absent. We call upon you the blessing of Him in whose name the Christmas feast is spread. Christ was born to bring peace and goodwill unto all the world. You have given yourselves to the same cause; for peace and good- will cannot thrive in the same world with Kaiser- ism. As. on Christmas day your thoughts turn lovingly toward home, our hearts' best wishes go forth to you. Thomas H. Reed, City Manager of San Jose."
It is small wonder that there were many more boxes than originally planned. One day a letter reached the committee-a letter that went straight to tender hearts with its appeal.
"Dear Friend :- I wonder if our boy's name could be included in your list for a Christmas box? He volunteered. the week after the war broke out. We hope our boy will not be over-looked as we are too poor to send anything ourselves. William was attending high school and we had great hopes of some day having his assistance to carry us along through life. He was just 21 when he enlisted. I cannot say at this time just where he is located. His grandfather fought in the civil War and when war was declared William wanted to follow his grandfather's example. As I have stated before we can do very little toward sending him a Christmas gift, but I can bake and send him a piece of mother's cake. Will you please let me know if you can include my boy with the rest of the San Jose boys?"
Bless the dear mother's heart! William had a beautiful box-lovelier because it was all sprin- kled with tears. William belonged to us, too. He was the son of every member of that big-
hearted committee.
That Christmas Cheer idea that started in the heart of Eleanor Brown grew till it reached all through the army and navy and found every lonely home-town boy even if the only address to start 'with was "God's Crusader-Somewhere!"
THIRD LIBERTY LOAN ;
In preparation for the Third Liberty Loan Governor Lynch of the 18th Federal reserve dis- triet called a meeting at the Palace Hotel in San Francisco of the active workers in all the western states. The committee from San Jose consisted of J. D. Kuster, W. S. Clayton, Victor LaMotte, A. B. Post, W. C. Bailey, John Brooke. Mr. Lynch asked each group to nominate its own chairman to be confirmed by Secretary. McAdoo and Dr. W. C. Bailey was made chairman for Santa Clara county. as John D. Kuster declined to serve again. Returning home the committee started active work for the 3rd Liberty Loan campaign. . By this time it had become apparent that loan drives were liable to continue and so at the first meeting early in February at lunch at O'Brien's about twenty men being present and it was unanimously decided that a permanent organization should be formed to continue during the war. It was a memorable. meeting for its deliberations brought into being the Santa Clara County War Work Council with an organization that reached into every city and hamlet and farthest school district in the county. The citizens of Campbell under J. C. Ainsley had already perfected a working organization modeled after the women's mobilized army and this plan became the outline which was followed and de- veloped into the War Work Council. Dr. Jas. B. Bullitt helped materially in gathering together .the leaders in the country districts and the organiza- tion perfected for the Third Liberty Loan later became the Santa Clara County War Work Council and was made permanent at a luncheon at the Montgomery Hotel with Dr. W. C. Bailey, chair- man and A. D. Curtner, secretary. No mere recital of results tell the story of the tremendous effort put into the preliminary organization cam- paign. The chart gotten out by the Third Liberty Loan committee served as a model for many other county and state organizations and those returning from Washington, D. C. told of seeing this plan on the walls of secretary McAdoo's office.
Dr. Bullitt, Judge P. F. Gosbey, Joe Brooks of the chamber of commerce, a chorus of normal school girls 40-voices-strong, and numbers of pat- riotic citizens carried out an educational campaign that covered the county. No meeting ended in discouragement or giving up. Districts were visited and revisited until the proper spirit of enthusiasm awakened every loyal citizen of Santa Clara county to the needs of permanent organi- zation.
War Work Council headquarters opened Feb- ruary 8, 1918, at 53 South First street. From that day until the end of the war that stairway in the Pomeroy block was the proudest pathway in town! It thrilled with the honor of upholding the men
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WAR HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY
and women whe walked up and down with the pur- peseful patriotism that "put things ever" for Santa Clara county!
