Pettis County, Missouri - Chapter 41: Pettis County in the World War, 1919

Committee

SEDALIA CHAPTER AMERICAN RED CROSS - ORGANIZATIONS - BRANCHES - DE¬ PARTMENTS - JUNIOR MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE - BEBGIAN RELIEF - RE¬ PORTS OF VARIOUS DEPARTMENTS - HOME SERVICE SECTION OF CIVILIAN RELIEF - RED CROSS DRIVES - UNITED WAR CAMPAIGN - PETTIS COUNTY'S RESPONSE TO THE LIBERTY LOANS - FOURTH OVER SUBSCRIBED MORE THAN THIRTY PER CENTUM - COUNCIL OF DEFENSE - NATIONAL WAR SAVINGS COMMITTEE.

Sedalia Chapter American Red Cross. - The Cross is an emblem of sacrifice, salvation and mercy. In this spirit the American Red Cross was instituted. The Sedalia Chapter is true to the creed of the organiza¬ tion and has made good with all of its departments through the World's War, just closed. It is not possible, in a work of this kind, to mention all who are connected with the Red Cross in Pettis County or to enumer¬ ate the noble sacrifices made or the good deeds done. To do that would take more space than the writer has been alloted for the entire History.

Four years ago, Sedalia Chapter, American Red Cross, was only an auxiliary to the national organization. On March 30, 1917, the follow¬ ing ladies met at the home of Mrs. Arthur Kahn for the purpose of dis¬ cussing the organization of the auxiliary into a chapter: Mesdames J. Ai Lamy, Charles C. Evans, Arthur Kahn, John Montgomery, Jr., Harley Cannon, Louie Younker, Samuel Murray, A. D. Stanley, Ethel Peacock, Garber, G. A. Gold, Henry W. Harris, Mrs. Sylvain Kahn and Misses Hattie Guild, Hattie Gold and Steele Bast, the latter now deceased. Mrs. Arthur Kahn was unanimously chosen president. While Sedalia was only an auxiliary, it raised $1,000 for relief of war-stricken people.

sponsors: Mrs. Arthur Kahn, Charles C. Evans, L. P. Andrews, Henry Lamm, Sylvain Kahn, John T. Heard, Dr. E. F. Yancey, W. D. Steele, Mrs. A. D. Stanley and Mrs. Dr. E. A. Wood. The following are the original officers of this chapter: Mrs. Arthur Kahn, chairman; Mrs. J. B. Mockbee, vice-chairman; Miss Hattie Guild, secretary; Mrs. Charles C. Evans, treasurer, and Miss Nell Ayres, assistant treasurer; executive committee, Sylvain Kahn, Dr. E. F. Yancey, L. P. Andrews and James T. Montgomery. Mrs. Mockbee, after some considerable service, became a non-resident of Sedalia, resigned, and Miss Nettie Lamm became vicechairman. Miss Hattie Gold resigned and Mrs. James C. Connor be¬ came secretary. The above were the original officers and as a testi¬ monial of their faithful service they are in December, 1918, still the chapter's officers. To much credit can not be given these officers for the services they have performed.

Sedalia Chapter is the parent of the Red Cross in Pettis County and controls and operates the county work. The following are the branches in the county together with the different chairmen: Dresden, Charles Jackson; Dunksburg, Mrs. Dr. R. Seaton Tyler; Smithton, Miss Cora Lamm ; LaMonte, Mrs. P. C. Watts ; Hughesville, Mrs. McAninch ; Houstonia, Mrs. M. W. Benning; Longwood, Mrs. E. A. Pottimger; Range Line, Miss Ida Jones, Mr. Dr. C. P. Cartwright and Mrs. T. L. Scott; Green Ridge, Mrs. W. L. Martin and Mrs. L. B. Ream. Following are auxiliaries and their chairmen: Beaman, Miss Lillian Thompson and Mrs. V. Igo; Georgetown, Mrs. B. E. Shepherd; Lake Tebo, Mrs. H. E. Elliott; Memo¬ rial Church, Mrs. B. E. Boles ; Quisenberry School, Mrs. J. I. Whitsel ; High Point school, Mrs. Clay Whitsel and Mrs. M. B. Petty; Spring Fork, Miss Katie McGee; Camp Branch, Mrs. E. E. Hunt; Pleasant Hill Church, Mrs. Ben Huffman.

