Windsor Township

Other Banks The Second Loan

Geo. B. Herrick's splendid work as chairman of the First Liberty Loan campaign in Shelby County was recognized in his appointment as chairman of the Second Liberty Loan organization, when in the fall of 1917 the county was asked to purchase $1,050,- 525 worth of the government's big bond issue of $3,000,000,000. The first public meeting concerning the bond drive was held at the First National Bank on Thursday, Sept. 27, when Mr. K. W. Moore, a representative of the Federal Reserve Bank, conferred with and instructed local workers.

Wednesday, Oct. 24, was set aside as "National Liberty Day," and the drive proper continued from Oct. 1 to Oct. 27. Well before the opening of the campaign the forces in Shelbyville and Shelby County were well organized. The women, rallying to the call of the government, threw themselves into the work with a will, and the Boy Scouts actively participated in solicitation and bond sales. The Shelbyville Free Public Library and Reading Rooms also gave assistance. Every book that was put in circulation during the month contained a card bearing the potent message: "Proclaim Liberty Througout the Land, and Win the World War for Democracy by Doing Your Part."

Through the early days of the month good work was done, but during the last week an intensive campaign was waged. The supervisor of each township, with two assistants named by himself, arranged for a patriotic meeting in his township, at which there appeared speakers provided by the county organization and subscriptions to the bond issue were urged.

On Wednesday evening, Oct. 24, a big county meeting and demonstration was held at the First Methodist church in Shelbyville, with Judge A. J. Steidley as chairman and H. C. Roer, cashier of the Fort Dearborn Trust & Savings Bank of Chicago, as the principal speaker. The meeting was held under the auspices of the Shelbyville Commercial Club and the Shelby County Liberty Loan committee. There was a parade from the court house square to the church, with the Commercial Club, the Loan organization, the Boy Scouts and other male citizens in line. At the church the Liberty Loan Chorus, which did splendid service throughout the drive, sang, and little Miss Virginia Parrish, in costume, sang a patriotic selection.

At the conclusion of the campaign it was found that Shelby County had subscribed a total of $585,- 500, and while she did not reach her maximum allotment, $1,050,525, she did meet the requirements for her pro rata of the $3,000,000,000 minimum.

Of the county's total subscription, the women took $116,700 worth of bonds, and the Boy Scouts turned in subscriptions totaling $54,050. Shelbyville's portion of the total was $213,000, with Windsor second with $94,150. The other towns of the county reported the following totals for their communities:

Students of Sparks Business College in Shelbyville subscribed for two $50 Liberty Bonds of the second issue. They were placed in trust to be used by worthy students from time to time as collateral in obtaining funds for temporary needs while attending school, and formed the nucleus for a Student Aid fund.

The Third Loan

E. G. Munsell, president of the Commercial State Bank of Windsor, was chairman of the Third Liberty Loan organization in Shelby County, heading the small army of workers that enlisted to put the county over the top with its quota of $682,050 of the huge total, $3,000,000,000.

In a meeting at the Shelby County State Bank in Shelbyville, Monday, March 18, initial plans were laid for the drive that was to be started on Saturday, April 6 - the anniversary of America's declaration of war. Representatives of practically every community of Shelby County were present, and conferred with Bradford L. Eldridge of Chicago, district organizer of the War Loan organization and in charge of nine counties, of which Shelby was one. He declared the time had passed to "do our bit," and that now we must "do our most."

Public meetings and patriotic rallies were part of the plan for the campaign, and Mr. Munsell tendered the organization the use of the Windsor Liberty Loan Chorus, which subsequently did valiant service, as did the Liberty Chorus of Shelbyville.

U. G. Ward, chairman of the speakers' committee of the recently organized Neighborhoods Committee of the Council of National Defense, announced the names of speakers who would be available for speeches at the meetings planned for all parts of the county. The speakers were:

For soliciting purposes the county was subdivided into banking districts, and the work of the soliciting committees was confined to their respective districts, while at the close of the campaign report of subscriptions was made from such units.

The work progressed splendidly. Even before the opening of the drive officially on April 6, public meetings were held at various points and in one of these on the eve of the campaign, Windsor went "over the top" with her complete allotment, adding $15.000 at that time to $64,000 previously subscribed, and thus putting her $1.000 above the $78,000 asked of her.

One feature of the campaign was a visit of the "Jackies" Band from the Great Lakes Naval Training School, with a complement of Liberty Loan orators. The speakers were Judge Fenton W. Booth of Washington, Honorable Frederick Dale Woods of Michigan and Honorable Henry R. Rathbone. They alternated between meetings held in the Sparks Gym- nasium and the circuit court room, both rooms having to be utilized to accommodate the thousands of people who desired to hear them. The band played at both places. An outdoor meeting was prevented by rain.

An oversubscription was urged, as early in the campaign it was announced that the $3,000,000.000 originally asked in the Third loan would be insufficient to enable the government to meet its obligations. Pressure was brought to bear on citizens able but reluctant, and with great vividness the man who was capable of buying a $1,000 bond but invested only $50, was painted as an "undesirable citizen."

A special drive was inaugurated in the City of Shelbyville, where on Tuesday, April 16, a house to house canvass was made. The committees handling this intensive drive were:

Fourth Ward

These committees were subdivided by their chairmen, forming a number of teams to each ward, which quickly and effectively canvassed their respective sections of the city.

Shelbyville, Windsor and Big Spring townships, with quotas of $95,628, $31,134 and $17,659, respectively, were the first three townships to report the raising of their quotas. Others quickly followed, and when the end of the campaign was reached it was found that the county had subscribed a total of $748,200, or $66,150 more than its minimum quota of $682,050.

The Fourth Loan

E. G. Munsell was continued as chairman of the Fourth Liberty Loan campaign, which ran from Sept. 28 to Oct. 19, 1918, and in which Shelby County was asked for subscriptions to bonds totaling $1,304,- 160. Some little time prior to the opening of the campaign proper, conferences of workers were held and careful and comprehensive plans were laid for the successful consummation of the big drive. Quotas were assigned to the several townships of the county, based on 5 per cent of the net worth of the population of such units, but eventually reports were made through the banks of the county, as was the case in the Third loan.

A publicity campaign in advance of the drive was waged, and in a meeting of workers from all parts of the county, held at the county seat on Monday, Sept. 23, Saturday, Sept. 28, was designated as "Volunteer Day," with subscription booths open at convenient points in every community of the county. The purpose of "Volunteer Day" was to put the county "over the top" with its complete quota in one day. The city and township of Shelbyville raised their entire quotas, and other cities and townships of the county for the most part made an excellent showing. No subscriptions were received by the banks of the county on "Volunteer Day," but all bonds bought on that day were taken through the subscription booths that were established in every school district of the county and in the various wards of the several cities. The feasibility of the plan was clearly demonstrated, but nevertheless hard work was necessary in succeeding days of the campaign to raise the county's full total.

footing" policies and decided to use drastic measures, if necessary, in impressing the individual's responsibility upon him. To the end that there be an abundant corps of workers, each township chairman in the county, with one or two exceptions, was furnished with two assistants, mainly from Shelbyville, in putting through the method of procedure adopted by the organization. The chairmen of the several townships, with the assistants selected for them, were as follows, namely: