%.A^ <> v-^;' Vc,^ 0^ •M'^^: ^> «'^ -o^%^-/ *^/^-\/ "°^'-3?-/ %'^^-' ^4 v.- -5 '^4 ^ ^ ■ - .0"= o * • O - ^D .y i<& o /% O- "^ %, ''o> .** J\ ' <^ ^-/7.T^ SPIRIT OF THE FLAG In the hope of the wonderful blossoming time, That the coming of Freedom should bring to the earth, Was the flag of our fathers unfurled in the days When the storm of the world gave our nation its birth. As the starry flag waves see new meanings unfold! All the azure and rose of a beautiful morn In our standard is lifted to bloom like a flower That at last from the centuries' waiting is born. 'Tis America's flag that's the hope of the race; 'Tis America's freemen are calling it out In a cry that will ring like a bugle at dawn, And at length from all nations bring answering shout. Let our flag, then, wave on with its spirit of truth, And the watchword entwined in its every fold Be the glorious words, "Elevate, elevate all!" For the promise of Heaven these pregnant words hold. O America's manhood, awake to your rights! Learn to read what the flag and its spirit must be. Clear your eyes of the mists that are blinding them now. And wash clean in the ether the flag of the free! — Elizabeth Stewart Ross. RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE WORLD WAR 1917-1918 COMPILED UNDER THE DIRECTION AND CENSORSHIP OF THE RIPLEY COUNTY HISTORICAL SOCIETY EDITED BY MINNIE ELIZABETH WYCOFF COUNTY WAR HISTORIAN Batesville, Indiana 1920 ^t°. \^ ^ ?ER PRINTING 6r PUBLISHING CO. INDIAN APOLIS DEDICATION To the Ripley county soldiers and sailors, living and dead, who wore the khaki or the blue, and thus offered their lives, one and all, on the altar of their country's service in its hour of need, this record of their county's and their own activities during the World War, is gladly, reverently dedicated. June 1, 1920. COPYRIGHT I920 MINNIE ELIZABETH WYCOFF BATESVILLE. INDIANA ALL RIGHTS RESERVED m -2 «2> g)CI.4608517 Wood row V/iison Gen.John J, Pershing H' ^k^ INDEX PART I Honv We Kept the Home Fires Burning Page General Narrative 13 Red Cross Report 25 Council of Defense 42 Liberty Loans 49 Woman's Committee, Third Loan 59 War Savings Movement 60 Food Administration 66 Food Conservation 72 W. W. C. of Batesville and Laughery Township 74 Armenian and Syrian Relief 76 Knights of Columbus 77 Y. M. C. A 82 Y. W. C. A 84 Library War Service 85 Fuel Administration 87 Liberty Guards 91 Liberty Girls 97 War Mothers 100 U. S. B. W. Reserve 105 Soldiers' Employment Bureau 112 War Labor Board 113 Four-Minute Men 115 Fourteen-Minute Women 116 Educational Propaganda 116 Child Welfare Work 117 Ripley County Draft Board 119 PART II fVitli tlw Boys "Over Here" and "Over There" Page First Division 128 Second Division 130 Third and Fourth Divisions 132 Thirtieth Division 133 Thirty-Third Division 137 Rainbow Division 137 Ordnance Repair Service 140 Total Casualties of the A. E F 141 Air Service 142 Hospital Service 145 Headquarters Service .' 146 Military Police 148 Supply Service 148 Musicians 149 Miscellaneous 150 As Told in Many Letters and Narratives 159 (a) William Robinson's Story 178 (b) Our War-Prisoner's Story 180 (c) An Engineer's Story 198 (d) Diary of Everett Hart 201 (e) From Our Y. M. C. A. Man 219 Our War Nurses 223 A Final Round of Army Shrapnel 229 (a) An English Family's Record 245 (b) A History of Service, 53rd Infantry 247 Our Medal Honor Roll 253 Citations 262 Gold Star Honor Roll 265 The Almost Gold Star Honor Roll 300 Tribute to Ripley County's Dead 305 Honor Roll of Service Men 311 Wa-- Poems 376 Addendum 387 PHOTOGRAPHS Part I Page Red Cross Officers 26 Council of Defense 43 Float in Batesville Parade ; 4g J. A. Hillenbrand, Liberty Loan Chairman 50 Liberty Loan Chairman No. 1 53 Liberty Loan Chairman No. 2 57 Canfi eld's Drum Corps 59 Naval Band, Great Lakes, 111 63 Eureka Band, Batesville Parade 68 Airplane Landing 69 War Exhibit Train 71 Edward Laughlin's Airplane 73 War Exhibit 75 Liberty Guards, Co. "B." 90 Liberty Guard Officers, Co. "B." 95 War Mother Officers 99 War Exhibit Train 118 Fair-Grounds Hall 127 Part n First Division Men 131 Second Division, F. A. and Seventh Division Men 135 Rainbow and Sixth and Seventh Division Men 139 Miscellaneous Group 143 Thirtieth Division Men 147 Ninety-First Division and Machine Gun Battalion Men 151 Medical Officers, No. 1 156 Medical and Dental Officers No. 2 160 Army and Navy Commissioned Officers 163 Ordnance, Q. M. C. and Headquarters Men 167 Thirty-Seventh Division Men * 171 Marines and Musicians 175 In a Dugout in France 178 Our War Prisoner 180 Thirtieth to Thirty-Ninth Division Men 181 Miscellaneous Service Men 185 M. P., Eighty-First to Eighty-Fourth Division Men 189 Engineers 195 Coast Artillery 205 Air Men, Engineers, Remount Men 213 Militarv Officers 217 Our Y.' M. C. A. Secretary 219 Army Nurses 226-228 Navy Men 230 Hospital