Following are the departments of the Red Cross and department chairman: Military Relief, Mrs. William H. Powell; Production (Woman's Work) Mrs. C. C. Evans and Mrs. U. G. Stevens; Finance, L. P. Andrews; Entertainment, Mrs. William D. Steele; Publicity, Mrs. Frank S. Leach; Extension, Dr. Minerva Knott and Mrs. Harry Sneed; Membership, Mrs. W. B. Malone and George K. Mackey ; Junior Red Cross, Miss Nettie Lamm and Mrs. William Clagett; Nursing Survey, Mrs. Harry Meuschke; In¬ structor of First Aid, Dr. E. A. Wood ; Supervisor Surgical Dressing, Miss Hattie Gold; Conservation, Sylvain Kahn; Shipping, John Bellmar; Home Service, James T. Montgomery; Divisional Representative Bureau of Per-

The Junior Membership Committee organized forty-five of the schools in the city and county into the children's department and each school acted as a unit. Each pupil did such work as was possible for children to do and in addition paid a twenty-five cent membership fee. The Sedalia schools made eighty children's layettes for refugee children. W. H. Van Wagner is treasurer of this department and the following are members: John P. Gass, Miss Lydia Montgomery, Rev. Fr. McNamee, Miss Martha Letts, Miss Kate Slater, Miss Leta Burris, Miss Steele Bast, Miss Ethel McClung, Miss Pauline Kelk, Miss Belle Steele, Miss Minnie Schaeffer and Rev. Fr. Ault. Monthly pledges contributed by Sedalians amount to $1,200. This money is collected monthly by the committee under direction of Mrs. James C. Connor.

At the Live Stock Pavilion during State Fair week in 1917, Mrs. Ben L. Walker gave one of the most remarkable pageants ever seen in this part of Missouri. She gave her time to the training of the talent for this affair without cost. Mrs. Frederick D. Gardner, wife of Gov¬ ernor Gardner, participated in the entertainment. After paying all ex¬ penses the pageant netted the Red Cross $1,808. In 1917 the organiza¬ tion sent cash contribution to Divisional Headquarters A. R. C. at St. Louis for purchase of packages for soldiers and in 1918, 594 packages were given out. When the soldiers would leave, the Red Cross provided each with a package of toilet articles. The boys appreciated the service for Mrs. Arthur Kahn has a number of letters from them, expressing their gratitude.

Committee on Belgian Relief composed of Mrs. Harry White, J. A. Lamy and Sylvain Kahn greatly exceeded the quota assigned them in 1917 and in 1918. The same is true of the committee in charge of the collection of nut shells for carbon for gas masks. Julius Cohn had charge of this work. At the opening of the second Red Cross campaign fund 200 mothers marched in the largest parade ever seen in Sedalia. Col. Harry DeMuth was marshal of the day. The races at Fair Grounds July 4, 1918, and the dancing entertainment given by Mrs. Ben L. Salker netted the Red Cross $486.23. This affair was under the management and supervision of Frank Moni'oe, George W. Arnold, president of the

State Fair, and Dr. E. F. Yancey. Mrs. Frank Monroe gave a bridge whist party at the Elk's Club rooms in January, 1918, which netted Sedalia Chapter $300. She conducted an auction sale at the Court House square in March, selling goods which were donated for the Red Cross, which netted $1,631.56. There is a colored auxiliary to Sedalia Chapter located in Sedalia. Mrs. J. T. Ferrell is director and the auxiliary has met all calls for help and money promptly. The membership of the Sedalia Chapter has grown from sixteen in 1917 to 9,000 in 1918. From the annual reports of the various officers for the year just closed pub¬ lished in the Sedalia Democrat we are . able to glean the following in¬ formation :

Report of Chairman of Military Relief. The work of the chairman of military relief in Sedalia is one of organizing and co-ordinating the work of three very important and necessary branches of woman's war work - the Canteen, Motor Corps and First Aid Committee. The canteen was organised September 17, 1917, with thirty-three members, and under their energetic and untiring captain, Mrs. Connie Doyle, the members have been working so enthusiastically that none have ever been willing to be left out of a single call for service. The motor corps was organized Sep¬ tember 4, 1918, with fourteen members, to which five have since been added, and under the leadership of their captain, Mrs. Frank Keyser, have responded to the calls for service. The first aid committee was or¬ ganized September 25, 1918, with a membership of twenty, under the able guidance and leadership of Mrs. Roy Morris. The classes in first aid and home nursing, out of which the first aid committee was formed, were able to render invaluable aid in the influenza epidemic. Members of the committees meet the troop trains and the daily passenger trains with words of good cheer, some sort of refreshments, and magazines for our soldiers. The following sum has been contributed for canteen work by the county units, $109.65. Respectfully submitted, Mrs. W. H. Powell, Chairman Military Relief, November 29, 1918.

Educational Classes. Report of Red Cross educational classes, No¬ vember 20, 1918. Students under instruction, first aid, 218; students graduated, 120; students under instruction, elementary hygiene and home care of the sick, sixty ; students graduated, fifty-five. E. A. Wood, chair¬ man.

1, 1918, and ending November 20, 1918: The Pettis County Motor Corps was organized September 1 of the current year with nineteen members and since that time it has been on duty a total of 340 hours. It has attended to the emergency hospital calls, home service work, Red Cross messenger service, participated in the Liberty Loan and peace parades, and worked with the canteen committee. During the existence of the emergency hospital in the influenza epidemic the corps was on duty 147 hours. The officers are: Miss Elizabeth Deweese, first lieutenant, and Miss Lucy Hill, second lieutenant. Respectfully submitted, Mrs. W. F. Keyser.

Muslin Department, Mrs. 0. F. Hayes in charge. Total cost ma¬ terials, $3,106.62; number articles made, 84,785. Surgical pad depart¬ ment, Miss Harriet Gold in charge: Total cost of materials, $628.96; total cost of front line parcels, $1,552.74; total, $2,181.70; number surgi¬ cal pads, 22,541; pneumonia jackets, 421; influenza masks, 2,376; total, 40,536; total cost of surgical dressings, $7,134.38; total number articles made, 345,558. Knitting department, Mrs. John Walmsley, supervisor: Total cost of yarn, $4,367.59 ; total number articles made, 7,308. Patients' clothing, Mrs. George H. Trader, supervisor: Total cost of materials, $3,147.30 ; total number articles made, 5,147. Hospital supplies, Mrs. George K. Mackey, supervisor: Total cost of materials, $285.61; total number articles made, 7,200. Refugees' garment department, Mrs. Fred Jackson, supervisor: Total cost of materials, $714.59; total number ar¬ ticles made, 2,535. Total cost of all departments, $15,649.47 ; grand total of articles made, 267,749. Department branches and county auxiliaries, Mrs. L. A. Drury, supervisor: Money received from branches and auxili¬ aries for supplies during year October 16, 1917, to November 1, 1918, $5,837.26 ; money in bank to credit of auxiliaries, $1,360.03 ; Beaman, $544.63; Quisenberry, $197.05; Pleasant Hill, $48.50; High Point, $155.31; Lake Tebo, $251.84; Memorial Church, $124.13; Spring Fork, $7.50; total, $1,360.03; number articles made by branches and county auxiliaries, 141,766. Department city auxiliaries, Mrs. H. E. Carpenter, supervisor: Total amount of money received in monthly pledges from May 28, 1918, to November 18, 1918, $367.41 ; number articles made, 16,738. Depart¬ ment shipping, Mrs. B. E. Broaddus, supervisor: Number cases shipped to bureau of supplies, 216; number of cases reported received and in¬ spected by bureau of supplies, 214. Stock room, Mrs. U. G. Stevens, supervisor: Materials bought and checked into stock room from January

10, 1918, to October 31, 1918, $19,682.34; materials checked out of stock room to central work room, branches and auxiliaries from February 26 to October 31, 1918, $12,900.83. (Note - From January 10 to February 26, yardage only reported - cost charged to different departments.) Goods in stock room October 31, 1918, $2,573.07. Respectfully submitted, Mrs. Charles C. Evans, chairman Woman's Work Committee, Pettis County Chapter A. R. C.

