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 7
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"When the unfavorable circumstances which attended this great effort are borne in mind, it becomes all the more remarkable. If the success of an enterprise or the greatness of a victory are determined by the number and extent of the difficulties and obstacles overcome, then the triumph achieved by the multitude of workers who carried through to a successful issue this patriotic endeavor was indeed notable and truly great. In the his- tory of financial campaigns, when was there ever one conducted in the face of so many difficulties ?
"The United War Work Campaign has fur- nished the most impressive example thus far afforded of religious unity and co-operation. When before have the leaders and the many millions of followers of the Protestant, Roman Catholic and Jewish religious bodies of a great nation joined forces for the accom- plishment of a common unselfish object? In doing this no one of them has obscured, minimized or apologized for that which is most distinctive in its life and work. The campaign has been an illustration of inter-
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denominationalism rather than of undenom- inationalism. It might have been regarded as wonderful had these bodies come together on a platform of putting aside their differences and all that is most characteristic of them; but it has been far more wonderful that they have been able to come together and work together and speak together just as they are, each being true to its own best self.
"Never before have foundations, corpora- tions, companies, banks, industries and the rural population of America participated so generally and so generously in a great popu- lar subscription. Through all the coming years the gifts and sacrifices of many mil- lions, from the richest to the poorest and from the youngest to the oldest, in every corner of our country and from neighboring as well as distant lands will be held in grate- ful memory.
"Above all, as we remind ourselves of the difficulties, humanly speaking insuperable, which have attended this great undertaking and as we recall the wonderful miracle which has been wrought in ushering in the world- wide and, as we trust, enduring peace which synchronized with the launching of the cam- paign, let us reverently and gratefully ac- knowledge Almighty God as the great and only efficient Cause of this great victory of peace, as He was the great victory of the war."
C. W. BISHOP, Carterville Active War Worker and Able Assistant of Herrin Local Board.
The Marion Woman's Club
By MISS EVA YOUNG
The Marion Woman's Club is one of the most progressive federated Clubs of Marion. There is a large membership composed of ladies who are wideawake, industrious and patriotic.
The Club was organized in 1913, and its officers and members have done much good work in Marion since its organization, par- ticularly along philanthropic lines. It has been their custom to have an annual "tag
THE GODDARD CHAPEL
day", the proceeds of which have been spent for the worthy poor of Marion. The sum of $360.87 was collected for this purpose on Oct. 30, 1918. The members also collected and distributed the past year, 218 garments, and assisted thirty-five poor families with clothing, coal and other necessities, the past winter. Every Christmas they send out a number of well-filled baskets, which brings comfort and cheer to the many good, deserv- ing families.
The Woman's Club has assisted financially and otherwise in securing medical aid to sick persons who were unable to help themselves, and several cases where operations were nec- essary.
It was through the Civil Department of The Marion Woman's Club that Hon. L. A. Goddard of Chicago, became interested and
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erected the beautiful chapel in Rose Hill cemetery, at an approximate cost of $35,000.
The ladies of this Club took an active part in every war activity, and especially the Red Cross work. A surgical dressing class was organized from the Club and completed a great amount of work. The Club purchased a Liberty Bond, and also adopted a French war orphan.
A committee from the Club secured $100,- 000 worth of subscriptions on the third Lib- erty Loan, and $2,000 on the second Red Cross war drive, and sold $3,000 War Saving Stamps. A Silver Tea was given at the home of one of its members, proceeds amounting to $23.00, which was donated to the Queen Elizabeth fund for the Belgian Relief. The proceeds from a food exchange-$31.00 was donated to the United War Work drive.
Through the Woman's Club, the services of a trained nurse were secured, and a free course in home nursing was given to those desiring to take the lessons.
A committee from the Club also helped in the Salvation Army drive.
This Club has always helped in every good and worthy cause, being united in their ef- forts to improve the community-creating mutual sympathy and higher civilization.
The present officers are:
Miss Eva Young, President;
Mrs. P. R. Colp, Ist Vice-President; Mrs. P. B. Wilson, 2nd Vice-President; Dr. Anna G. Reid, Rec. Sec'y: Mrs. S. E. Quindry, Cor. Sec'y; Mrs. Curtis Brown, Treasurer;
Mrs. W. F. Burkhart, Parliamentarian.
The American Protective League
This was a branch of the service during the war that received very little comment and is one feature that should not be over- looked in our Williamson County History. Prof. J. H. Siekman, President of Brown's Business College, was selected County Cap- tain, and this work, even though it did not receive much publicity, the importance of this particular branch of the service and those connected with it certainly deserve honorable mention.
