USA > Illinois > Williamson County > Williamson County, Illinois, in the World War : containing a brief review of the World War-complete history of Williamson County's activities-photographs and service records of Williamson County's soldiers, sailors and marines > Part 6
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In January of 1918 a class in Surgical Dressings was organized with Lois Benson as chairman and instructor. One section of this class at first met in the basement of the Christian Church and another in the sewing room at the Township High School, but later, all the work was done in the club rooms of the Elks' Lodge. These rooms had been of- fered as permanent Red Cross headquarters for war work. Thousands of surgical dress- ings were made and shipped to headquarters in Chicago as they were needed. The Italian
MRS. J. M. BAILIE, SR., Herrin Red Cross Chairman During Greatest Activities
women as well as the American women, de- serve much credit for this work. Also many hospital and refugee garments were made. These were cut out and distributed from the Red Cross headquarters, but the sewing was done in the various homes. Mrs. James Bailie had charge of this sewing and she with her assistants made and shipped a great many badly needed garments.
During the winter of 1917-18 the Junior Red Cross was organized with Mrs. S. A. Brockman as chairman. Through the efforts of the chairman and her assistants, every child in the city schools of Herrin became a member of the Junior Red Cross. This meant about twenty-five hundred members. In the different rooms in the schools where there
were children unable to pay the membership fee, the other children would make up enough to pay it, until every room became 100 per cent. The next year, under the chairmanship of R. V. Jordan, Superintend- ent of Schools, the same thing was done. Every child in the city schools again became a member of the Junior Red Cross.
Also during the winter of 1917-18 the Home Service committee with Mrs. James Rollo as chairman, did a great amount of relief work among the dependent families of the soldiers who had gone from the city. The next year, 1918-19, the work was carried on by Rev. C. R. Phillips and also by Rev. W. C. Mahr. The work of this committee consisted in seeing that the dependents of the soldiers received their allowances and in seeing that soldiers received their mileage and bonus. This committee also investigated the needy dependent families and supplied food and clothing to the same. In fact this committee was one of the most active of the Red Cross.
The second war drive began to be dis- cussed during the late summer and early fall of 1918. As plans were discussed and arrangements made for this drive, Wayne L. Smith was appointed chairman of the War Fund and through his efforts, Herrin went over the top by a little over three thou- sand dollars. The quota was $8,000 and $11,070 were raised. Wm. J. Sneed, A. T. Pace, and Hugh Willis were the members of the committee on the Miners' Locals and through their efforts the Local Unions gave a dollar for each member. All the business firms, lodges, churches, clubs, Hippodrome theater, and several hundred individuals donated to the fund.
In November and December of 1918 a campaign for a Christmas Roll Call was launched. Allen Whittenberg was the cam- paign manager and he so conducted the cam- paign that the membership was raised to 4,417 members, and from this enormous in- crease from 800 to 4,417 members, Herrin received special congratulations from the Illinois State Chairman stating that this was
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one of the largest increases in membership in the State.
At Yuletide the Christmas boxes were not forgotten. Mrs. Bailie was chairman of this committee and saw to it that almost every boy from Herrin who was across the seas had a box sent to him. To help make the big drives and campaigns mentioned above possible, the Camp Fire Girls and Boy Scouts did their part in canvassing the town, con- ducting tag days, selling flowers and pies and funds were raised by shows held on Sunday nights at the Herrin Opera House.
During the first year the Herrin Red Cross Chapter was somewhat handicapped by a frequent change of chairmen, and an early lack of supplies, but under the untiring ef- forts and energy of the second chairman, Mrs. J. M. Bailie, Sr., this was soon over- come and the organization became very active in all phases of war work. Then under the third chairman, Wayne L. Smith, the chapter attained a still more thorough organization and was easily ranked among the foremost Red Cross Chapters of the State.