Service Men 236 Special Service Men 238 Two Methods of Travel 249 Medal Honor Roll 253-260 Citations Men 261-3-4 Gold Star Men 265-304 Mrs. Neil McCallum 305 Batesville War Memorial 311 War Exhibit Views 374 S. A. T. C.'s and Miscellaneous Service Men 375 PREFACE It is with due recognition of the importance of an accurate and complete record of Ripley county's war activities in the recent great conflict, both at home and with the boys in camp, on battle-field or in the navy, that this little volume has been care- fully compiled. No effort has been spared to make it reliable as an authentic record of our two and more years' participation in the World War. Thanks are due to the county chairmen of the various war organizations for their reports. Also to the War Mothers for their help in collecting the soldiers' and sailors' service records for the state and county honor rolls. Thanks are due to each of our five county papers for their help in carrying notices, articles and so forth in connection with the collection and publishing of our history. Mr. Harry Monroe of Batesville deserves special credit for furnishing practically all of the war pictures for the book aside from individual photographs. If an historian had been put to work at the be- ginning of our part in the war, we should doubtless have kept a few things that are lost to us. But it is believed that the essentials remain and will prove to be entirely trustworthy as a record of Ripley coun- ty's World War service at home and abroad. Minnie Elizabeth Wycoff, County War Historian. FOREWORD Ripley 'county lies in the southeastern part of Indiana. It is sepa- rated from Ohio by Dearborn county, a width of about fourteen miles, and from the Kentucky boundary by Ohio, Switzerland and Jefferson counties, a distance of twelve to fifteen or twenty miles. It is bounded on the west by Jennings county and north by Decatur and Franklin counties. It is irregular in shape, being about twenty-seven miles by nineteen miles in extent north and south, east and west, respectively. Its area is two hundred eighty-eight thousand acres, and averages from nine hundred to eleven hundred feet in elevation. It is drained princi- pally by Laughery Creek with its tributaries, which crosses the central part of the county, and flows east between Dearborn and Ohio counties to the Ohio river. Otter Creek, Old Kentuck and Little Graham creeks drain the western and southern parts of the county. The first permanent settlements were made in 1814-15. The early settlers were nearly all pioneers from Kentucky, Ohio and Pennsylvania. There are no very large towns. Batesville, in the northern part of the county, with a population of less than three thousand, is the largest town. It has city government, and is situated on the Big Four railway not far from half the distance between Indianapolis and Cincinnati. Milan and Osgood, on the B. & O. R. R., near the center of the county, are the next two towns in size and importance. Holton, on the B. & O., Versailles, the county seat, five miles south of Osgood, Sun- man, on the Big Four, near Batesville, Napoleon, Friendship, Cross Plains and New Marion, are the other principal small towns, ranging from three hundred to nine hundred in population. Farming is the chief industry. Much attention is given to dairying and poultry raising. Saw-milling and flour-milling are important occu- pations. Furniture, coffins, coffin-metals and mirror glass are manufactured at Batesville. There is also a garment factory and a baby-shoe factory. Milan has a veneer mill. The population of the county is about twenty-one thousand. There are only a few very wealthy people in the county, and not a large num- ber of extremely poor. The greater number of Ripley county citizens are prosperous, progressive, and patriotic. They are proud of their Civil War record. Two Grand Army Posts still survive at Batesville and at Versailles. In every parade held during the World War the 14 RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE WORLD WAR G. A. R. veterans were made a feature, it at all possible. Four Ameri- can Legion Posts have been organized to June 1, 1920, at Versailles, Osgood, Milan and Batesville. Commissioned high schools are held at Batesville, Milan, Versailles, Osgood and Holton. Certified high schools at Napoleon, Sunman and Delaware. In education, industry', intelligence and thorough Americanism, Ripley county ranks with any other county having its parallel of natural advantages. It has sent teachers, editors, authors, artists, statesmen and soldiers forth to serve their country and mankind. Its soldiers have shed their blood in every war of our common history since the organization of the state and its admission into the Union in 1816. Now, at the close of the World War and the opening of the new year of 