USA > Pennsylvania > Lackawanna County > History of the activities of the people of Lackawanna County in the world war : under the supervision of the Pennsylvania Council of National Defense and Committee of Public Safety > Part 3
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It is rather difficult to make a statement as to the 1 exact time when the people of Lackawanna County began to wage war against the Central Powers. Like every other community, we got into the war gradually, each month with increasing rapidity. In June, 1916, an immense preparedness Parado, 12,000 in line, took place in Scranton. From that time until March, 1917, al- most every one was getting ready for war -- in his om mind and in his every-day discussions, at any rate. There was nothing
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stunning or surprising to the people of Lackawanna County in the Declaration of War. We were rendy.
Pennsylvania Committee of Public Safety.
Early in March, 1917, the Commitee of Public Safety of the State of Pennsylvania began to take shave; and on March 21st, Governor Martin G. Brumbaugh appointed ex-Lieutenant Govern- or Louis A. Watres of Scranton a member of the Crecu ive Committee of the Ponns ilvania Committee of Public Safety. On March 23rd Colonel batres accepted this appointment, which was to serve on a war board of eleven members, the Chairman of which was Mr. George Wharton Pepper . The people of Lackawanna County could well be proud that one of its most prominent citizens. a native of the County, was invited to take his place on a small council whose responsibility was to bring into action all the forces, industrial, commercial, mineral, agricultural, and most of all, moral, of the great State of Penns Iranis, that the Mation might win its war with expedition.
Lackawanna County Committee of Public Safety.
At the same time that Colonel Natres was called upon so take his lace among the war councillors of the State it became his duty to assume charge of the organization of his own county for the war. In perfecting this organization Colonel Vatres had, first, a thorough knowledge of local conditions and a complete understanding of the people upon whom he would call for service and off the capacity for certain services of each person unon whom he would call; secondly, he had very soon after war operations
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began, the on line of the departments that should be organ- ised, prepared by the Pennsylvania Committee of Public afety, of which he was a member ; and most of all, he had the miversal respect and admiration of the poo le of Lacka anna County, which made the wh le population willing to folloz his lead in all buolic matters. This outline of departments was's fficient with ich to begin operations, and it may be said that the organization followed it to the extent of about, fifty percent during the Whole war . Some departments turned out to be of ile use, Or
wore not enthusiastically conducted; £ while activities not con- sidered at the opening of the war came to be of great coment later. Besides Colonel atres, Mr. David Boies, Honorablo
J. Benjamin Dimnick, Mayor K. B. Jermyn, and Mr. 20 ard J. Lynett rere appointed members of Governor Brumbaugh's Pennsylvania Committee of Public Safety of two hundred. Governor Hatres advised daily and oftener with these gentlemen during the earlier days of the war, mapping out futuro activities, receiving and discussing personal offers of assistance, and arranging for ossible contingencies.
The Rising of the People.
If one wants to find out who were active during the war in Lackawanna County, he must look through the directories and the voting lists. The citizens all over the County were following their natural impulses, bred by months of looking forward to no sudden war, and were organizing themselves. The story of the Abingtons, first in point of time, is not only t pical of the abilit: of Americans to organize themselves; but it also shows that initia tive needs no orders. And, too, this stor shows trueness of spirit, in that the effort of the whole Abington or-
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ganization, all that it had accomplished, oll it: lans, were placed completely at the disposal and under the order of the County Committee, the only desire of its members being to ser-c patriotically in the way that they coull serve best.
Abington Committee of Public Safety.
Before the war had been declared Captain Albert J. Broig, president of the Clark's Summit -- Clark's Green -- South Abing on School Boards, called a mass meeting for the organization of a Committee of Public Safety at the Clark's Summit School house for April 6. 1917. Without authority, a comitico of public safety was appointed, which served through the war, for the fourteen municipalities of Benton Township, Greenfield Township, Scott Township, North Abington Township, La Plume, Dalton, Glonburn. Waverly, West Abington Tounchip, Clark's Summit, Clark's Green, south Abington Township, Newton Township, and Ransom Counship. This Committee consisted of one or more representatives from each of these municipalities; and the representative from each muni- cipality was responsible for the appointment of a local com ittee of public safety within his borough or township.