Johnston City Chapter Red Cross
By BEN BAIAR, Secretary
TN the early fall of 1916 a few of our pa- triotic citizens began to see the great need of a Red Cross Chapter in our city, in order that we might help with the work of carry- ing on the great World War, so a meeting was called for the purpose of organizing the Johnston City Chapter of the American Red Cross. At that time only a very few were deeply interested in the Red Cross work, but later on as the war continued to spread and draw nearer to our homeland, it will be seen that every citizen of our little city became enthusiastic in the work and at no time were we ever given a quota that did not go "over the top."
This Chapter was organized with only ten charter members as follows: Dr. I. T. Roberts, Dr. L. H. Green, Dr. J. W. Clayton, H. E. Potter, A. G. Burnett, D. H. Henson, Dr. E. Slaton, Attorney R. Kenshalo, G. E. Ellis, and R. W. Jones.
The Executive Committee: H. E. Potter, Chairman; A. G. Burnett, R. W. Jones, G. E. Ellis, L. D. Hobbs, Fred Cooper and Troy Lewis were appointed as a committee to visit the Local Unions, for financial support. The committee appointed to visit the Mer- chants, consisted of Ben Lamaster, L. L. Clayton and Ben Perrine.
Those on the finance committee were: Ben Lamaster, Chairman; Ben Schull, L. L. Clay-
ton, A. G. Burnett, H. E. Potter, Troy Lewis, Fred Cooper and Ben Perrine.
With this organization established the Red Cross work was launched, and possibly no better work was accomplished by any other chapter according to the population on which to work. Perfect harmony was main- tained and every one worked hand in hand with the same ideals in view, and with the sole intention of leaving nothing undone that would help to put our city in its proper place in the history of the world's great con- flict.
On the second of January, 1918, Chairman Potter tendered his resignation as chairman. It being accepted, Dr. E. Slaton was elected to fill the vacancy, with the following new members of the Executive Board: F. G. Cooper, A. A. Pearce, Thos. Hunter, and Ben Lamaster. F. D. Hall was made Secre- tary of the Chapter, all other officers holding over until June Ist, at which time R. W. Jones became chairman, holding same until October 10, 1918, when a new board was elected, as follows: D. H. Henson, Chair- man; Dr. E. Slaton, Vice-Chairman; Gordon Pillow, Treasurer; Ben Baiar, Secretary; which are the officers at the present time.
During three years since the organization of the Chapter, much excellent work was accomplished. In all the Red Cross drives,
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in the Liberty Loan drives, in raising Y. M. C. A. funds, Salvation Army funds, in fact in any work that was given this Chapter, not one time did it fail to raise its quota and always finishing with a good percentage above the mark given.
This could not be accomplished only by cor- rect organization and backed by red blooded Americans. The miners, the operators, the local unions, and men of every craft, the farmer, the merchant, were all ready to re- spond to the call. The second war fund drive with a quota set at $5,000.00 for this Chapter was over-subscribed more than
P. H. HENSON, Chairman
$1,000.00. The Red Cross membership drive was 100 per cent in 1918.
The Liberty Loan was oversubscribed, giv- ยท ing Johnston City the distinction of flying the Honor Flag of the County for ten days, then turned over to Marion the County Seat. This honor was given our city from the fact that she went "over the top" with her subscrip- tions with a greater percentage than any other city in the County.
The Red Cross work at Johnston City, however, was not carried on by the men alone. We are now coming to the point where the real help came in. Our women were just as loyal or maybe more so than the men, but of course no one person claims the honor of having done all the work. While possibly some did more than others, it is still possible that each one did what they
felt able to do, and therefore one deserves as much credit as the other, but our women surely were a faithful lot, and one only needed to be in a position to watch them, to learn why Uncle Sam can raise the best army of any nation on the Globe. The weather was neither too hot nor too cold, too wet nor too dry, for some of them to be present when the time came-the deeper the snow the harder they worked-as they seemed to feel that their boy was somewhere in the cold needing perhaps the very gar- ment they were working on. The Red Cross headquarters were taken up at the City Hall
BEN BAIAR, Secretary
where some of the ladies met almost every day during the week. There the yarns were received and issued out, there is where the materials were kept and made up into wear- ing apparel for the boys. Electric sewing machines were installed, and many mothers spent their spare hours there, toiling away for some mother's boy, and perhaps for her own, and after all, who will dispute the fact that the mother, wife and sweetheart are the backbone of Uncle Sam's great army.
