USA > Indiana > Jefferson County > Jefferson County in the World War : an historical and sociological study of one Indiana county during the war period, 1917-1918 > Part 4
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Fourth Liberty Loan.
This drive opened in Jefferson County at Canaan, Shelby Township, on Sunday, September 29th, with Rev. W. W. Lo- gan, J. W. Cornett, E. E. Scott and Jesse Salyers as speakers, supplemented by the Elks band for music. It called for $646, 000 as the county quota-nearly twice that of the third loan. and this was subscribed in full after strenuous work by the campaign organization, of which J. W. Cornett was chairman, with the following assistants:
District chairman, R. A. Mckinley, Jeffersonville; vice chairman, H. S. Moffett; director of publicity, Walter Cap- linger; director of speakers, M. R. Sulzer; director of women, Mrs. John W. Tevis; director of sales, W. H. Miller; director of bankers, John W. Tevis.
Executive Committee: H. S. Moffett, Elmer E. Scott, W. H. Miller, Walter Caplinger and Mrs. John W. Tevis.
Township Chairmen-men's committee: Graham, Hiram Foster; Hanover, Chas. Schmidlap; Lancaster, S. E. O'Neel; Madison, Dr. Jas. W. Milligan, Frazier Hitz, W. H. Smith;
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Jefferson County in the World War.
Milton, Clifford Mckay; Monroe, James Miles; Republican Dr. S. A. Whitsitt; Saluda, Chas. E. Dean; Shelby, Jesse Sal- yers ; Smyrna, Mrs. Walter Ritchie.
Township Chairmen -- women's committee: Graham, Mrs. Hiram Foster; Hanover, Miss Carrie Craig; Lancaster, Mrs. Officer ; Madison, Mrs. E. G. Philips ; Milton, Miss Lula Salyers; Monroe, Mrs. Chas. E. Irwin; Republican, Mrs. Ora Fuelling ; Saluda, Mrs. W. D. Wells; Shelby, Mrs. Jesse Sal- ersy ; Smyrna, Mrs. Walter Ritchie.
Woman's Committee, city of Madison: Mrs. Oliver Roe, Miss Mary Glass, Mrs. Marcus Sulzer, Mrs. W. T. Hafley, Mrs. David Johnson, Mrs. J. J. Rapp, Mrs. Champ Kahn, Miss Jeanette Wilson and Mrs. H. W. Graham (for D. A. R.).
As in the third loan, the merchants of Madison liberally contributed advertising space in the papers, the donors be- ing: Dustin Ely, Lotz Bros., Wm. A. Beerck, R. L. Ireland. Sulzer Bros., Chas. Fischer, George Gertz, Peter Petrokos, M. Ernst & Co., Jos. Steinhardt, Lodge Hardware Co., C. H. Rousch & Co., Cofield-Barber Grocery Co., C. A. Stanton's Sons, Madison Insurance Co., Rogers Drug Store, George C. Vail & Sons, Inglis Drug Store, F. E. Zepf & Co., Henry Schananer. Lauer Bros., Fred Glass, John Mersdorff, Jacob Lucht, Levi Danner, Oscar C. Bear, The Herald Co., Patrick Lowry, F. W. Pfortner, F. W. Schneider, The Courier Co.
Victory Loan.
The fifth government loan, known as the "Victory Loan," the drive for which was pushed in April 1919, was made necessary by the aftermath of the war. Though the actual fighting was over the expenses were not, by any means, and large sums were still required. This time Jeffer- son County was called upon for $439,000, which amount was raised with little trouble through the various banks.
War Savings Stamps.
Another method employed by the United States to
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Raising Money for the War.
raise war funds was by the sale of "War Savings Stamps," . whereby the small investors could contribute to the financial support of the nation. These stamps, which were to be re- deemed at the end of five years with accrued interest at the rate of 4%, per annum, could be paid for if desired, in 25 cent instalments, and by this plan it was deemed subscrip- tions could be secured from large numbers who could not invest in liberty bonds.