Nothing could have been more practically effective than the Executive Committee and the local comitteos within the Abing- tons, They conducted during two years patriotic metings in the hamlets, in school houses, in grange halls. They organized over this wide agricultural district drill squads of a dozen boys and men -- middle aged, some of them -- in some little towns, up to one hundred and twenty in Dalton and over two hundred in Clark's Summit. In looking back on those days not so long past we might
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think this drilling entirely unnecessary, and a little amusing, It should not be so. It brought nen together two or three or foor times a week, particularly every Sunday afternoon. It showed spirit. Never did men get together thai there was not a dis-
cussion of American affairs and of the place the community had in these American affairs, Besides the drilling there was wup ic speaking, and business, and, more than any thing else for this farming country, a discussion of questions relating to agriculture. The gentleman in charge of this drilling throughout all the Abingtons was Captain Albert J. Breig; and he was ably assist- ed by Captain Joseph S. Waite and Mr. John Culkin. Just as occurred everywhere else, the boys of the Abingtons wanted to volunteer to go to war in one unit. Application was made to the War Department to allow them to volunteer as part of a new regi- ment. Of course, the draft provisions made this impossible just as they made the lamented Theodore Roosevelt's plan for a division of fighting men impossible. But it is believed that this indul- gence in drilling, in which every young man was obliged by public opinion to take part, gove increased enthusiasm to the boys who later went into the army, and nade the number claiming exemption much fewer, and gave them at least some preparation for their future military duties. It is st. ed that the number of boys from this part of the County who became commissioned or non-commissioned officers was far out of proportion to the number in service. It all counted.
The Abington Committee of Public Safety was as follows: Eugene H. Fellows, Chairman; Captain Albert J. Breig, J, H. Widdow- field, Clark's Green; Dr. William L. Lynch, Edward D. Morse, Sec- retery, Frenk J. Stanton, George H. Nichols, Clark's Summit; Dr. Robert B. Mackey, Samuel Hall, Waverly; Dr. E. A. Fuller,
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. Dalton; Captain Joseph S. faite, James E. Edwards, Glenburn; E. L. Alexander, South Abington Township; G. A. Post, Bonton Township; Sanford Wedeman, Greenfield Township; Reese Harris,
La Plume ; Oscar Coon, Newton Township; Frank 3 ith, North Abing-
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Herbert Newton, Scott ton Township; Frank Coon, Ranson Township;
Township; Alvah Ross, West Abington Townehi This method of organization and its personnel was so satisfactory to the Lacka- wanna County Executive Committee that it was adopted without change; and the plan of having local com issions or representative citizens also, leaving to thom the organization of their municipalities under instructions from the Executive Committee, was so wise that it was adopted throughout Lackawanna County. The members of this Committee were later commissioned by the Governor of the State.
As the war began, many duties confronted the Executivo Committee of the Abingtons; so that for the first two months of operations, until the Lackawanna County Committee established a central war office, this Committee met nearly every evening and issued directions throughout the Abing ons that were followed with- out demur. In the course of tino drilling became less important and the first care that German sympathizers might not destroy any part of the Lackawanna Railroad became negligible. The Hain intorest of the Abington Committoo was for a time providing seods and labor for the farmers, and later still in the question of find- ing help for the harvests. At first the Abing on organization
was highly important in arousing enthusiasm, in showing how enthusi- asm could be aroused, in furnishing an example of organisation, and in placing its people on a confirmed war basis. After the County organizavion became perfected its duties vero rather those of a committee for a farming district. Nevertheless, its very frequent patriotic meetings all through the war wero so notable
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that they attracted hundreds of visitors from the City, who went "North of the mountaine" to see & real sod-fashioned A orican mass-mecting. On the Fourth of July, 1910, for example, there was a parade in the Borough of Clark's Summit so long that the streets of this town of 1300 people could not hold it, the par- ticipants, for the only time in the history of the Abingtons, coming from every one of the Zourtonn toms north of the mountains. Every duty imposed upon the Abington Committee of Public Safety was performed quickly and easily. All the County was just as strong, patriotic, and capable; but it was in the Abingtons that initiative was best displayod, and it was there that organized patriotism was first developed.
Members of the ockawana County Committee of Public Safety.
Chairman Hatres received during the first few weeks of the life of the Lackawanna Count- Committee of Public Safety hundreds of offers of assistance, and tons of advice, it may be seid; and so did Mr. Boies, Mr. Dimmick, Mayor Jormyn, and Mr. Lynett. The offers were of all kinds, some specific, more of them general. Under instrue ions from Governor Brumbaugh, Colonel Watres on April 9th appointed the following comnitice of public safety. This large committee, like the Committee in the Abingtons, and like the Committee of the state and for the several counties, had a two-fold duty and a double responsibility. In
the first place its members were members of the general Committee for the whole County; in the second place, since the mem- bers of this general Committee were selected from the wards of the City and from the boroughs and townships of the County, they wore expected to be largely responsible for the present and fu-
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ture conduet of war activities in their respective communities, and were at liberty to surround themselves with local comitices or organizations. The members: Archbald -- John J. Kearney, Albert Kinback, 2. A. Philbin, Benton Township -- G. A. Post ( Abington Committee) .
Blakely (Peckville) -- Frank P. Banjamin, F. L. Northup, W. W. Jones.
Carbondale -- L. A. Bassett, Sheriff P. F. Connor, Mayor James J. Loftus, 2. V. Powderly, Jr., D. E. Spencer, J. Norman Gelder, Villiam Hamilton.
Clark's Green and Clark's Summit - Albert J. Breig, . H. Kiddo :~ field, William G. Lynch, Edward D. Morse, Frank J. Stontoh,
George H. Nichols ( Abington Committee) .
Covington Township -- R. Cobley.
Dalton -- Dr. E. A. Fuller (Abington Committee).
Dickson City -. W. A. Mechan, John Aiken.
Dunmore -- P. A. Barrett, Edvard Cawley, J. T. Fear, A. F. Golden. E. P. Ferris, Dr. Charles F. hoban, Charles P. Savage, R. A. Zimmerman, Frank E. Swartz, M. J. Ruddy,
Elmhurst -- R. M. Prendergast, U. G. Schoonmaker.
Glonburn -- Joseph S. Waite, James L. Edwards ( Abington Committee), Groenfield Township -- Sanford Wedeman ( Abington Committee) . Jermyn -- John Cure, John B. Griffiths, A. G. Gebhardt, Thomas Hunter.
Lackawanna Township (Minooka) to John J. Coyne.
La Plume -- Reese Harris ( Abington Committee) .
Mayfield -. Thomas Hart.
Moosic -- Joseph P, Jennings, Joseph J. Jennings, James Hailstono.
Moscow -- Joseph E. Loveland.
Newton Township -- Oscar Coon ( Abington Committee) .
North Abington Township -- Frank Smith ( Abington Committee) .
Old Forge -- Frank Berger, Frank R. Coyne, T. J. Stewart, John Cook, John Corcoran.
Olyphant -- E. S. Jones, T. J. Rogan.
Ransom Township -- Frank Coon ( Abington Committee).
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ture conduct of war activities in their respective communities, and were at liberty to surround themselves with local comitices or organizations. The members:
Archbald -- John J. Kearney, Albert Kinback, 2. A. Philbin.
Benton Township -- G. A. Post ( Abington Committee) .
Blakely (Peckville) -- Frank P. Banjamin, F. L. Northup, W. W. Jones.
Carbondale -- L. A, Bassett, Sheriff P. T. Connor, Mayor Janos J. Loftus, T. V. Powderly, Jr., D. E. Bponeos, 5. Norman Gelder, William Hamilton.
Clark's Green and Clark's Summit -- Albert J. Broig, . H. Widdor- field, William L. Lynch, Edward D. forse, Frank J. Stontoh, George H. Nichols ( Abingvon Committee) . Covington Township -- B. Cobley. Dalton -- Dr. E. A. Pulles ( Abington Committee).