The following is the board of directors that had charge of the ladies' work begin- ning September 5, 1918:
Mrs. Eva Harrison, Chairman.
Mrs. Mary E. Hedley, Vice-Chairman.
Mrs. Herman Fellman, Secretary.
Mrs. Chas. Hindman.
Mrs. Henry Kuepper, Jr.
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Mrs. Eulah Hunter. Mrs. Norma Mozley. Mrs. Henry Fellman. Mrs. R. F. Follis. Mrs. R. W. Jones.
Chairman hospital garments, Mrs. A. Ben- nett; chairman knitting department, Mrs. Kate Bazue; recorder knitting supplies, Mrs. Dell Jones; committee on comfort kits; Loyal Girls of America; Miss Jessie Follis, Chair- man.
Later Mrs. Mary Hedley was made chair- man of the ladies' organization. Under this organization much good work was accom-
THOS. HUNTER, Member of Executive Board Very Active in All War Work
plished and hundreds of garments were fin- ished and sent to headquarters to be dis- tributed among the boys at the front. We will not undertake to give the number of different articles that were furnished by these loyal women although it would be quite
a record to go down in history, but suffice to say they were never found wanting and always furnished their quota whatever that might be.
The Loyal Girls of America must also be commended for their great help, for their work always consisted of that which most people like to shun, such as soliciting, selling tags, serving lunches, giving ice cream socials, and such other work that they might be called upon to do, to help raise money to aid the boys at the front or in the camps. Theirs was a noble work and one that will long be remembered by all who were in a position to know just what they accomplished.
In the latter part of the summer of 1918, when the call came to help the Belgium suf- ferers our ladies got real busy and made a canvass of the city and vicinity and in a very short time had a nice shipment of second hand clothing ready for shipment to the commissioner of Belgium relief. In the first shipment that was made there were twenty-two boxes containing 2,600 pounds of clothing. Other shipments were made later.
Could an itemized report be made of all the work that was done by this Chapter it certainly would be a record for Johnston City, and vicinity to be proud of. Also a record of the work did by each individual as they appeared as leaders of the different drives that were made, would be a great incentive to all who read it, but that part will necessarily be left out, and our thanks to them was spoken very plainly in the way we backed them up and each and every one is real proud of the record made by Johnston City, and prouder still of the good type of Americans within her community that made it possible to establish such a record for us.
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Loyal Girls of America --- Johnston City
In the months following April, 1917, seeing the boys respond so nobly to our country's call, the girls of Johnston City felt that they too must enter some branch of their country's service.
Being unorganized we drifted along, buy- ing Testaments for those we knew best, until the close of the first training camp at Fort Sheridan, when at the suggestion of one of the boys who had just received his commis- sion and was awaiting his call to camp, we began making comfort kits.
On September 21st, 1917, just after the first Selectmen left for Camp Taylor, the girls who worked at various occupations, and therefore couldn't work at the Red Cross rooms, met and organized a club to be known as The Loyal Girls of America. A member- ship fee of fifty cents was charged, twenty- five cents for a pin to be worn, and twenty- five cents expense money.
Money was raised by donation from the miners' locals and citizens, and contents of the kits from merchants, all giving liberally.
After electing Sylvia Henson, President; Linnie Jones, Vice President; Pearl Cham- ness, Secretary, and Fay Phillips, Treasurer, plans were made to buy a radiant fire, and were successful, thus affording a comfortable meeting place in the evenings to work.