On February 10 came the news of the first San Jose soldier wounded in the fighting' overseas. This man, Frank Chaves, member of the infantry, was a brother of George Chaves, the aviater, who was a survivor of the Tuscania. The war cloud that had hung far in the east began to lower over the valley. An educational campaign instigated by the War Work Council started on Sunday, March 17, 1918, when more than 3000 men and women listened to the thrilling but quietly told story of Sergeant "Doe" Wells who had been the first British Columbia man to enlist for overseas service. No one privileged to hear him during the 18 meetings he addressed in one week, will ever forget the carnest Ypres seldier hero who had suffered the amputation'ef an arm without the use of an anasthetie' while a prisoner in a German camp, and who treasured as a priceless possession the little medal given him by a Belgian Sister of Mercy.
Sergeant Wells brought the war home to us with a sense of reality and responsibility that gripped hearts and steadied determination. Part of the preliminary educational Liberty Loan work consisted of seeuring war pledges of the whatso- ever kind. Every member of the War Work Coun- eil teok such a pledge. Hewell D. Melvin visited all lodges and fraternal organizations and found men everywhere ready and willing to pledge them- selves to "the last man and the last dellar." Melvin secured these patriotie pledges with the able assistance : of Jeseph Hanceek, Judge P. F. Gesbey, S. G. Tompkins, Arthur M. Free and Alexander Sherriffs, speakers of powerful convic- tien.
Daniel J. Flannery 's speakers' committee con- sisted of the indefatigable Dan, ebairman; A. V. Shubert, Vietor Challen, Arthur Curtner and Judge Urban A. Sontheimer. This committee had a large and never ending responsibility and carried it creditably to the end of the war. We listened 'with thrills of horror to returned soldiers; we cheered patriotie utterances to the echo; we laughed when laughter was due; we melted to tears during reeitals of the suffering of women and children overseas. Speaker followed speaker, entertainers were always eagerly willing te help every eause -and few of us knew that the sway- ing of our impulses and emotions happened to be under the domination of Dan Flannery's tireless speakers' committee. They 'were very responsible for our eivie tears and cheers-and loosened purse- strings.
1I. W. MeComas, chairman of the Four Minute Men, marshalled his feree of 25 able speakers early in the educational campaign. He cornered Santa Clara county's eloquence and profiteered for the country in patriotism!
The Women's Mobilized Army with its power- ful working organization of more than 1400 under Colonel Mrs. L. T. Smith, Lieutenant Colonel Mrs.
D. A. Beattie, and Liberty Loan Chairman Mrs. C. A. Wayland, combined with the War Work Council. On March 25, 1918, the 105 officers and directors of the two organizations met at the chamber of commerce, to perfeet plans for the Third Loan campaign. High school students and teachers to the number of 400 volunteered for "whatever" service. The teachers net only vo !- unteered-they signed a pledge conseerating them- selves to the service of their country. The Boy Seouts enlisted for every duty from running errands to selling bonds.
Sunday morning, March 24, 1918, the com- pleted chart of the War Work Council covered a full page in a local paper. On another page we read the news that Paris was under fire by long- range guns! The thunder of those guns shook our sympathetic nation to its foundation.
Then Mr. and Mrs. A. W. Wooley of Holly- wood avenue received the message of their son, Fred's, death in an army camp at Philadelphia- Fred,, who se gallantly went away with his com- rades in the Stanford Second Hospital Unit! A blue star in a San Jose home turned te gold! The sacrifice should not be in vain. The county slogan "First to Organize" was followed by the Bond Slogan "First Over the Top!"
Another war hero, blind Signaler Tom Skey- hill, spoke at the chamber of commerce luncheon Thursday, March 28-just three days before Easter. Men and women whe heard him and looked inte those sightless eyes went very quietly about the business of gathering the 3000 calla lillies for the great Camp Fremont Easter eross that beauti- fully pointed the way for the hundreds of soldier- lads gathered about it on Sunday, March 31, 1918.
At the Home of Benevolence they dedicated a service flag with eight stars. Each star stood fer a boy who had once belonged to the Home and who still "belonged" by right of the sturdy man- hood now offered to his country. These boys were Arthur Mathews, James Bell, Lyons Marsh, Evert Low, Merle Bently, Roy Stark, Roy Kitehing and Paul Mitchell.