Food Administration
Probably one of the citizens of our county to whom credit is due and who has probably received as little credit, is Prof. J. H. Siek- man, President of Brown's Business College. at Marion, Ill. Prof. Siekman was appointed County Food Administrator for Williamson County early in the year of 1918. He worked faithfully and untiringly in the year of 1918 at a tremendous loss of time and personal expense (traveling, stenographic and office help, telegrams, etc.), without any reimburse- ment for his work. This was done simply as
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PROF. J. H. SIEKMAN
a patriotic duty. Prof. Siekman is thankful, indeed, for the co-operation of the citizens in Williamson County who were anxious to assist in controlling the food administration work, although there were some who were not loyal to their country or to the boys "OVER THERE." In most cases, however, the citizens of Williamson county were al- ways ready to co-operate with us when they knew just what the ruling was, governing the consumption and distribution of food supplies.
The efficient assistants, most of whom stayed with Prof. Siekman throughout the year, handling the work in the immediate vicinity, and who also deserve credit for the faithful work done and their careful attention to the distribution and conservation of food supplies in Williamson county are the fol- lowing:
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Carterville-T. J. Moake, Ira Clark and C. W. Bush.
Herrin-Charles Murrah and Carl Neilson.
Johnston City-W. W. Hig- gerson.
Corinth-Dr. George Roberts. Marion-P. W. Balance, W. G. Metzinger, and Elza Cash. Chamness-J. M. Mouser. Creal Springs-John B. Mor- ray.
Second Meeting Williamson Post, American Legion
U. S. Department of Labor
At the beginning of demobolization, Prof. J. H. Siekman of Marion, President of Brown's Business College, was appointed County Chairman to take charge of this im- portant work. The object of this work was to secure employment for the returning sol- diers. As soon as the soldier was released from government service his name was sent to the County Chairman and was taken up with the different committees throughout the county in the different places in order that the returning soldier should be given an opportunity for a position with his former employer on returning to civil life.
Those who assisted in the different cities in Williamson County are as follows:
J. H. Siekman, Marion, Ill., County Chair- man.
Marion-G. J. Frick, Chairman; A. B. McClaren, Judge Rufus Neeley.
Johnston City-Fred Cooper, Chairman; Ralph Mitchell, Ben La Master.
Herrin-Hugh Willis, Chairman; Geo. McArtor, William Sneed, Jr., A. T. Pace.
Carterville-Lewis Gihbons, Chairman; Charles Rudder.
The American Legion BY LIEUT. OLDHAM PAISLEY
The first post of the American Legion to be formed in this county was that formed at Marion, Illinois, in September, 1919, when the name of Williamson Post was selected.
A. A. Mozley was selected as temporary chairman and Robert Williams was selected as temporary secretary-treasurer.
The organization was first formed with temporary officers and no permanent officers were selected until after the national con- vention which was held in November, 1919. The charter for Williamson Post was closed on September 15 and the list of charter mem- bers was as follows:
Fred C. Whitlock Earl O. Choat
Thomas H. Howells Tony Digraca
Willis H. Saunders Edgar N. Atwood
Eliab J. Aikman
O. R. Fischer
Ben F. Reed
Howard Moore
Charles Cochran
Lester M. Davis .
Leo Holliday
John Durham
Charles Fowler
Evo B. Cirrito
William H. Forker
Carl C. Bradbury
Harry Parks
Carl Williams
J. W. Ferguson Sam Dunaway John L. Otey
Leroy S. Mitchell
Ira D. Sheretz
H. L. Roberts
Oldham Paisley
Herman C. Jeter
Arthur Gravannis
James W. Russell
Joseph Pirrello
Leslie Brigham
Fred A. Darter
Roy Reed
John C. Keltner
J. H. Flaughter
Edgar Craig
Sam Goodall
Robert M. Williams
L. C. Raybourne
A. A. Mozley
Fred W. Sage
John Reynolds
Paul Mitchell
Jack J. Goddard
James H. Short
Robert L. Edwards
Sidney B. Sage
J. Howard Flaugliter
Ruel Youngblood
Pauline Duncan
Ralph Thurmond John Azemis
William B. Jones
Gus Chamness Leland F. Lough
Loren L. Fowler
Harvey A. Felts
Aaron L. Walker
Joseph Disalvo Luke P. Baccus Lory Price
Howard Mccluskey
Hugh J. Musgrove
J. H. Hendrickson
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Williamson County Woman's Committee State Council of Defense
The Williamson County Committee of the Illinois State Council of National Defense was organized in June, 1917.
Mrs. Paul R. Colp, Marion, Chairman.