The Jefferson County quota was $409,660, equalling $20 for every man, woman and child in the county. The cam- paign for the first issue was to run for a year, and the news- papers were asked to contribute space for publicity during that time. A "War Savings Committee" was appointed with Senator J. M. Cravens as chairman. Subsequently it was re-organized with Prof. W. Guy Pender, the county sup- erintendent of schools, as chairman. The various commit- tee chairmen were: Joseph M. Cravens, John W. Tevis, E. E. Scott, John B. Lawler, E. S. Roberts, Charles Dickerson and Homer Long, and their assistants were, Wilbur Cornett, Russel K. Wyatt, Thomas McGregor, Charles Dibler, Mrs. Florence Wooten and Miss Gertrude Gibson, besides many others in the different townships whose names the writer has been unable to learn. There was a vigorous sub-drive for a smaller quota of $51,000, and this ended June 5, over- subscribed, Saluda township, under the management of Clyde Hutsell, leading the others with $5,656.50. It was es- timated that the effort ran the subscriptions up to approx- imately $100,000, but this was still far short of the total quota. After a brief interval another drive was launched by a method more drastic, perhaps. than anything ever at- tempted in this country. What this method was can best be shown by the following letter received by Professor Pen- der. the county chairman.
"June 8, 1918.
"My dear Mr. Pender:
*The plan for the National W. S. Drive on June 28th
Jefferson County in the World War.
provides that a list of all tax payers and wage earners in each county must be prepared so that they can be officially notified to attend meetings that are forecast in the procla- mation of the President. Your county, other than incor- porated towns and cities, should be divided into school dis- tricts, and a list of all tax payers and wage-earners, with their addresses, immediately prepared. In the cities the names should be listed by wards or precincts. These names can be obtained from tax assessment sheets, poll books or perhaps through employers of labor. The preparation and assembling of these lists is made mandatory by a ruling of the Treasury Department.
"As explained at length at the conference in your dis- trict, every tax payer and wage earner is expected to pledge himself to buy as many stamps as he can pay for during the remaining months of the year 1918. All those invited by your representative who do not attend the meeting to be held the evening of the 28th of June, or if in attendance fail to buy stamps or sign the pledge to buy, and do not give a satisfactory reason for their failure to do so, which must be noted on a pledge card, must immediately be reported by you to me, and, under instructions, I shall forward such in- formation to the Federal Government.
"To state the bald truth the Government intends to sell, either by direct sale or by pledge, the full quota of stamps assigned to the State of Indiana during the course of the drive that will terminate on June 28 and, in addition, will use the National W. S. S. Drive to determine definitely those who are slackers. You may understand that this elaborate machinery for ascertaining who are 100% Ameri- cans and who are not, has not been constructed without a serious end in view.
"Will you, with the assistance of your committee, im- mediately make the necessary preparations to secure these lists so that the preliminary work may be speedily complet- ed and you will be able, without delay, to send post cards
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(which we furnish) notifying your tax payers and wage earners of the time and place and purpose of the meeting the evening of June 28th.
"Cordially yours, "(Signed) FRANK E. HERING, "Vice-Director."
Whatever disapproval there may have been of this co- ercive experiment the concentrated drive which was carried out June 28 resulted in an over-subscription, running the total up to about $425,000, as stated by Chairman Pender.
War Library Campaign.
In September, 1917, a drive was made for a "War Li- brary" fund, to provide reading matter for the soldiers. Jefferson County's quota was $400 and a committee consist- ing of W. O. Ford, Curtis Marshall, W. H. Miller and J. W. Cornett was appointed by the Madison Library Board to so- licit money for this purpose. On September 26 they report- ed having raised $148 from thirty-eight subscribers.
NOTE-In all these campaigns service of one kind or another was rendered by so many that it is not possible to secure a full list of those who deserve to be mentioned.
DRIVES FOR AUXILIARY AGENCIES.
A distinguishing development of the world war was the active cooperation of a number of civilian agencies, acting on their own initiative, that applied their energies to keep- ing up the morale of the soldiers by making easier the hard conditions of life in camp and in the field.
Of these agencies the ones publicly recognized were, the Red Cross, Young Men's Christian Association, Young Wo- men's Christian Association, Salvation Army, Knights of Columbus, Jewish Welfare League, War Camp Community Service and American Library Association.
While these over-lapped more or less in their functions,
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Jefferson County in the World War.
each aimed to occupy a distinct field. The services of the Red Cross on the battlefield and its work throughout the land contributed to by women everywhere, are familiar to all. The Y. M. C. A is well known for its "huts" established in every camp as a home-like social center for the men. The Knights of Columbus and the Jewish Welfare League main- tained the same kinds of centers primarily for the benefit of Catholics and Jews. The Library Association established attractive and comfortable reading rooms and libraries in the cantonments. The Salvation Army gained a warm place in the hearts of the soldiers by catering to their physical comforts at the front. The Y. W. C. A. also provided rooms and comforts. The Camp Community Service had for one of its aims the establishment of social relations between the soldiers in camp and the citizens of adjacent towns, thus relieving the irksomeness and the temptations that accom- pany camp life. This, it should be said, is but an approxi- mate description of their aims and activities.
The United War Drive.
The "United War Drive" was for funds to be divided among all of the agencies named with the exception of the Red Cross, which preferred to depend upon its own financial cam- paigns. It fixed a quota of something like $26,000 for Jeffer- son County and set its canvass for November 11, 1918, the plan being to "go over the top" in one day's drive, if possible, and to that end a county-wide organization was formed with Elmer E. Scott as county chairman. Mr. Scott's assistants, appoint- ed by him, were: Jos. R. Colgate, director of city canvass ; W. H. Miller, chairman special committee; W. Guy Pender, chair- man rural campaign; C. G. Dickerson, publicity director ; Robert Yunker, publicity department; Mrs. Walter Caplinger, director of women's organization; Graham Ross, director of transportation ; M. R. Sulzer, speakers' bureau; J. W. Cornett, treasurer ; Joe L. Schofield and John C. Finch, directors of face
Raising Money for the War.
tory canvass; Mrs. E. B. Sheldon, director of Victory Girls; Harry H. Stodgill, director of Victory Boys.
Mr. Colgate as city chairman appointed the following chairmen to serve in the respective wards: First ward: pre- ciet 1, Richard Johnson ; precinct 2, I. L. Stern and George T. Mayfield ; precinct 3, J. J. Kasper. Second ward: precinct 1, Mrs. Champ Kahn, Miss Kronenberger ; precinct 2, Miss Geor- gine Yunker; precinct 3, Miss Jeanette Wilson, Mrs. F. M. Harper. Third ward: precinct 1, Mrs. W. O. McLelland; pre- cinct 2, Earl Miller; precinct 3, George Austermuhl.
Prof. W. G. Pender named the following chairmen in the various townships: Graham, Hiram Foster; Hanover, Frank Craig ; Lancaster, F. O. Hoyt; Madison, Earl Storms and Geo. Sherlocke; Monroe, John Paugh; Milton, Frank Tevis and Al- bert Rogers ; Republican, O. P. Temperly ; Saluda, Dr. R. A. J. McKeand; Smyrna, Walter Ritchie and David Judkins; Shel- by, Jesse Salyers.
Preliminary meetings to stir the people up were held over the county, and Prof. Horace Ellis, State Superintendent of Public Instructions, visited Madison and gave an address at Trinity church, but Jefferson was one of the counties that failed to "go over the top" in one day's drive. The signing of the armistice and the prevailing feeling that "the war was over" and there was no further urgent need for funds, un- doubtedly made the task more difficult.
Another effort was put forth. Those having the work in hand reinforced by Rev. W. T. Seburn, Nicholas Harper, B. H. Doddridge, Earl Storm, Rev. W. W. Logan, William Ogden, James Green, H. H. Stodgill, W. H. Miller and Rev. S. R. McAlpin pushed the campaign desperately and reached the goal on November 27th.
Knights of Columbus Drives.
Before the attempt was made to raise a general fund by the plan of the United War Drive, three of the agencies in that combination, the Knights of Columbus, the Y. M. C. A., and
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Jefferson County in the World War.
the Y. W. C. A., conducted their separate campaigns in Jef- ferson County.