Canteen Committee reports following service: (a) Troop trains served ice cream, sandwiches, coffee, cigarettes, postal cards, chewinggum, candy and apples; (b) seventeen sick and disabled soldiers were given first aid ; (c) troop trains met, forty-seven ; men served, 22,200 ; (d) The distributing department has assembled and given out 575 pack¬ ages to men departing for different cantonments the following articles: One bath towel, one face towel, one toilet soap, one talcum powder or tooth paste, total packages, 575 ; (e) the committee, through its individ¬ ual efforts, banked $2,146 ; (f ) the canteen department, co-operating with the Missouri, Kansas & Texas officials, provided a neat canteen hut at the Missouri, Kansas & Texas passenger station that our soldiers may be conveniently cared for. Mrs. Connie Doyle, chairman. The Red Cross disbursements in Pettis County were $22,797.27 from October, 1917, to October, 1918.

Home Service Section of Civilian Relief, Red Cross. - This branch of the Red Cross service was organized on the 17th day of January, 1917, at the office of James T. Montgomery. Mr. Montgomery was appointed county chairman, with authority to appoint his own committees. He named Miss Rose Waddell, executive secretary, and Mrs. J. S. Brenneman, Miss Jessie Blair and George K. Mackey and Harry R. Finke as the committee to take charge of the work. Headquarters is at the law office of Mr. Montgomery over the Sedalia National Bank, Third and Ohio avenues. This branch of the Red Cross service looks after the welfare and interests of the dependents of the soldiers of the Republic. It ad¬ ministers them relief wherever needed. This service also takes care of the correspondence of the families of the soldier and keeps the family in touch with him; it takes up necessary Governmental matters with the soldier and his dependents; looks after the matter of securing alotments due soldiers' dependents; attends to what legal work his family, his estate or affairs requires in his absence. If the allotment due de¬ pendents is slow in arriving, this branch advances it. In fact, any mat- ter which distresses the dependents of a soldier or any matter which affects either their or his welfare, receives prompt attention here. The people are not made to feel that they are being dealt with as objects of charity, but they are correctly made to feel that they are being given their rights, kindly and without cost and ungrudgingly.

In the first drive the people responded with $10,000 in subscriptions. On May 27, 1918, the second campaign was launched and continued until May 27th. The quota of the county was $23,800 and the amount pledged was $40,500. Mr. Andrews organized the city and a house to house canvas was made. J. S. Brenneman took charge of the solicitors in the rural districts. He used each school district as a unit and appointed captains who appointed their own teams in the district and made the canvass. The funds raised in these two campaigns went to the national organization, Red Cross, and was not used for local work. A campaign was made for the Y. M. C. A. work to be carried into the Army on this side and "over there.'' Mr. Andrews was the county chairman, with Mr. Brenneman again in charge of the rural districts. The committee was practically the same as that used for Red Cross drives. This campaign succeeded and the quota was reached, the county pledging $12,000 for the Y. M. C. A. work. L. P. Andrews, associated with Captain Kranz, of the Salvation Army, put on a campaign for that organization and succeeded in raising $3,200 for local work.

tional War Work Council of the Young Men's Christian Association, War Work Council of the National Board of the Young Women's Christian Association, National Catholic War Council (Knights of Columbus), Jew¬ ish Welfare Board, War Camp Community Service, American Library Association and the Salvation Army. Pettis County, in this campaign, was placed in the twelfth -district. W. D. Steele was appointed district chair¬ man and given the following counties comprising the district: Johnson County, quota $29,500 ; Pettis County, quota $40,500 ; Benton County, quota $10,000 ; Morgan County, quota $7,000 ; Hickory County, quota $3,000; Camden County, quota $4,500; total $95,000.