Dickson City -. W. A. Mechan, John Aiken.
Dun ore -- P. A. Barrett, Edward Cawley, J. T. Fear, A. F. Golden, E. P. Ferris, Dr. Charles F. hoban, Charles P. Savage, i. A. Zimmerman, Frank B. Swartz, M. J. Ruddy,
Elmhurst -- R. B. Prendergast, U. G. Schoonmaker. Glonburn -- Joseph S. Waite, Janes B. Edwards ( Abington Committee) . Greenfield Township -- Sanford Wedeman ( Abington Committee) . Jermin .- John Cure, John B. Griffiths, A. G. Gebhardt, Thomas Hunter.
Lackawanna Township (Minooka) -- John J. Coyne. La Plume -- Reese Herris ( Abington Committee). Mayfield -- Thomas Hart. Moosic Joseph 2. Jennings, Joseph J. Jennings, James Hallstone.
Moscow -- Joseph E. Loveland .
Newton Township -- Oscar Coon ( Abington Committee) .
North Abington Township -- Frank Smith ( Abington Committee) .
Old Forge -- Frank Berger, Frank R. Coyne, ". J. Stovart, John Cook, John Corcoran. Olyphant -- E. S. Jones, T. J. Rogan.
Ransom Township -- Frank Coon ( Abington Committee) .
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Scott Township -- Herbert Newton ( Abington Commiti.ce) .
Scranton -- John H. Brooks, Paul B. Bolin, John E. Bradley, L. M. Bunnell, John M. Beaumont, Robert J. Bauer, H. H. Brady, Michael Bosak, W. C. Bruning, Valentine Bliss, Thomas Bemnon, W. E. Boileau. John J. Costello, A. J. Casey, Duncan 2. Campbell, D. J. Campbell, George //. Clarke, Eugene A. Cusick, Alfred E. Connell, M. J. Costollo, E. C. Campbell, Walter H. Courson, Alexander 2. Connell.
Hugh A. Dawson, Frank Dickert, Griffith T. Davis, H. G. Dunham, John F. Durkan, John J. Durkin, F. K. Dorby, G. T. Davis, R. W. Day, Lona B. Day, D. J. Davis. Henry M. Edwards, Fred C. Ehrhardt.
Mortimer B. Fuller, Eugene H. Fellows, John J. Fahey, David Fowler, W. F. Forster.
Charles Gutheinz, C. H. Genter, Frank A. Goodall. Max Henkelman, Harry C. Hubler, Frank Hummler, Frank Hagen, P. F. Howley, F. L. Hitchcock, John W. Howarth, C. F. Henne, Peter W. Hass.
V. W. Inglis.
John R. James, R. G. Jermyn. Isadore Krotosky, Henry A. Knapp, John D. Keator, Albert J. Kolb.
James A. Linen, Jr., J. A. Lansing. Thomas Moore, W. S. Millar, Patrick McLane, S. J. McDonald, Thomas Murphy, B. B. Megargee, J. F. Mears, W. A. McConnell, E. L. Merriman, H. C. Manchester, John G. McConnell, James Moir, J. S. McAnulty, Willard Matthews, John M. NeCourt,
James F. Mitchell.
Martin J. Nealon, E. C. Newcomb.
C. P. O'Malley, James J. O' Neill, I. E. Oppenheim, Joseph O' Brien.
Cole B. Price, James M. Powell, Justin E. Parrish, Frank E. Platt, F. L. Peck, Benjamin S. Phillips, Charles J. Phillips, John E. Roche, John Reynolds, Otto Robinson, Ralph W. Rymer, E. K. Roden, P. J. Ruane, G. Fred Royce. Worthington Scranton, George B. Smith, N. M. Stack, F. W. Stillwell, Thomas H. Saville, Peter Stipp, Harry A. Smith, M. F. Sando, E. B. Sturges, A. H. Storrs, Samuel Samter, Jacob Smith, John E. Schouer, G. F. Sanderson, J. R. Schlag er ,, George E. Stevenson, G. Lynn Sumner. Benjamin H. Throop, J. H. Correy, John R. Thomas, Morgan Thomas, A. C. Twitchell. John Von Bergen, Frank M. Vandling Silas P. Walter, Victor Wenzel, C. S. Woolworth, Ralph E. Weeks, Albert L. Watson, William Wirth, John H. Williams George Wahl, C. S. Weston, A. B. Warman, Fred wormser, Albert Westfahl, Maurice Willows, Mrs. C. S. Weston. E. M. Zehnder.
