USA > Illinois > Shelby County > Shelby County in the World War > Part 9
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Twelve receiving a medal and one bar:
Harry Carter
Noel Bolinger
Glen Crook
Ferrall Bryant
Welsh Hoover
Fred Neher
Carl Tinsman
Virgil Domas
Vaughn Wallace Robert Richardson
Robert Fritts
N. H. Robertson
Fourteen receiving medals:
Russell Ilarris Rohert Dove
Norris Newkirk Harold Metzler
Donald Tucker Max Hoagland
Everett Manning Andrew Beckett
Walter Smith Murl Niles
Clarence Cutler
Glen Duddlesten
Frank Burnett Don Lichtenwalter
Certain prizes for their meritorious work were also given the Scouts by the Scout committee, Messrs. Geo. C. Bolinger, W. S. Middlesworth and C. H. Beetle. Presentation of the medals and the prizes were made in public, patriotic meetings, in which the Scouts gave demonstrations of their sig- naling and other work. The awards by the govern- ment, made necessarily by a representative of the government, were presented by Postmaster Frank Stone.
Every Scout had a war garden, and actively as- sisted in other vital war work. The Troop donated $25.00 to the Red Cross, and twenty-two Scouts con- tributed $110.00 to the United War Work campaign. They gathered nearly 1,000 books and magazines for the soldiers and sailors, and took a black walnut census of their territory.
The Shelbyville Boy Scout who served in France was Headen Broyles, who enlisted in Company H, 130th U. S. Infantry, and participated with that or- ganization in the splendid fighting that characterized its service overseas.
The Fuel Administration
Dr. G. Henri Bogart, now deceased, was ap- pointed County Fuel Administrator and was charged with the official handling of the complicated fuel sit- uation in Shelby County, until changed conditions brought relief from coal shortage and rendered his further service unnecessary.
In common with the country at large, Shelby County had its fuel shortage, but with careful and at times drastic direction by the Fuel Administration, the situation, though at times critical, did not be- come disastrous. Occasionally it became necessary to confiscate coal in transit as it was passing through local yards, and at other times the local Fuel Admin- istrator was obliged to send out an "S. O. S." call, and by thesc and other means the conditions were met with not too great distress.
Then came the famous Garfield "Heatless Mon- days" order, under which various classes of industry and commercial enterprise were closed on the first secular day of the week for a certain period of time. The "heatless Mondays" were preceded by a four- days period of heatlessness, in which places of public meeting and many business houses and offices were closed as a means of conserving fuel.
Despite the fact that in some instances business buildings had to be heated because on upper floors there were living rooms, the business men with patri- otic unanimity subscribed to the spirit of the order, as well as its letter, and closed their doors during the prescribed period.
With a clearer understanding of the requirements under Dr. Garfield's order, by the second "heatless Monday" the system was working smoothly and there was a more universal conformity with the order than on the first closed day. This resulted in some inconvenience, naturally, but as a rule this was accepted cheerfully. Drug stores were open for the sale of drugs and the compounding of prescrip-
tions only, but their cigar counters were covered and the man who had failed to lay in a supply of his favorite cigars went smokeless until Tuesday. Though unaffected by the order, the public schools, entering into the spirit of the fuel-saving plan, were closed on Mondays.
"Save a Shovel of Coal" cards were issued and distributed widely, and had a very salutary effect on the extravagant use of fuel. The conservation meth- ods, while criticized by some, nevertheless served their purpose in early movement of ships that had been tied up in harbors, the delivery of loaded coal cars stalled along tracks, the smashing of congestion at terminals and ports, the early resumption of nor- mal operations in industry and normal deliveries of fuel.
DR. G. HENRI BOGART
One of the indefatigable workers during the war period was Dr. G. Henri Bogart, associate editor of the Shelby County Leader, and Fuel Administrator.
Dr. Bogart was born October 26, 1857, in Cin- cinnati, Ohio, and on Dec. 26, 1878, married Miss Josephine Duncan. He led a busy life, and was teacher, doctor, politician, journalist and medical writer. He came to Shelbyville in July, 1915, and from that time until his death, Saturday, Nov. 23, 1918, was associated with The Leader. Devoting his attention principally to the Fuel Administration, un- der appointment from Washington, he also gave con- siderable time to other "drives" in the war work of the county.
His death was due to pneumonia, and followed closely that of a beloved daughter, Sybil, whom he nursed in her fatal illness. Mrs. Bogart and three children survive him. These children are Guy Bo- gart, a journalist of Los Angeles, Cal., Mrs. Idyll Burgess of Lebanon, Ind., and Elbert Bogart, who served through the war as an ensign in the navy.