On April 5, 1918, the entire county waited in readiness for the third loan campaign-ready even to a card system catalogue devised by Under Sher- iff Lonis Simonsen and kept strictly "to date."
Saturday, April 6, 1918, designated "Liberty Day" opened the third liberty loan drive with one of the grandest educational military demonstra- tions at Luna park that was ever staged in Santa Clara county. Opened by a big down town parade with four uniformed companies in line, the spee- tacle comprised drills, bayonet charges, an exhi- bition of trench warfare and a very realistie so !- dier city of tents. As a result of the military demonstration and a luncheon addressed by the Anzac hero, Tom Skeyhill, almost $1,000,000 of Santa Clara county's quota of $2,605,000 was raised during the day.
The committee in charge of admissions for the Luna Park spectacle was a "bank committee" eensisting of George Campbell, cashier of the
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WAR HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY
Security State bank, chairman; J. H. Russell, R. H. Pearce, D. S. Glendenning and C. A. Barone, Bank of Italy; A. D. Baker, W. E. Drew, First National bank; Waldo E. Lowe and M. B. Davis, Bank of San Jose; Lester Hyde and Percy Thomp- sen, Garden City bank; Hareld Ahlman and George Pierson, Security State bank. Red Cross arrange- ments made by Secretary R. T. Rambo had one very popular "number." Ice cream and cake- real home-made cake-was served to all the soldiers taking part in the demonstration. This practieal service was "all in the day's work"' fer 20 uni- formed women of the National Defenders' league.
The following morning, April 7, 1918, all the military equipment had marched away on the stal- wart backs of the Camp Fremont seldiers, but San Jeseans found frent door reminders that the Boy Scouts never slept. Swung frem every deorneb a liberty bell proclaimed its message, asking us te "ring it 'again!" The bells prepared by the Camp Fire Girls of the Y. W. C. A., directed by Jessie Bacheler, were distributed by 75 scouts, under the direction of Frank McLain, scoutmaster. East San Jose Scouts followed the leadership of Ed Wilson. Father Heneghan of St. Patrick's church marshalled 30 of them and the Burbank Scouts claimed Mr. Nash for their guide. These loyal Boy Scouts distributed the programs at Luna park; distributed all the liberty loan posters and tirc- lessly ran errands for the council headquarters through the entire campaign.
Monday, April 8, 1918, the women's mobilized army met at the high school and the war werk council committees at headquarters. Final instruc- tions were given and at 10 o'clock the "house to hense" canvass began. There were to be honor flags for full quetas; a blue star added for every 100 per cent oversubscription. Saratoga claimed twe blue stars on the first morning with a 200 per cent oversubscription!
A huge chart, crected on the First National bank marked with soldier figures each advance on the "home lines." Returns flashed on a sereen over headquarters, returns interspersed with pic- tures. Mr. Claytor ef the P. G. & E. company gladly did the electrical work and all materials were patrietiically donated.
Foreign societies went to work with a right good will, liberty lean committees being appointed by the French, Italian, Slavonian, Japanese and Australian organizations. The Slavonian-Ameriean Benevolent society made a notably early invest- ment in bonds. Booths, appropriately decorated sprung up en the street corners. They were in charge of prominent lawyers under the leadership of Brooks Tompkins and vennteer nurses led by Mrs. Bert Bacon. Tompkins' "legal" bend sell- ers who became "curb brokers" for Uncle Sam were Fred Estes, John J. Jones, Leland Walker, Faber Johnston and R. J. Glendenning. Mrs. Bacon's volunteer brigade of nurses and others consisted of May Atkinson, Miss Z. V. Jacobson, Lonise Groth, Grace Tomlinsen, Lou Lewis, Maud Cushman, May De Villa, Marie Carlson, Bessie
Davis, Mary Hughes, Mrs. W. E. Albee, Mrs. Eliz- abeth Page, Hilda Berg, Adele Bracker, Miss Fleming, Mrs. Dave Walsh, Grace Foote, Elizabeth Saery, Elizabeth Devitt, Mary Knoepple, Mrs. Castle and Miss E. Blais. More than $2500 werth of bonds were bought at these street booths dur- ing the week's campaign.