South Abington Township -- E. L. Alexander ( Abington Comnit.ce) . Spring Brook Township -- A. B. Kilmer.
Taylor -- David F. Davis, James Powell, John P. Thomas, James E. Watkins.
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Throop - Joseph Birtley.
West Abington Tomship -- Alvah Ross ( Abington Committee) . Winton ( Jessup) -- Joseph P. McAndrew, B. J. McGurl.
Organization.
Colonel Louis A. Watros, occupying the positions of member of the State Executive Commitee and Chairman of the backa- wanna County Committee, was called upon to attend meetings in Philadelphia twice a month and at the same time keep his hand on the helm in Lackawanna County. So ably were his plans fulfilled that his County perfected its organiza in earlier than did any other county in the State. On May 9, 1917, this was done in Scranton so completely that Colonel Watres reported at the meeting in Philadelphia on May 10th, that Lackawanna County was at war in every sense of the word.
Over two hundred members, each one com issioned by Governor Brumbaugh, from all parts of Lackawanna County, mot in the rooms of the Scranton Board of Trade and organized under the rules laid down by the State Committee. The following was the personnel of the organization.
Executive Committee - Colonel Louis A. Watros, Chair- man, Frank Hummler, Treasurer, G. Fred Royce, Secretary, David Boies, William Corless, Honorable J. Benjamin Dimmick, Judge Henry M. Edwards, Honorable David Fowler, Mortimer B. Fuller, W. W. Inglis, Honorable E. B. Jermyn, Edvard J. Lynett, willard Matthews, Worthington Scranton, Dr. J. M. Wainwright, Charles S. Weston, George E. Stevenson, Mrs J. Benjamin Dimnick, and later Mayor Alexander T. Connell.
Departments -- Administration, Charles S. Veston,
Finance, John H. Brooks; Publicity, G. Lynn Sumner; Legislation,
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Honorable Hugh A. Dawson; Speakers, Major ". Frank fonman. Relief, Willard Matthews; Sanitation, Medecine.
Alfred E. Connell; Civic Relief, Maurice Willows.
Equipment and Supply, W. W. Inglis; Materials,
H. C. Manchester; Plants, E. M. Zehnder; Motors and Jiotor Trucks, Colonel Frank M, Vandling.
Service, Worthington Scranton; Civilian Service, Paul B. Belin; Military Service, John M. McCourt; Naval Service, E. K. Roden; Guards, Police, amd Inspection, Lona B. Day. Transportation, Nortimer B. Fuller; Railroads,
Charles J. Phillips; Electric Railways, R. W. Day.
Agriculture, George H. Stevenson. Gardening, Mrs. Charles S. Weston. Food, Charles A. Belin. Each member of the large general Committee was assigned to some one of the departments or divisions, and throughout the war these departments and divisions were supposed to perform the duties that from time to time became necessary. Some of them
had little or nothing to do; some had more than enough to do. At times, too, the work of one division was all-important and it was helped by the members of other departments; While a month of a week later it could rost, when the work of another dopar ment would assume essential importance. The establishment of a war office and its development later in the war also relieved indivi- duals of some of the departmental business.
The Central Officc.