Page Fifty-Two
SHELBYVILLE FOUR-MINUTE MEN
W. C. HEADEN
N. H. ROBERTSON
J. J. BAKER W. H. CHEW
A. J. STEIDLEY D. LESLIE DAVIS
J. W. YANTIS F. R. DOVE
O. O. BARKER
J. A. TRACY
4 - M - M - 4
The Four-Minute Men, a nation-wide organiza- tion of volunteer speakers, was organized June 16, 1917, as a division of the Committee on Public In- formation, with the personal approval of President Wilson, who asked that the work of the organization be extended as rapidly as possible throughout the country, that its purpose, the dissemination of au- thentic information and utterances of the govern- ment, might be put into early effect.
Not until January of 1918, however, was the local organization perfected. Then the appointment of D. Leslie Davis as chairman of the Shelbyville Four- Minute Men was made from Washington on the recommendation of Mr. C. E. Bolinger, president of the Shelbyville Commercial Club, with the concur- rence of the Illinois state chairman, George R. Jones of Chicago.
The chairman immediately enlisted the services of nine business and professional men of recognized oratorical ability, as spokesmen of the United States Government in this community. These men were:
Attorney J. J. Baker Attorney W. C. Headen
Dr. O. O. Barker Rev. N. H. Robertson
Attorney W. H. Chew Judge A. J. Steidley
Attorney F. R. Dove Rev. J. A. Tracy
Honorable J. W. Yantis
Confirmation of these appointments came from National Director William McCormick Blair and State Director George R. Jones. Mr. Frank S. Rus- sell, manager of the Yale Theater. the sole public playhouse in Shelbyville, cheerfully granted the use of the stage of his theater as the rostrum from which the Four-Minute Men could address the public, and
the first speech was made Jan. 31, 1918, by Dr. Barker, who from that time on shared with his colleagues of the organization the very distinguished honor of being the official and authoritative spokesmen of the United States Government. The messages they car- ried to the people of Shelby County from the stage of the Yale Theater and other rostrums where op- portunity presented itself, were powerful, enlighten- ing and inspiring, not alone because of their authen- ticity, but by reason of the eloquence and patriotic fervor with which they were presented.
It is a certainty that no other one-theater com- munity excelled the record made in Shelbyville, even though the Four-Minute Men did not get into action until late and for several weeks before the formal cessation of the organization's activities, Dec. 24, 1918. the theater was closed because of quaran- tine. Also, in the inidst of his very faithful service as one of the speakers, Mr. Headen met with a dis- tressing accident that compelled his retirement from this and other duties until near the close of the cam- paign.
The organization here remained throughout just as it was under the original appointments. No speaker withdrew, none was added. Late in the summer, however, the Committee on Public Infor- mation provided for church and lodge Four-Minute Men, to present the messages in their respective churches and lodges. From that time on the official bulletins were furnished to these men, who repre- sented various parts of the county.
Another late feature of the work was Four-Minute singing, which was undertaken in Shelbyville under the capable leadership of Prof. R. G. Newell.
Page Fifty-Three
On the night of Wednesday, Jan. 15, 1919, the Four-Minute Men were guests of the chairman at a dinner at the New Neal hotel. The only absentee was Dr. Barker, who recently had been bereaved. The affair was very informal, but at the conclusion of the dinner the chairman, making his last assign- ment of speakers, called on Mr. Chew for an im- promptu four-minute speech and delegated to him authority to make another assignment at the close of his own remarks. He did this, and each in turn called on another until the eight speakers whose voices had been heard throughout the year from va- rious rostrums, had spoken.
During the evening the chairman gave from rec- ords kept as accurately as possible, a resume of the work of the Four-Minute Men. It was as follows:
No.
Subject
Speakers
Approx. Audience
Shipbuilding
4
1,050
Lincoln's Gettysburg Address
1
300
Eyes for the Navy
2
615
Dangers to Democracy
5
1,495
Income Tax
3
725
Farm and Garden
1
300
"Thank You"
1
315
Liberty Loan
9
8,125
. Red Cross War Fund
5
1,795
Danger to America
7
2,165
War Savings .
2
625
The Meaning of America.
6
1,765
Mobilizing American Man Power.
2
625
Where Did You Get Your Facts ?. 2
525
Register
10
2,500
Fourth Liberty Loan
11
2,820
United War Work Campaign. .