Madison Council 934, Knights of Columbus, made can- vasses in July of 1917 and in May of 1918. The first of these was conducted with but little publicity and $500 was raised by pulpit appeals in the four Catholic parishes of the county. The working committee on that occasion consisted of Joseph Steinhardt, J. J. Kasper, William H. Horuff and F. J. Schram. The second drive, during the week of May 6-14, aimed to se- cure $2000 and there was a fuller organization than before. The committee workers, as given by Mr. Joseph Steinhardt, Grand Knight of the order, were:
General Committee-Joseph Steinhardt, chairman; Wm. H. Horuff, J. J. Kasper, H. V. Keller, John L. Voll, Geo. A. Zepf, Wm. R. Zepf, Wm. A. Beerck, C. G. Hunger, H. G. Schneider, G. J. Hummell.
Campaign Committee-J. J. Kasper, chairman; Wm. H. Horuff, Wm. A. Beerck, F. J. Schram, H. G. Schneider, Jos. ยท Kennison.
Publicity Committee-J. B. Niesse, chairman; Leo B. Schroeder, Wm. R. Zepf.
Committee on Lists and Quotas-Charles N. Horuff, chairman; Wm. A. Beerck, H. V. Keller.
Preliminary Gifts Committee-Rev. M. L. Guthneck, chairman; J. J. Kasper, Wm. H. Horuff, Rev. Chas. Bilger, Rev. Chas. Gerdon.
Parish Team-St. Mary's and St. Anthony's Churches : Geo. A. Zepf, chairman; John L. Voll, Henry G. Schneider.
Parish Team-St. Michael's and St. Patrick's Churches : F. J. Schram, chairman; Geo. J. Hummel, Jos. Kennison.
"Madison Council 934 Knights of Columbus," says Mr. Steinhardt, "had taken liberty bonds and assisted in every drive that was made in the city of Madison and Jefferson County."
:
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Raising Money for the War.
Y. M. C. A. Drives.
The Young Men's Christian Association was one of the agencies that organized for war work soon after hostilities began. On May 18, 1917, a meeting was held at the Madison city hall, addressed by Thomas E. Davidson, a visiting organ- izer. The object was a "whirlwind campaign" to raise in the county $1,200 for Y. M. C. A. work. The personnel of the local organization resulting from this meeting was as fol- lows :
Press Committee-M. C. Garber, chairman; John Niesse, Curtis Marshall, Frank M. Harper, H. W. Graham.
Pulpit Committee-Rev. B. E. Antrobus, chairman; Father M. L. Guthneck, Rev. J. W. Turner, Rev. Broadwell, Dr. W. A. Millis, Rev. J. W. Moody, Rev. B. Arends.
Executive Committee-Robt. F. Stanton, chairman; J. W. Tevis, Elmer E. Scott, James E. Crozier, Robt. L. Ireland, Jos. M. Cravens, John McGregor, J. W. Cornett, Chas. N. Horuff, Charles Cravens, Dr. H. S. Hatch, John B. Lawler.
Dr. J. W. Milligan was permanent chairman of the or- ganization ; James Atwell, secretary and J. W. Cornett, treas- urer.
The campaign was launched by a "flying squadron" tour- ing the county in automobiles and giving addresses at the rural churches. The speakers, as published in the papers, were Messrs. M. C. Garber, W. O. Ford, H. H. Cope, Joseph M. Cravens, P. E. Bear, Homer Long, M. D. Wilson, E. E. Scott, Curtis Marshall, John McGregor, John Matthews, R. L. Ireland and Byron Mouser, and the churches from which contributions were secured, as reported by the treasurer, were:
Olive Branch, $5.85; Hopewell Baptist, $11.47; North Madison, Baptist, $1.95; Kent M. E., $21.85; Wirt Baptist, $17.20; Jefferson Presbyterian, $7.81; Canaan M. E., $3.19; Mt. Zion M. E., $35.60; Rykers Ridge Baptist, $34.25; Lib- erty (Republican Township), $6.61; North Madison Chris-
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Jefferson County in the World War.
tian (sum not reported) ; Monroe Presbyterian, $8.30; Care mel United Presbyterian, $10.50 ; Mt. Zion, Paynesville, $5.00; Pisgah M. E., $6.50; Dupont M. E. and Baptist (partial), $92.40; Hebron Baptist, $31.80; Brooksburg M. E., $8.00; Home M. E., 80 cents ; Morris Chapel, $6.00; Smyrna Presby- terian, $19.73; Kent Baptist, $10.65; Trinity M. E., Madison, $45.65; Grace M .E., Madison, $17.00; First Presbyterian, Madison, $92.35; Second Presbyterian, Madison, $50.00; Canaan Baptist (sum not reported) ; Hanover M. E., $6.00; Caledonia United Presbyterian (sum not reported). The total receipts of the drive were reported as $1,262.56.
During the week beginning November 11, 1917, the Y. M. C. A. pushed another campaign for funds, the quota for Jefferson County this time being $5,000. An initial meeting at Trinity Church, Madison, Sunday, November 11, was ad- dressed by Lieutenant William Cochran and L. W. Bellamy, and one held at the city hall the following evening for the purpose of launching the drive had for the chief speaker J. W. Lilly, of Indianapolis. Elmer E. Scott was made chairman, Joseph R. Colgate, secretary and J. W. Cornett treasurer of the county organization, and these with the addition of Curtis Marshall and W. H. Miller constituted the executive committee. The township chairmen were: Graham, Hon. Hiram Foster; Hanover, Dr. W. A. Millis; Lancaster, Rev. W. C. Marshall; Milton, H. S. Merrill; Monroe, John Paugh and John S. Murphy; Republican, Rev. Joseph Cooper and Dr. S. A. Whitsett; Saluda, Mrs. Cordie M. Eldridge; Shelby, Jesse Salyers ; Smyrna, V. K. Officer. Rykers Ridge was represented by R. H. Wood and North Madison by C. G. Boerner.
As before, meetings were held all over the county, with a large local working group in each township. The campaign lasted a month instead of a week, but it closed before mid- December over-subscribed by more than a thousand dollars, the total sum raised being $6,157.95.
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Y. W. C. A. Drive.
In the early part of December 1917, the Young Women's Christian Association launched a drive for funds, the quota for Jefferson County being $600. Comparatively little pub- licity was given it, and it took longer than the time set to ac- complish the end sought, but the campaign closed with $605.55
raised. It was a work of women for women. Those who participated were-Mrs. Elias Scott, county chairman; Mrs. Elmer Scott, vice-chairman, and Mrs. Homer Long, county secretary, with the following township chairmen: Graham, Miss Lucy Robertson; Hanover, Mrs. J. H. LaBach; Lancas- ter, Mrs. W. C. Marshall; Madison, Mrs. R. H. Wood; Milton, Mrs. Clifford Mckay; Monroe, Mrs. Geo. Mickel; Republican, Mrs. Ora Fuelling; Saluda, Mrs. Cordie Eldridge; Smyrna, Mrs. Walter Ritchie; Shelby, Mrs. Jesse Salyers.
The war work of the Y. W. C. A., is set forth in a publish- ed statement, which we quote:
"A few of the specific things for which the Y. W. C. A., will use its funds are hostess houses in military cantonments and for centers where girls are enlisted in special war indus- tries, many of these having no local association. A bureau of social morality is to be established, A feature of the Y. W. C. A. war work is to maintain a staff of the ablest women physicians to cooperate with a committee on social morality, to give instructions to mothers and girls in sex education, and to aid them in holding to safe moral standards in war time. Attention is also to be given to over-worked and under-fed women of France and other allied nations, and social centers and comforts will be established for the American nurses in the base hospitals of France."
Red Cross Drives.
Of the various auxiliary agencies that "helped win the war" by civilian service the Red Cross was far and away the most active and the most important one in Jefferson County, and it was the one most liberally contributed to by our people,
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both in money and free service.
Its beginning in Madison dates back to November, 1914, when the John Paul chapter of the D. A. R. took the initiative in assuming Red Cross work for the aid of European war suf- ferers, and through that organization considerable service was rendered. Soon after our entrance into the war the ques- tion of establishing a Red Cross chapter here came to the fore and a charter was secured from the national organization. The parties instrumental in getting the charter were, Mrs. George E. Trow, Miss Mary Hill, Wm. L. Hill, Rev. M. L. Guth- neck, Judge Griffith, Clifford McKay, Dr. Milligan, M. C. Gar- ber, John W. Tevis, M. R. Sulzer, Richard Johnson and Miss Caroline Blankinship, the first two circulating the necessary petition and the others being signers to it.