Pettis County has responded, ungrudgingly and with promptness, to every single call made upon her by the Nation in the present World's War. Pettis County men have gone to do their part; Pettis County women have gone to do their part, and Pettis County men, women and children who are here have and are doing their work nobly and are giv¬ ing their money freely and gladly that the cause might succeed. The county has done its part in the four Liberty Loan campaigns already made, being one of the counties in the Eighth Federal Reserve Bank Dis¬ trict. In the first Liberty Loan the Federal Reserve officials named Dr. W. J. Ferguson as county chairman and a little later associated with him Dr. E. F. Yancey and Charles C. Evans, of the Sedalia Trust Com¬ pany. In this campaign the county's aggregate purchase was $245,000. In the second loan, W. H. Powell, of the Citizen's National Bank, was named as county chairman and Charles C. Evans associated with him. In this loan $885,000 was subscribed. In the third loan, the Federal Re¬ serve Bank officials named Charles C. Evans as county chairman and $1,012,000 was subscribed. In the fourth loan Charles C. Evans was again named county chairman and the people of the county responded, subscribing for $1,500,000. Committees were appointed by the county chairman, which served during the four loans as follows: Executive com¬ mittee, Dr. E. F. Yancey, W. H. Powell, L. P. Andrews, H. W. Harris and Mrs. J. A. Lamy; officers general committee, county chairman, Charles C. Evans ; county vice-chairman, George K. Mackey ; director of publicity, William B. Malone; director of speakers, Carl Hoffman; director of women, Mrs. J. A. Lamy; director of sales, J. S. Brenneman; director of bankers, W. H. Powell ; director of cities and towns, H. R. Finke ; director of town¬ ships, J. D. Donohue; director of supplies, Arthur L. Crandall.

The Fourth Liberty Loan was oversubscribed in the county by better than thirty per cent. The table below gives the quota and subscription of each township:

Woman's Committee, Council of National Defense and Food Conser¬ vation. Executive committee, Mrs. S. E. Cotton, honorary chairman; Mrs. E. A. Wood, chairman; Mrs. John T. Heard, vice-chairman; Mrs. M. V. Carroll, secretary; Mrs. W. S. Cotton, treasurer; Mrs. George Bichsel, chairman production ; Mrs. Joseph Waddell, chairman home economics ; Mrs. W. D. Steele, chairman patriotic music; Mrs. Harry Sneed, chair¬ man patriotic speakers; Mrs. C. C. Lawson, chairman registration; Mrs. Sylvan Kahn, chairman publicity ; Miss Rose Waddell, chairman child wel¬ fare; Miss Irene Blair, chairman patriotic education.

National War Savings Committee, Baby Bonds and Thrift Stamps. - In the fall of 1917 Mr. McAdoo, secretary of the treasury, through the Regional bank director at St. Louis, appointed James T. Montgomery as county chairman and George W. Arnold and L. P. Andrews vice-chairmen for the county. The gentlemen perfected an organization in the rural districts by appointing the school directors of their respective districts to take charge of the sales in their district. They organized the city by laying it off in blocks and appointing committees to solicit sale of the bonds and stamps and made a house to house canvas. This committee, from the office of its chairman, wrote an individual letter to each school child in the city and county explaining the work they were engaged in and its necessity. Such a letter was also written to each school teacher and one to each taxpayer in the city and county. In this publicity work something like 7,500 letters were written. The county's quota was placed at $700,000. The drive began for the baby bonds and Thrift Stamps on October 23, 1917, and closed December 1, 1918. The quota was exceeded. The people responded and bought $750,000. These bonds and stamps have been sold in the streets, in business houses in the county, from churches, school houses, and, in fact, every place where people met and talked with one another. County Chairman Montgomery appointed in this work a committee, termed "The Federal Committee," which rendered valuable service in raising the county quota. Federal committee: W. B. Malone, L. P. Andrews, Sylvan Kahn, W. H. Powell, H. R. Finke, W. M. Barnett, C. H. Bothwell, C. C. Evans, H. W. Harris, E. T. Barrens, H. M. Bryan, Shields Smith, H. H. Holtzen, A. M. Embry, Ira Melton, W. M. Johns, John McLaughlin, W. J. Riley, J. W. Stewart, J. Waldman, Dr. E. A. Woods, Rex Wright, Charles D. Guy, E. E. Johnson, C. M. Long, A1 Baumgartner, J. T. Downs, Vic Leftler, W. E. Bard, F. W. Redfield, Hugh Courtney, H. Terry, William Cloney, Carl Hoffman, Dan Kennedy, Lee Montgomery, Jack Truitt.