Mrs. W. E. Grisham, Johnston City, Vice-Chairman.
Mrs. Fred G. Campbell, Marion, Secretary.
Mrs. Robert Thompson, Carterville, Treasurer.
Mrs. R. A. Parks, Marion, Co-ordination.
Mrs. Cora Baiar, Johnston City, Registration.
Mrs. W. O. Paisley, Marion, Food Production.
Mrs. Elza Cash, Marion, Conservation.
Mrs. C. R. Phillips, Herrin, Speakers.
Mrs. Wayne Smith, Herrin, War Savings.
Mrs. D. J. Kelley, Johnston City, Child Welfare.
Miss Jane Barter, Spring Grove, Women and Chil- dren in Industry.
Under the direction of the Co-ordination chairman, Mrs. R. A. Parks, units were organ- ized. There were units in the county with the following chairmen:
Mrs. W. P. Moore Marion
Miss Effie Colp. Carterville
Mrs. Geo. Ellis. .Johnston City
Mrs. James Rollo Herrin
Dr. B. E. McLain-Springs Dewmaine
Mrs. Margaret Sprague. . Cambria
The first big piece of war work done by this committee was the registration of women for service. There were approximately 10,000 women in Williamson County who registered for either paid or free service. These registration cards have been kept and filed by the differ- ent units and have been of great value in furnishing workers for governmental drives, nurses in recent epidemics and for many other purposes.
A large campaign for conservation was carried on. Seven thousand food pledge cards were signed. Classes were held to teach the use of the new substitutes, the remaking of clothes and the necessity for the elimination of waste.
The Allied Relief committee furnished hundreds of garments for the war stricken fami- lies in France and Belgium. The policy of the Fatherless Children of France Committee was to maintain children in their own homes, to be brought up by their mothers in the religion of their fathers and to establish such a personal relationship between the "Donor" and the child, that the "Donor" not only be assured that his money reached its proper destination, but also corresponded with the child or its mother. $36.50 a year, added to the small allowance of the French government would help give a strong, well trained child to the new France. Fifty or more of these orphans were adopted throughout the county. A great many girls registered for active service as nurses. Miss Pauline Duncan of Marion, the only Army Camp Nurse called from this county, served 6 months in Camp Jackson, South Carolina. A number of girls were assigned to civilian hospitals.
Girls Patriotic Welfare Leagues were formed in a number of communities. They had community choruses, did all kinds of war work and helped to raise $500 for the Y. W. C. A. Drive.
Mrs. George Otey, Herrin, Community Singing.
Mrs. George Ellis, Johnston City, Fatherless Chil- dren of France.
Mrs. Jane Lawson, Marion, Information.
Mrs. Harry Carson, Creal Springs, Home Charities.
Miss Alice Kennedy, Cambria, Social Hygiene.
Mrs. M. E. Hedley, Johnston City, Publicity.
Mrs. Otis Brown, Marion, Allied Relief.
Miss Eva Young, Marion, Red Cross.
Mrs. J. W. Burnett. Creal Springs
Mrs. Charles Hampton Hudgens
Miss Jane Barter. Spring Grove
Mrs. V. H. Burkhart . Hurst
Mrs. Allen Kilbreath Clifford
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The Local Draft Boards
Based upon its population, Williamson County was divided into two draft board districts. Local Board No. 1. was the Marion district and embraced all the townships in the county except Herrin, Blairsville, Carter- ville and Grassy townships which comprised No. 2 district or the Herrin board district. The estimate of the draft population being about equally divided between these two dis- tricts was poorly made, for the Marion board
in the June 5, 1917, registration got but 2006 registrants, while the Herrin board ran over a third more, registering 3036.
Upon recommendation of Governor Lowden of Illinois, President Wilson appointed the members of the local boards, at first three in number, late in June, 1917. Later on other appointments were added as associate mem- bers, such as appeal agents, etc.
The Marion Local Board BY CAPT. OLDHAM PAISLEY
The Local Board Number 1. of Williamson County had its headquarters in Marion and went through the war with but one change in composition and that was made when one of its members entered the service.
The board as originally formed was com- posed of Rufus Neely of Marion, who was chosen secretary; W. H. Grant of Johnston City, R. F. D. chairman, and Dr. D. D. Hart- well of Marion. Dr. A. M. Edwards later replaced Dr. Hartwell as examining physi- cian.
The board was in complete harmony at all times and no friction ever marred its pro- ceedings. Judge Neely had two sons in the service as did also Mr. Grant, while both Dr. Hartwell and Dr. Edwards were in the service. This is a record unequaled in the state, propably.