Tuesday, Apriil 9, 1918, was a great day! The War Work council proved that its organization covered a heart-and "Bill" Farnum came te town! The council evidenced its humanity by sending flowers to blind Signaler Tom Skeyhill, who was ill in a San Franciseo hospital. Hidden in the flowers the seldier found a message from San Jose that warm-heartedly promised remember- ing eare. He had roused us by his message. We teuched him deeply by ours.
"Bill" Farnum came as per schedule to speak in the interest of the bends-but he didn't bring his voice! He had worn it out and came to us at the Liberty theater with only the ghost ef a whisper-but it carried far. Long before the hour of "Bill's" arrival the theater was over- flowing and Market street crewded from curb to curb, Sand piles having to do with street con- struction offered peints ef vantage. Fortunate was the individual who found a footheld ankle-deep in sand and caught a glimpse of virile Bill Farnum and heard the ghost of his voice. That whisper sold bonds in five figures.
The burden of the campaign fell to the lot of ten committeemen under the Liberty loan leaders. These committeemen were John D. Crummey, Alex- ander Sherriffs, Arthur D. Curtner, Louis Cam- piglia, Henry M. Ayer, Charles M. O'Brien, Charles R. Parkinson, Elton R. Shaw, E. N. Richmond, Alexander Hart, Walter G. Mathewson, Howell D. Melvin. Under these leaders every man and woman listed by the W. W. C., and the women's army mobilized for service. Henry Hirsch beeame special inspector of the San Jose district to see that plans were effectively carried out.
There were divisions and subdivisions. Elton R. Shaw's committee handled all railroad em- ployees. Walter G. Mathewsen acted as chairman ef 138 men co-operating with the labor unions. Shop windows did their bit with posters and clever patrietic displays. Pomerey Brothers donated the use of their big window which was decorated by the San Jose Paint & Paper company. The out- standing features of this bond-selling window were the poster "Fight or Buy Bonds"' and a big pic- ture of George Washington. On this window the "honor lists" were posted and every day the lists grew longer as more and more San Jeseans has- tened to be "ameng these present."
Net every one purchased bends voluntarily. Everywhere werkers met concrete evidences of insidious German propaganda. These evidences became alarmingly frequent. The list of these refusing to buy bonds increased to such an extent that the Santa Clara County War Work council investigating and educational committee, with John D. Kuster chairman, came into the campaign.
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WAR HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY
Other members of this organization perfeeted for a peculiarly difficult task were J. W. Grimes, Al- bert Kayser, V. II. Wylie, A. A. Halsey, A. M. Free, F. J. MeHenry, Fred L. Fehren, A. G. Du- Brutz, Judge P. F. Gosbey, Samuel G. Tompkins and Herbert C. Jones.
These men did not shirk their unwelcome task. They made over 900 investigations in the spirit of true Americanism going about the business of "slacker hunting" quietly and efficiently and with due consideration for those who had either to establish the fact of an "alibi" or prove their willingness to do it. This educational committee proved the worth of rational methods as contrasted with methods of violence. By the card system used at W. W. C. headquarters the financial ability and the response of each man, woman and child to the country's need was on record. Those who failed in their patriotic duty found the avenue of escape cut off rather firmly by this far-reaching committee. Stinginess was uneovered; ugly in- stances of absolute disloyalty dragged into the light; German propaganda exploded; boasted anti- English and pro-German sentiments underwent at least surface changes; no one under suspicion escaped the investigatory ministration of the Edu- eational Committee. Its services in bond selling and in the increase of a more comprehensive patriotism were invaluable. Nothing "personal" ever entered into the committee's considerations. These earnest men were eonseiously wearing the invisible uniform of "Uncle Sam" and went about this business "under orders."
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