Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 256, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 13 November 1917 — PREPARING TO GO OVER THE TOP [ARTICLE]

PREPARING TO GO OVER THE TOP

REPRESENTATIVES FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTY PLEDGE ACTIVE SUPPORT. One hundred virile men. from all parts of Jasper county were present at the meeting for the opening of the campaign to raise in this-county our quota of $7,000 for the Young Men's Christian Association National War Fund Work. H. W. Marble, who had beenxselected to direct the work in the northern district of the county, was present with some thirty of the leading men of that part of the county. A like number were present from Remington under the leadership of Dennis O’Riley. Gedrge A. Williams of the central portion of the county had men present from all the townships with the exception of Milroy and Jordan.

The very manhood of the representatives present made it a great meeting. That Jasper county is on fire with patriotism there can be no doubt in the mind of anyone who was present at the Presbyterian church Monday night. Anxiety was written, upon the faces of everyone present. But there was manifested a determination that everything that can, will be dene to win this great war. Every volunteer and selected man who goes into this great conflict in defense of those, principles that have been and will ever be sacred to free, liberty-loving people can be assured that their smallest need will be the greatest concern of us all." The "ladies of the Presbyterian church served one of the best dinners ever spread before a public gathering in this city. The abundance of splendidly prepared food was served _ so freely and so nicely that all wer.e_ more than delighted. * —After the dinner was served, E. L. Hollingsworth, who is the county chairman of this movement, made a short address in which he expressed the belief that money placed in the hands of this great efficient organization will be of the greatest service possible to our soldiers in the camps and at the front. Mr. Hollingsworth was very optimistic about our disposition and ability to raise the $7,000 apportioned to Jasper — He then introduced Ray Bird, of South Bend, who made the address of the evening. Mr. Bird is the Director of Religious Work at Camp Shelby. He made a strong religious appeal to the men present. He had been, when a young man of bad habits, but was4:onverted through the work of the Y. M. C. A., and is now devoting his lifO to that great work. His great plea was that the Y. M. C. Association could reach and help the soldiers not by what it had to say but by what it island does. The clean life of usefulness lived before these“lnen““was"s"ufe to have a most wonderful influence upon the life and character of the men with whom there are associated. Mr. Bird had met Gol. Healey and was thankful for the co-operation and —assistance the Colonel had rendered the association. He praised the Colonel very highly and assured us that he was destined to render his county a most valiant service. He said that either the soldiers must have before them a good environment supplied by the Y. M. C. A. or they are liable to be attracted by associations that are detrimental to their physical as well as their spiritual welfare. He said that is as essential that our boys come back clean and straight, morally as well as physically. It was a strong phrase ana it went home to the hearts of the men present and will put into this campaign this week an enthusiasm that will carry us far over the top of the money to be raised for this great work. i , After the address of Mr. Bird the three district chairman and-tfwo other representatives from eacji district retired and formulated a plan for the drive. While this committee was deliberating, addresses were made by Drs. F, W Strecker. J. Budman»Fleming, of Rensselaer, and Rev. Emer-

ick* of Wheatfield. ■ ' . Dr. Strecker has in charge the work to be done bythe school buys of the county. The purpose to get sixty boys in the county who will raise SIO.OO each for this Y. M. C. A. war fund work. There will be no difficulty in getting the boys to~do this and more provided they get the encouragement and help they should "receive from their homes.. It is' a splendid thing to help raise ten dollars for so worthy a cause but it is a thousand times greater thing to interest a young man. in a movement that is sure to haye so great an effect upon his whole life in the direction of all that is for the best there is in life Parents, rally around the boys '•and assist "Dr. .Strecker and them in this all important endeavor. _L • Dr. Fleming endorsed heartily the boy movement and made a great plea for all .to belongs and the doctor named the • place. The doctor is on fire with patriotism and “his every utterance is a call to duty. . ”7. , „,. , Rev. Emerick, of Wheatfield, had visited a number of the Y. M. C. A; tents and gave first hand testimony of the great vfork the association is 'The committee' then made its report as follows: ’ - ' .That, district number one should

consist of Keener, Wheatfield town and township, Kankakee and Walker townships, and that their quota should be SI,OOO as a minimum. District 1 number two shouhiconsistof'Car--penter township and Remington and their quota should be SI,OOO as a minimum. The balance of the county was to.be district number three, and was subdivided as follows:: Hanging Grove township, R. L. Bussell chairman, minimum quota S2OO. __L Barkley township, Fred Markin chairman, minimum quota SSOO. Gillam township, Elmer Pullin chairman, minimum quota S2OO. Milroy township, chairman to be named later, minimum quota. SSO. Jordan township, chairman to be named later, minimum quota $2,00. Newton township, John Rush chairman, minimum.quota S3OO. Union township, George Hammerton chairman, minimum quota $350. “Rensselaer and Marion township, R. A. Williams chairman, minimum quota $3,300. ' . „ The report of the committee was adopted by a unanimous vote of the persons present representing the prospective distrcits. ,'■_;■■■ It was a most auspicious beginning. It means that Jasper county will make its drive “Over the Top of its $7,000 quota of the $35,000,000 to be raised by the nation end the $1,000,000 to be raised by the state of Indiana. < . - \