Many people, including the writer, repeatedly suggested
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to the Executive Committee that there should be a central vor office, a clearing house for all business and all questions relating to the Committee of Public Safety and war mailers. Mr. G. Fred Royce, Secretary of the Com ittee, canlo to the con- clusion that he could not properly act as Secretary and conduct his own business, and asked that some one devote all his time to the details of war business. So, during the first six weeks of the war, offices were procured, an executive secretary went to work on a salary, the Agricultural Preparedness League went into the same offices, and later the Employment: Bureau and the County Farm Agency. These offices and these officials were at all times undor the direction of Colonel watres, whose hands, during all the time of the way, never left the reins. His guidance was most essential to success
The Executive Secretary.
As the war progressed something occurred that the State Executive Committee had not anticipated. It was nost necessary thas men should carry on their own business, so that there should be no falling behind in indus ry of commerce; and
that war business should be the extra, or additional interest. The details should be in the hands of poo le who could devote their whole time to them. The Executive Secretary, devoting all his attention to war business, was able to perform many of the duties originally throw upon the divisions and departments; acting generally under the advice or direction of the heads of the departments. His office, too, did most of the clerical work.
The first Executive Secretary was Mr. Melchior H. Horn,
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who occupied the position from May 12, 1917, to August 15, 1917, when he entered the active service of the United States. Mr. G. Fred Royce occupied the position ad interim until November 1, 1917, when Mr. Joseph M. Stevenson added the work of Executive Secretary to his other duties and performed them until August 5, 1918; when he entered the army as First Lieutenant of Engineers, The last Executive Secretary was the writer, who
occupied the osition until the end of the war; and, the Executive Committee considering it necessary for purposes of reconstruction, until August 1, 1919.
Soon after the writer became Executive Secretary he fortunatoly procured the services of an experienced and talented assistant, Miss Helen M. Mullen. Upon her advent into the central war offices, the Executive Secretary was able to assume at Colonel Watres' suggestion, the position, practically, of war administrator, Miss Mullon taking charge of all the secretarial functions of t e Committoe. Many of the gratifying compliments sent from Philadelphia through Colonel Watres to the Lackawanna County Committee of Public Safety for the mothods pursued in the transaction of routine business, were due to this arrangement, and to the painstaking attention given to office detail by this young lady; and to the fact that because of such competent and dependable assistance the titular Executive Secretary was at all times free to engage in the work of organization and administration.
Chapter III.
Food Supplies.
One of the first public war acts of the Committee of Public Safety was to register the men and women throughout the County in line with the instructions of the State Executive Committee. The Women's Committee managod this, under the chairmanship of Mrs. J. Benjamin Dimmick. Is was conducted in May, June, and July, 1917, and gave the community and County committees an insight into the qualifications of all individuals for both routine and emergency service. And all-important was the registration for food conservation and food production. One of the highly important enterprises of the County Committee of Public Safety was the responsibility of the County for food supplies. There wore more difficult phases of this question than of any other, even the labor question -- increased production with decreased ability to produce on the part of the farmers, the establishment by every one with space for them of war gardens, the providing of farm labor, the utilization of waste ground for community gardens, the production of novel food supplies within the household, and, almost the most essential war operation at home, conservation of food by everybody -- producers, distributors, consumers, the hotel, the grocer, the kitchen.
What the quarter of a million people of Lackawanna County did toward producing food and economizing in the use of food differs lit le from what was done by the rest of the hun- dred million. Under the leadership of the Committee of Public Safety, however, certain plans were undertaken, rather striking
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in their good sense and originali y, to alleviate certain con- ditions, that the objects desired might be attained with enough rapidity to be of immediate assistance to the Cause; £ without waiting for the food crisis to come to meet it.
Farming in Lackawanna County.
Before the war the average wealth and reserve capital of the farmers of Lackawanna County were low. It must be un- derstood that the farms of the County are rather poor, as a rule, of small acreage of tillable land, stony, and hard to work. Probably the most valuable crop is that of potatoes. In the spring of 1917 seod potatoes were so expensive that the farmer was in doubt as to che advisability of buying seed potatoes at the market price, or even of planting those he had saved which he could sell for domestic use at a high price; when by so doing he mist run the risk of working all summer over a crop which he might have to sell in the fall at so low a price that his gain would be slight. The Abington Com ittee of Public safety brough. this mattor strongly to the attention of Governor Watros.
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