Dr. Hartwell was commissioned in the Medical Reserve Corps as a first lieutenant, but when he became the examining physician for the selective service board, the govern- ment refused to order him to active and field duty but he kept the mails busy until he was given orders and he again kept things busy until he got to France and into action, and his record stands out prominently in the
county. He was paralyzed as a result of the war work and is just now recovering his speech.
Dr. Edwards was among the first physicians from Williamson county to enter the service as a first lieutenant in the medical corps, but he was later given an honorable discharge because of physical conditions. He fully demonstrated his loyalty by the untiring as- sistance given the board in the physical ex- aminations.
The first examinations were held in the Elks home and later in the City Hall. The offices of Attorney Neely, Gallimore and Cook were used as headquarters for the board and the records were kept there until for- warded to state and national headquarters for permanent file.
The attorneys of the county were all loyal in their assistance extended to the board. Attorney Spiller D. Lewis was chairman of the legal advisory board, and Judge D. T. Hartwell and Attorney Ed M. Spiller served as members. States Attorney R. R. Fowler served the board as government appeal agent.
The physicians of the city came forward patriotically to the assistance of Drs. Hart- well and Edwards. Among those assisting
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Judge R.F.Neely.
W. H. Grant.
Dr. Hartwell.
Emma Whitcomb.
MEMBERS OF THE MARION LOCAL BOARD
were Dr. S. G. J. Baker and L. B. Casey and Dentist M. W. Ballance.
Among the clerks who assisted in the work, the service of Miss Emma Whitcomb, chief clerk, was probably the most appreciated. She gave up her work as stenographer for the law firm of Neely, Gallimore and Cook to handle the government work for the county
· board and she sacrificed quite as much and worked as hard as any member of the board. She was assisted from time to time by Mrs. Mamie Bracy, Misses Jettie Bolder, Iva Harris, Hattie Mitchell, and Helen Reece.
Eight hundred and five men were inducted into service by Local Board No. 1. The total registration reached 5512.
The Herrin Local Board BY H. W. T.
The Herrin board consisted of C. H. Pope, Hal W. Trovillion and Dr. Carl Baker, all of Herrin. On June 30, 1917, the members met at The Herrin news office and organized as follows: C. H. Pope, chairman; Hal W. Trovillion, secretary, and by virtue of his profession, Dr. Carl Baker was made exam- ining physician. This organization continued until the close of the year when Dr. Carl Baker tendered his resignation because of his leave-taking from the city to go to Chi- cago to take a post graduate course in medi- cine. Dr. R. E. Ransmeier was appointed to succeed him. In the spring of 1918, owing to differences that arose on the board, a great deal of friction resulted. On August 24th, C. H. Pope resigned, and pending the appointment of a new member, Dr. R. E. Ransmeier served as chairman and also handled the work of head examining physi- cian, making his duties very trying and caus- ing him at times to abandon his business completely. Out of justice to his sincere
loyalty, it should be stated that Dr. Ransmeier never accepted from the government any pay for his services as examining physician, freely donating his time and labors to the government.
Only a few days before the armistice was signed Judge W. F. Chapman was appointed by President Wilson to fill the vacancy on the board caused by Mr. Pope's resignation. He made a most attentive member and throughout the rest of the war period the board worked in perfect harmony.
Attached to the board in an advisory ca- pacity were several officers and Judge A. D. Morgan served throughout the war as chair- man of the legal advisory board, and Judge R. T. Cook and Attorney Charles Murrah as associate member.s The board rendered ex- cellent services in assisting registrants in filling out their questionnaires and also in apprizing them of their rights under the selective service law.
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LOCAL DRAFT BOARD HERRIN DIST.
TOP ROW. Chas. H. Pope. Dr. Robt E.Ransmeier. Hal. W. Trovillion. W. F. Chapman. BOTTOM ROW. Dr. Carl Baker. Dora Malandrone. Mabel Brown.
Judge R. T. Cook was appointed govern- ment appeal agent early in the history of the board and handled a great deal of work up to the summer of 1918 when the pressure of his legal business necessitated his resig- nation.
Governor Lowden filled the vacancy by appointing A. K. Elles, head of the Herrin Supply Company. A more fortunate selec- tion as Judge Cook's successor could not have been picked. No person connected with the draft board assumed his duties more earnestly than did Mr. Elles, despite his extreme busi- ness with his big commercial and mercantile interests which demanded every minute of his time each day. He set aside a certain amount of time each day for government work and was as punctual in his appoint- ments as if life depended upon it. He came into office just at the time that the WORK or FIGHT order came into effect, and his department was the busiest in all the draft board until the armistice was signed.
Hugh Willis of Herrin, executive board member of the miners, was appointed several months before the war closed as Industrial Agent for the county and rendered valuable services to the boards in an advisory ca- pacity.
Attorney Richard R. Fowler of Marion, State's Attorney, served very efficiently as
county appeal agent and rendered useful services to the local boards.
Herrin local board first opened headquar- ters in the council chamber of the City Hall which was generously offered the board by Mayor George K. Crichton and City Clerk John D. Perrine. The office was established here on July 2, 1917, and with an office force of stenographers, the task of copying regis- tration cards was begun. It was found in a short time to be ill suited as an office and a suite of rooms were rented upstairs in the City National Bank building. The quarters proved unsatisfactory later and a third move was made in May, 1918, to a suite of rooms in the Herrin building, where the office re- mained located until it was abandoned.
During the life of the Herrin board a number of clerks were employed. Miss Dora Malandrone started in with the board upon its organization and was later made chief clerk and held this important post until the office was closed in April, 1919. Among the other clerks connected with the office from time to time were Misses Berenice Baker, Clara Streicher, Florence Pope, Delilah Har- mon, Beulah Blair, Mae Chew, Olean Jenk- ins, Nona Stroud, Elsie Gregory, Mabel Brown, Rhea Moudy, Mrs. Anna Reed Ben- ton, Mrs. Violet Trovillion, Mrs. Caroline Hickson.
Charis Omerican
1 WAR
. - Outcians -
Guardians of Liberty-the First Large Contingent to Leave Herrin, Sept. 18, 1917.
Judge Cook
a. D. Morgan.
a.K. Elles.
In September the Herrin board was as- signed two soldier clerks, Tony Garavaglia of Herrin and Charles Newton of Johnston City. They were with the board until Febru- ary, 1919.
The total registration recorded by the Herrin local board for the three registration dates-June 5, 1917; August 24, 1918; Sep- tember 12, 1918, was 8,588. There were fifteen nationalities represented. A large number of the foreigners were aliens and a few enemy aliens. The largest foreign ele- ment the board had to handle was Italian, and as a whole, this class was very loyal. A great number waived their alien rights and permitted themselves to be drafted, while quite a few enlisted.
Herrin local board met every call for in- duction that was made on it and achieved a one hundred per cent record for filling its quota. The total number of men inducted during the operation of the draft law was 957.
The physicians residing in Herrin board district who assisted Dr. Carl Baker while he was head of the medical examining board and later Dr. R. E. Ransmeier, who suc- ceeded Dr. Baker, were as follows: Drs. W. R. Gardiner, Columbus Brown, D. S. Boles, J. C. Black, J. S. Waldman, G. C. Chamness, all of Herrin; Dr. C. M. Evans of Clifford; Drs. J. F. McKee, I. T. Roberts and J. W. Clayton, all of Johnston City, and Drs. W. H. Perry, F. M. Miller and J. W. Vick of Carterville. These physicians all made noble sacrifices, especially during the Spanish in- fluenza epidemic of 1918, when they were rushed hardest in practice and when the gov- ernment was pushing the board on examining registrants.
The entire number of draft registrants in the county was 14,100, and the total num- ber inducted by the two boards reached 1,762.
· The number to enlist in the entire county is not available, but is estimated from 500 to 700, making the grand total of soldiers furnished the nation approximately 2,400, which is from four to five per cent of the population of the county.
DEPARTURE OF HERRIN'S FIRST SOLDIERS
War has never been brought so closely home to Herrin people as on that cool autumn morn of the fifth of September, nine- teen seventeen, when fourteen stalwart young fellows went marching out from the local board office in the City National Bank build- ing, in double file to the Illinois Central Railroad station to entrain for Camp Taylor, Ky., on the 5:40 A. M. train. The city band was out to send them away with music. Never before had the early morning breezes carried band music down the street at such on early hour, and never before did the musicians play with such verve. Proudly they headed the early morning procession as it swept rhythmically down the street fol- lowed by weeping friends, parents and sweet- hearts, breaking into the marching line here and there for a parting word to the boys. In this strange moving theater as it passed along, no figure towered more majestically or swept along with more gusto than that of W. O. Nall, who with fife ever to his lips, tirelessly piped away, unloosing on the cool, keen breezes of the early morning shrill, stirring, martial notes that awoke in every heart the spirit of war.
Once the station platform was reached, it was a surging sea of anxious and excited people. Had it been the funeral of these boys, some that bade them farewell could not have taken on more, nor shed more tears. It appeared that the entire city had been summoned on short and unexpected notice, for in all stages of dress they came. Only the children and little boys seemed to find anything in the scene but sadness, though to
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