7
12,355
SUMMARY
Subjects discussed
18
Number of speeches
124
Approximate audiences
37,775
Speeches by Lodge and Church Four-Minute Men
12
Approximate No. their audiences.
1,500
Grand total speeches
136
Grand total audiences
39,275
Upon the appointment of the Four-Minute Men, President Wilson gave them this personal greeting: "Upon you Four-Minute Men who are charged with a special duty and enjoy a special privilege in the command of your audiences, will rest in a con- siderable degree, the task of arousing and informing the great body of our people.
"My best wishes and continuing interest are with you in your work as part of the reserve officer corps in a nation thrice armed because through your efforts it knows better the justice of its cause and the value of what it defends."
At the conclusion of the Four-Minute Men activi- ties, State Director George R. Jones wrote the chair- man of the local organization:
"* * * How much you and your speakers contrib- uted toward winning the war and maintaining the fighting spirit of the people at home, history alone can tell.
"It remains for me to say a personal word in ap- preciation of the loyalty and devotion which you have shown in futherance of the cause which we all have had most at heart."
Mothers' Club
Women of Shelby County who bore the peculiarly tender relation of "mother" to boys in training camp and overseas, were organized into a "Mothers' Club" for the purpose of sharing their mutual joys and sor- rows. The organization was effected Saturday, June 22, 1918, at a meeting in the First Methodist Church of this city, when a large number of women, repre- senting practically all communities of the county, assembled there.
Mrs. W. C. Kelley, the mother of two sons in the service, was elected chairman by acclamation, and Mrs. H. A. Thom was elected secretary. The
women were addressed by Mrs. Frederick A. Dow of Chicago, vice chairman of the Woman's State Coun- cil of National Defense, who spoke entertainingly on "Woman's Part in the War."
Several meetings of the Mothers' Club were held at intervals, when matters of special interest to the mothers were discussed and letters from the "boys" were read.
Victory Sing
Shelbyville's Victory Sing, in which the people poured out their thankfulness for the termination of the war in song, was held at the High School audi- torium Thanksgiving Day afternoon, 1918. It was held under the auspices of the Woman's Committee of the Council of National Defense, and was directed by Mrs. Josephine Grider, with Dr. E. M. Hopkins co-operating in the leadership. The exercises began promptly at 3 o'clock, the hour at which countless thousands of other voices throughout the nation broke forth in similar praise. As might be supposed, "The Star Spangled Banner" had the place of honor at the top of the list of songs used. A prayer by the Rev. J. A. Tracy and State's Attorney A. L. Yantis's reading of Mrs. David Allen Campbell's statement as to the purpose of the Victory Sing preceded a half hour in which orchestra, Liberty Chorus and audi- ence united in singing the inspirational patriotic songs and hymns.
Binoculars Were in Service
Early in 1918, in response to an appeal of the Navy Department for binoculars with which to equip lookouts on transports and other vessels, G. A. Sex- ton, manager of the Western Union office at Shelby- ville, loaned his binoculars, with little confidence he would ever see them again. He was agreeably sur- prised, however, about a year later to receive the glasses, with the information that they had been in use from the first of May, 1918, until the close of hostilities. The binoculars bore a metal tag, on which were the words. "Donated to U. S. Navy by G. A. Sexton, Shelbyville, Ill.," and a card on which was the following inscription:
"This glass was used on the U. S. S. Roanoke from May 1st, 1918, to cessation of hostilities, on a voyage from New York through the war zone to the North Sea and through 12 mining operations in the North Sea, which resulted in bottling up the Ger- man fleet."
Mr. Sexton keeps the binoculars as a valued souvenir.
Took Keyboard Artists
Military service hit the newspaper offices of Shelby County hard. Several men from outlying of- fices were called to the colors, while no less than six Shelbyville linotype operators entered the service. These included Rennie L. Frazier, William C. Hollo- way and Whit Noe of the Union office, Chas. L. Twiss and Ben Parish of the Democrat, and W. E. Rominger, formerly of the Union, but at the time of entering the service printing instructor in a State school at Normal.
The exit of the keyboard artists in rapid succes- sion left the publishers with troubles of their own, and at different times while the conditions lasted it became a problem as to how to keep the newspapers issuing on schedule. A kindly Providence, aided and abetted by some accommodating linotype operators who "lent a hand" when the situation became des- perate here or there, tided them over until the boys came back.