On June 16, 1917, the first campaign for members was launched by a meeting at the court house where Governor Goodrich was the main speaker. One of the Red Cross meth- ods of raising funds was by a membership renewed annually, with a fee of one dollar, and this first drive was for 7,000 mem- bers in this county. The publicity and the appeals were more persistent and varied than those of any of the other agencies. None other claimed as much space in the daily papers through- out the war period; churches and moving picture theatres were utilized as speaking places ; there were lawn fetes, enter- tainments and other "benefits," too numerous to specify. Meetings were held in the outlying townships and on August 9 the streets of Madison were enlivened by a Red Cross parade in which the familiar snow-white uniform with the scarlet symbol was varied bv the khaki of Company I, marching in military array. and by floats and decorated autos and fire trucks. The D. A. R., Kings Daughters, Current Events Club and Sunday-school pupils participated in this demonstration. as did delegations from branch organizations at Kent, Pleasant Ridge. Manville and North Madison.
The result of this drive was far short of the 7,000 aimed
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at, and in January of 1918, a second drive was launched with the more modest quota of 4,500 set as the goal. Among oth- er features of this campaign speaking committees visited all the factories and other establishments employing num- bers of workmen in the effort to make them "solid Red Cross," and the Junior Red Cross was organized in the schools, with a fee of twenty-five cents per juvenile member.
This particular drive waned to a finish after much stren- uous pushing about January 12, having attained a total men- bership of something like 5,000. In February another source of revenue was tapped by the conducting of a "tobacco drive" by a score or so of ladies captained by Miss Georgine Yunker. These solicited "sticks" of tobacco as donations from tobacco growers as the latter came to the warehouses with their pro- duction. This sub-campaign lasted for some time and result- ed in the raising of $1,945.99 from the sale of the tobacco thus given.
In May there was another drive and in September a big fair was held in the Farmers' Tobacco Warehouse, at Madison, in which the various townships participated, and where live- stock, vegetables, canned goods and other articles were auc- tioned off. The returns from this enterprise was the neat sum of $4,665.42.
FINANCIAL RESUME AND ANALYSIS.
In the matter of financial tax this community was, dur- ing the war period, subjected to a strain wholly unprecedent- ed. Jefferson is one of the poorer counties, the ratio of prop- erty values to local expenditures for government making a tax rate at or near the maximum limit; and it is not a com- munity of many wealthy individuals. Moreover it is a con- servative population, not easily persuaded to expend money for untried things; yet under the stress of the times and of vigorous campaigning this population of 20,000 parted with at least $54,000 in clear gifts and loaned to the government for war purposes more than $2,000,000. This money was distributed as follows :
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Second Liberty Loan, $355,000; Third Loan, $393,000; Fourth Loan, $646,000; Victory Loan, $439,000; War Saving Stamps, $425,000; War Library fund, $148; Knights of Col- umbus, $2,600; Y. M. C. A., $7,420; Y. W. C. A., $605; United War Drive, $26,599; Red Cross, $16,871.64.
This is but an approximate estimate of the money con- tributed by the community. The returns as reported in the newspapers make it this much, and there were numerous minor enterprises-suppers, dances, entertainments and what not, that were not part of any of the activities above classed. And the strain, both in the matter of money and of personal service, was a drastic test. Scarce was one solicita- tion over with than another followed and sometimes two or three drives were all appealing at once. In spite of the in- numerable speeches that were supposed to illuminate the various phases of the situation, it seems probable that very many never understood clearly just why there should be so many appeals. Why, for example, there should be so many auxiliary organizations in the field, some of them doing the same things. The note struck so frequently by all of them that they were for the purpose of increasing and keeping up the morale of the army in the field was rather abstract for popular appreciation. Whether the slogan, "give till it quits hurting" worked out, or whether the public became somewhat educated to the standards and the moral vision of the Red Cross and other auxiliaries, it would be hard to say, but as a matter of fact as the end of the war came in sight, though the moral obligations to our men remained just as binding, the difficulties of raising funds steadily increased. This dif- ficulty was true of the United War Drive, the Victory Loan and the later campaigns of the Red Cross.
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