When the second quota of Selectmen left Marion we had kits containing smokes, thread, buttons, needles, pins, stationery, pen- cil, adhesive, bandage, salve, soap, scissors and tooth paste for every soldier in Johnston City and vicinity, known to any of the girls or their friends.
During the evenings the girls met and sewed, making and filling in all approx- imately three hundred kits, made of khaki and lined with rubber sheeting.
Victrola records were sent to the boys at Camp Taylor.
Through a Mother's Chapter in Chicago there was secured some names of boys with
no parents and perhaps few friends. To those we wrote occasionally. For Thanks- giving, eats were prepared and sent where distance kept the home box from coming.
We assisted in the Y. M. C. A. drive with Tag Day, using the Red Triangle, bearing the inscription, "A Bit For the Sammies," which was quite a success.
In November we rallied to a Red Cross banquet selling tickets and assisting other ways.
Soon came election of officers: Nelle Meguiar was the succeeding President, Sylvia Henson, Vice President; Arel Ozment, Sec- retary-Treasurer.
At the end of November our club was well organized and every girl busy-sweaters, helmets, socks, mufflers were sent to boys from coast to coast.
Christmas boxes for the home boys in France were on their way, then came the call to "Keep the Home Fires Burning," for those with no support.
Many tons of coal were sent to the homes here in Johnston City, where the son or brother was in the service.
Large quantities of smokes were sent to the different camps at Christmas for the boys.
When the Red Cross drive came a call was made for the Loyal Girls, which found a ready response.
Another Tag Day was resorted to, and at the close of day, a number of tired girls felt rested after learning we had taken in $375.00.
Verbal Bearden was the next President elected, Mayme Wehr, Vice President; Sylvia Henson, Secretary-Treasurer.
After the first contingent left Marion, no boy regardless of nationality, was known to leave without a kit and a word of cheer from the girls.
Markets, bazaars, and socials were used to raise money and every one seemed willing to help.
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Our last President, Bertha Gore; Vice President, Nelle Meguiar; Secretary-Treas- urer, Essie Newton had the pleasure of re- ceiving the boys home again, with the help of the other club members, fifty-one girls in all, each trying in some way to do their bit.
As the boys come home, we give them a hearty welcome, and have transformed our club, with the exception of our war and after the war brides, into a social club where we can keep that friendship, which was founded during the world war.
BEN E. LA MASTER Chairman, Civilian Relief
JOHNSTON CITY CIVILIAN RELIEF COMMITTEE'S ACTIVITIES
Members:
Ben E. LaMaster, Chairman. Gordon Pillow, Secretary. Mrs. Ora Ellis. George Ellis. Fred Hall. I. T. Roberts, M. D.
Since the organization of this committee in September, 1918, assistance has been ren- dered seventeen families by the distribution of food, clothing, coal and rent, and financial assistance for insurance premium, etc., to the amount of $698.84. Physicians' fees have been paid and nurses furnished where neces- sary.
This committee was instrumental in ob- taining the release of Constantine Coin, a French boy, who formerly lived in Johnston City-a prisoner of war held by the Germans in a French village. The release was affected by communications and telegrams through the Central Division of the Red Cross. He was returned safely to his parents here.
Through the efforts of this committee our discharged soldiers have speedily obtained their bonus and refund on railroad fare.
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Piankeshaw Camp Fire Girls --- Herrin
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Top row, left to right-Eva Orwin, Nona Stroud Bailie, Dorris Herrin, Christine Manning, Miss Renard, guardian; Hazel Brown, Ferne Quigley, Alice Manning. Second row, left to right-Cecille North, Violet Whittenberg, Gladys Sanders, Lucille Vick, Gertrude Galligan.
Other members-Florence Pope, Mae Chew Smith, Iva Kemp Atwood, Dorothy Mc- Clintock, Wanda Treece.