Page Fifty-Four
CECIL T. DEMONBRUN
C. E. BOLINGER
CHAS. H. BEETLE
The Shelbyville Commercial Club
In no other year of the life of the Shelbyville Commercial Club were the members of that organ- ization so busy with matters pertaining to the public welfare, as in 1917 and 1918; so forgetful of self and private interests; so ready to assume responsibilities that led them into service for others; so quick to re- spond to the unusual demands upon purse and time and physical and mental vigor and energy; so ready to uphold the traditions of the nation's past and as- sure it a still more glorious future.
With America in the war and hundreds of the boys of Shelbyville and Shelby County facing the foe and, shoulder to shoulder with their valiant allies, ever advancing until the complete rout of the enemy, the heart- and purse-strings of the men "over here" were stretched and their sympathies awakened and patriotism stirred as never before. Neither individal member nor organization as a whole failed to re- spond to every demand, and in most instances splendidly.
Twelve of the members of the Shelbyville Com- mercial Club were in the active military service. These were:
W. F. Aichele
Murphy A. Herron R. W. Johnson
C. H. Hulick W. L. Kelley
II. E. Monroe
Geo. B. Roberts W. E. Rominger
C'has. W. Stone Theo. Thompson
F. B. Wendling W. L. White
While these men, with the exception of Captain Wendling, who was in state service with headquar- ters at Springfield, were in active military service, many other members of the Commercial Club were in the service of their country just as truly, though without the coveted privilege of wearing the olive drab. Three members for a year and a half consti- tuted the Local Exemption Board, charged with per- haps the weightiest responsibilities of any civilians in service; ten were in service as Four-Minute Men, carrying the government's official messages to nearly 50,000 people: one faithfully discharged the duties of County Food Administrator; a number were active in the work of the Council of National Defense, and others in the Neighborhoods Committee: its presi- dent in 1918 was chosen to lead in the United War
Work campaign, and these and others were among the most active workers in the various drives.
Some of the Commercial Club's patriotic activities under the presidency of C. H. Beetle in 1917 were:
Reception and breakfast for Company H upon its return from border duty.
Sixty-mile "joy-ride" and subsequent banquet for Company H, in anticipation of its departure for the training camp at Houston, Tex.
Demonstration, with parade, luncheon and other features on the occasion of the departure of the first contingent of selective service men, Sept. 5, and others on later dates.
Parade, music and addresses on Oct. 9, when Company H left for Camp Logan.
Contributions of hundreds of dollars to finance these demonstrations, in addition to raising, in co- operation with press and citizens in general, a "Com- pany Fund". of more than $1,100 for Company H.
Stood sponsor for Memorial Day exercises and participated officially in the May Day festival of the public schools.
In 1918, under the presidency of C. E. Bolinger, without entering upon a system of elaborate demon- strations, the Commercial Club in a body and with a band escorted seven contingents of departing selec- tive service men to their trains, while an escort with automobiles was furnished for a number of small contingents. Under circumstances that made it pos- sible, two contingents were entertained at theater parties while awaiting the departure of their trains, another at a public reception on the Elks' Home lawn, and Companies C of Sullivan and D of Paris were given a public reception on the streets as they passed through this city on their way to embarka- tion port. The Commercial Club also tendered a reception to the "Jackies" when they visited the city to play basketball with a local team; co-operated early in the year in the Food Show and later in the Canning Club demonstrations and several centen- nial celebrations. It also made possible a notable event when in April, in conjunction with the Daily
Page Fifty-Five
Union, it engaged William G. Shepherd, the well- known war correspondent, to deliver a first-hand story of the various battle fronts to an audience that numbered a thousand people. Again in May the club arranged and brought to a successful finish the great county Red Cross pageant and demonstration, and with a frequency that made it almost continuous engaged in activities that contributed to the welfare of the people at home and the success of the Nation's arms abroad.
In 1919, under the presidency of C. T. DeMon- brun, the Commercial Club continued its patriotic work, co-operating in all movements for the pleasure and welfare of the service men and the public in general. Early in the year the club advanced the ex- penses of American Legion delegates to a conven- tion in St. Louis, and later sent a reception commit- tee of four members, which was accompanied by a number of other citizens, to Chicago to welcome H Company when it arrived there en route to Camp Grant for demobilization. Following the arrival of the company in Shelbyville, the Commercial Club
tendered this organization and all other returned sol- diers, sailors and marines, a reception on the lawn of the Elks' Home, where a very pleasing program, including the beautiful Flag Day service of the Elks, was given. Refreshments were served, and the rooms of the Home were thrown open for dancing.