The Piankeshaw Camp is the original Camp Fire organization of Herrin. The girls organized in September, 1916, with Miss Hester Renard as their guardian. They have been one of the most active organizations in war work in the city and have rendered in- valuable aid in all war enterprises. They appeared as Red Cross nurses in the initial war Tag Day, for the Red Cross, June 5, 1917. They have helped to make successful Tag Days for the first and second Red Cross War Funds, United War Work, and for the Fatherless Children of France. They also served the drafted soldiers at a barbecue given in their honor in the fall of 1917.
They conducted a canvass of the entire town for the first Red Cross War Fund, and joined with the Boy Scouts and the Wahwahteysee Camp in a canvass of the town for the second Red Cross War Fund. They also conducted flower stands and made over eighty dollars ($80.00), which they donated to the Red Cross and to other war enterprises. They assisted in the sale of Liberty Bonds for the second, third and fourth Liberty Loan drives and helped to put Herrin "over the top." The Piankeshaw Camp has been one of the most patriotic organizations in the city, and has made a record for usefulness that is hard to equal.
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Wahwahteysee Camp Fire Girls --- Herrin
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Top row, left to right-Margaret Cline, Marie Perrine, Florine Gasaway, Martha Brown, Eva Sanders.
Second row, left to right-Margaret Chapman, Geneva Whittenberg, Lotta Snyder, Julia Harrison.
Other members-Florence Steele, Bessie Zwick, Chloe Deason.
The Wahwahteysee Camp is the second to organize in Herrin. The girls organized in the winter of 1917 with Miss Lois Benson as their guardian. They have assisted in a large number of affairs, for war aid. They originated the idea of a public pie sale, soliciting pies and selling them from the band stand downtown. They made forty dol- lars ($40.00), which they turned over to the Red Cross from this first sale. They have assisted in conducting successful Tag Days,
for Second Red Cross War Fund, United War Work, and for the Fatherless Children of France. They assisted in a canvass of the town for the Second Red Cross War Fund, and conducted a special Tag Day for the Junior Red Cross. They assisted in the sale of Liberty Bonds for the second, third and fourth Liberty Loan drives. The Wahwah- teysee Camp has certainly justified its exist- ence by its patriotic endeavor.
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5
United War Work Campaign in Williamson County
BY T. E. CRAIG City Editor Marion Evening Post
The United War Work Campaign of No- vember 11th to 18th, 1918, was composed of seven welfare agencies which merged their total interests into one national budget. Coming as it did at the close of hostilities many predicted that the amount asked for, $170,500,000, would not be raised. The prophecy proved false, as the nation "went over the top" with subscriptions.
To facilitate the work, the state of Illinois was divided into twenty-two districts, the county of Willianison being the twentieth, composed of Randolph, Perry, Franklin, Hamilton, White, Jackson, Williamson, Saline and Gallatin. The apportionment of the dis- trict was $233,100.00, of which amount Williamson was assigned the task of raising $39,000.
The county was placed in charge of an executive committee, composed of the fol- lowing most active workers:
Y. M. C. A .- L. A. Colp of Marion.
Y. W. C. A .- Ethel T. Holland of Marion. National Catholic W. C .- Otis J. Presson of Herrin.
Jewish Welfare Board-A. H. Joseph of Marion.
American Library Association - Mark Woodley of Marion.
War Camp Community Service-Wm. H. Warder of Marion.
Salvation Army-George G. Otey of Her- rin.
Victory Boys' Club-Ed. M. Stotlar of Marion.
Victory Girls' Club-Mrs. W. W. Miller of Marion.
Woman's Division-Agnes Smith.
Labor Division-Hugh Willis of Herrin.
Director of Publicity-A. D. Morgan of Herrin.
Speakers' Bureau-R. R. Fowler.