In the fall of the year the Commercial Club pro- vided a fund of $500.00 to provide Roy Vanderpool Post, American Legion, with headquarters and its maintenance for a year, and on the 15th of October gave the returned soldiers and other service men of the entire county a big reception and celebration in the county seat. For perhaps the last time the fight- ing men passed in review before their own people, when they formed a procession and marched through the business district as a feature of the day's exer- cises, while fifteen thousand people observed them in thankfulness that they had been returned to their families and friends.
In many other ways the Commercial Club demon- strated its 100 per cent. patriotism," and its abiding interest in the service men.
The Seventy-Eighth Division
From the "log" kept by Charles Meitzner, Jr., of Stewardson, it is possible to give a bird's-eye sketch of the movements of the 78th Division, which em- braced a number of Shelby County boys and had a very vital part in breaking the power of the Hlun and stripping him of his vaunted military glory.
The division sailed from New York early on the morning of Monday, May 27, 1918. There were 4,500 men aboard Meitzner's ship, the Cedric, and there were twelve transports, with a convoy of seven de- stroyers. After the destroyers turned back, June 5, the transports were chased by submarines, but by zigzagging the vessels escaped contact with torpe- does. The landing was made at Liverpool June 7, and a royal welcome awaited the Sammies. Several days were spent at a rest camp near Southampton before sailing for llavre June 12. For some time the boys were in Camp De Meucon, then moved toward Vannes; were under fire at Echelon, and Sept. 12 went over the top and took the German front line. By 9 a. m. 1,000 prisoners were taken. Sept. 15 it was reported 15,000 prisoners had been taken, and the 78th had captured 4,500 of them. They were in hot fighting at Monteville, supported the 359th and 360th Infantry and 345th Machine Gun
Company at Death Valley, where 14 were killed and 35 wounded; were relieved by the 5th Division; were in action at Point De Musson; relieved and went to Troyon. where they crossed the Meuse; relieved the 27th ; left Chatel Oct. 15 and started through the Ar- gonne; fought their way through; hard fighting con-' tinued day by day; hot action at Bellejoyense Ferme, which they took and where they went over and shot the Germans in their trenches; on Nov. 1 the fight- ing continued, and 500 of the enemy were bagged the first hour; ten hours of gas cleared the Argonne and Grand Pre of Huns; were shelled at Brieulles, where several men and horses were killed and wounded and where 400 aeroplanes were in action; nine hours be- hind the Germans and pushing them hard; Nov. 6 crossed the Meuse, and were eating Hun food, left behind in the enemy's precipitate retreat: moved from Brieulles-Sur-Var into Lorraine, and were in camp beside a German cemetery Nov. 11. Later they moved to Verdun.
From Oct. 16 to Nov. 11 the 78th had nine Ger- man divisions against it, and made a name for itself that was not surpassed by any other division. On the 14th of May, 1919, the boys of this division again set foot on American soil.
GERMAN PRISONERS HELPED WIN THE WAR
-Courtesy "Over Here."
Page Fifty-Six
NN
CENTS
FURNISHING S
JIE FALL COAL CO.CEN'L I
FLAG DAY AT TOWER HILL
Tower Hill in Wartime
(By E. S. McLean)
When the United States declared war against the Central Powers, Tower Hill community stepped to the front by sending a large number of men into the service. Conditions soon called for workers at home. The Red Cross was organized and mothers and daughters met regularly at the city hall with machines, needles and thread, and yarn and goods were made up for the necessary comforts for the boys in camp. Enthusiasm grew and the Y. M. C. A. and the Salvation Army were added to the "help win the war" societies. The Red Cross aux- iliary knit 99 sweaters, 101 pairs of socks, 43 wash cloths. 7 helmets, 26 pairs of wristlets, 21 scarves, 7 eye bandages-a total of 304 knitted garments.
They made garments of outing, gingham, etc., as follows: Pajamas, 147 pairs; chemise 9; ladies' blouses, 62; operating shirts, 48: bed shirts, 54: con- valescent robes, 65; bed socks, 82 pairs; nighten- gales, 17: trench handkerchiefs, 48; fracture pillows, 10; serge dresses, 5-total 547. These were reported by Mrs. Julia Maze, treasurer of hospital supplies. The sum in cash collected between September, 1917, and May, 1919, is as follows:
The Red Cross received $2,308.72 and paid out $1.077.72. Seven hundred dollars of this was sub- scribed by the miners to a volunteer committee of ladies, namely: Mrs. Floyd Read, Mrs. Frank Her- ten, and Mrs. Charles Ellison, who braved the dan- ger of going down in the coal mine 800 feet below the surface to solicit the miners.
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