The distribution of Williamson county's quota was as follows: Corinth Township $ 1,280.00
Crab Orchard Township. 1,070.00
Stonefort Township 1,020.00
Creal Springs Township 1,540.00
Southern Township 1,240.00
Grassy Township 850.00
Blairsville Township (west half of
Township) 2,350.00
Carterville Township
3,500.00
Johnston City Township (includes two miles east and three miles west of city) 5,000.00
Pittsburg (east two-thirds of Lake- creek Township) 1,150.00
Herrin Township, High School District 10,000.00
Marion (includes East and West Marion Township) 10,000.00
Total $39,000.00
Of this amount the Y. M. C. A. subscribed $22,004.00, the Y. W. C. A., $2,568.60. No detailed report of the other organizations is available, but Williamson county's quota was oversubscribed.
THE Y. W. C. A.
The Young Women's Christian Associa- tion made the clearest and most complete report of any organization. This because they concentrated their efforts and kept good records, easily available. The report of their work, made by their county chairman, Mrs. Ethel T. Holland, follows:
Womens' Work was organized through the Federated Clubs organization, Mrs. Mary Wall of Murphysboro, chairman of the 25th District Y. W. C. A .; Mrs. Ethel T. Holland,
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chairman for Williamson country. Fourteen city chairmen were appointed, as follows: Marion-Mrs. Fred Martin. Herrin-Mrs. O. W. Curry. Johnston City-Mrs. Cora Baiar. Carterville-Miss Effie Colp. Hurst-Bush-Mrs. Gus Hensley. Creal Springs-Mrs. James Allee. Pittsburg-Miss Leda Duty. Crab Orchard-Mrs. Chas. Cox. Stonefort-Mrs. G. R. Brewer. Colp-Mrs. Wm. E. Downs. Clifford-Mrs. E. A. Kilbreth. Dewmaine-Dr. H. McLean Springs.
Corinth-Mrs. W. S. Beers.
Cambria-Mrs. Charles Young.
TAG DAY
On the first day of the big drive for the War Work fund, the women held a tag day, tags being given all who contributed even the smallest amount. In this work the city of Herrin led by raising the largest amount; Marion came in second, Johnston City third, Carterville fourth, followed by Hurst-Bush and smaller localities. More than ten thou- sand tags were sold.
Mrs. Elizabeth Jones Howard of Marion, wife of Dr. G. W. Howard, who was in France, sold an even $100 worth.
This organization solicited subscriptions from women and women's organizations, clubs, churches, societies, lodges, etc., and rural communities raised their quotas through school districts and reported to the county treasurer of the fund through their local treasurer.
Mrs. Elza Cash of Marion was appointed county chairman to supervise the after-the- war or reconstruction work and had ap- pointed her committees throughout the county. These committees were practically the same, with but two exceptions. Mrs. Cash passed away on April 23, 1919, before her work was completed.
A district convention of the United War Work for the Twentieth District had been held on October 28, 1918, where organiza- tion was completed and plans for the drive . made. Those invited to attend as special workers from Williamson county were the following: Rev. H. H. Hampton, Rev. E. J. Sabin and Jas. A. Lauder of Carterville; Robt. Hopper, A. K. Elles, Geo. G. Otey.
Wayne Smith of Herrin; L. D. Hobbs, L. L. Clayton, Gordon Pillow, Mark Ferges and D. H. Henson of Johnston City; Ed M. Stot- lar, Dr. John I. Gunn, J. H. Siekman, Harry Holland, Geo. C. Campbell, W. H. Warder, and John M. Reid of Marion.
John R. Mott, Director General of the United War Work Campaign, designates this as "The largest voluntary offering in his- tory." Read his enthusiastic words in the following extracts from his report:
"In the history of mankind the largest sum ever provided through voluntary offerings for an altruistic cause was the great fund given in November in the United War Work Campaign. In the period beginning Novem- ber 11th, a day forever memorable as the one on which hostilities ceased in the Great World War, the entire American people- the rich and the poor, the members of all parties, races and religious faiths-united their gifts and sacrifices in rolling up the vast sum of over $200,000,000. This fact alone would give the campaign unique dis- tinction.
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