1920, a record of its activities during the war seems fitting and eminently proper as a special memorial to those who offered their lives that the peace and prosperity of their homeland should be secured. PARTI HOW WE KEPT THE HOME FIRES BURNING On March 26, 1917, a number of citizens met in the courthouse at Versailles to discuss plans for co-operating with the State and Federal Governments in a general movement for preparedness. Dr. Tony E. Hunter was made chairman of the meeting and Frank Thompson sec- retarv. Addresses were made by Judge F. M. Thompson, Senator R. H. Jackson, Prof. Hale Bradt, Dr. R. T. Olmsted and Prof. P. V. Voris in favor of organizing all the resources of the community to pre- pare for the defense of the lives, property and rights of our citizens. The chairman appointed a Committee of Public Safety with author- ity to appoint such other sub-committees as might be necessary. A second meeting was appointed for Friday evening, March 29th, for the purpose of organizing a company for military drill. The general government everywhere was organizing to protect bridges, railways and public buildings. A detachment of the Third Ohio National Guard Regiment was sent to guard the bridges of the B. and O. Railway near Delaware and Hol- ton in Ripley county. Guns had been mounted along the Ohio River ports. The soldiers pitched their tents at the High Bridge near Osgood, and near Nebraska Station at the bridge west of Holton, and proceeded to do picket duty day and night. The first armed ship to sail from an American port was sunk on April 1st, near Brest, France, by a German U-boat, without warning, and with the loss of about twenty men ; this, occurring the day before Congress met, changed the attitude of some of the peace-at-any-price representatives. On April 7, the day following the President's declaration of a state of war between this country and Germany, in accordance with a call of Governor Goodrich and the Indiana Committee on Food Pro- duction, meetings were held at the courthouses in every county seat of Indiana. About two hundred citizens attended the meeting at Ver- sailles at 1 :30 p. m. Professor Anderson, of Purdue University, ad- dressed the audience, explaining some of the ways in which food produc- tion could be increased without increasing the acreage, namely, by test- ing and treating seed before planting. County Superintendent Chas. R. Hertenstein explained the reason for the hurriedly called meeting, that of economic preparedness made necessary by our entrance into a great war, the duration of which no one could foretell. He quoted the Governor in saying: "Next in im- portance to the men who go to the front, to defend the honor of the (15) 16 RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE WORLD WAR nation, is the conservation and the production of the food supply, and the men who perform this task are no less patriots than the men in the ranks." State Senator R. H. Jackson read a letter from the Governor ex- plaining the shortage of potatoes and wheat already existing in America, the poor outlook of the 1917 wheat crop of the world, and the great shortage of cattle and hogs of the United States. Statistics showed that we had fifteen million more people than ten years before and ten mil- lion less cattle. A set of resolutions outlining the situation and plan- ning for a patriotic organization was presented by a committee appointed to draft them. These resolutions declared the loyalty of the citizens of the county, their recognition of the menace in the German attitude, their condem- nation of the ruthless submarine warfare as declared and carried out by Germany, their recognition of the gravity of the food situation of the world, and the duty of all citizens to take immediate steps to prepare for any and all possible emergencies. They were unanimously approved and adopted. The organization was planned to include the entire county and named accordingly, "The Ripley County Patriotic Food Association." The following officers were elected: President, John A. Hillenbrand, of Batesville; vice-president, Edgar Smith, of Milan; secretary, E. J. Bryant, of Benham. It was agreed to complete the organization by townships as rapidly as possible. The resolutions on food production as presented by the chairman of the committee were as follows: "Resolved: Whereas, The United States is facing the greatest short- age in food supplies that this country has ever known, and has entered what promises to be the most strenuous conflict our country has ever been engaged in; and, "Whereas, Our nation looks to Indiana for its full quota of men to prosecute this great war, and for more than her share of food to main- tain our army and navy, and civilian population, and realizing that the man who grows food is no less a patriot than the man who shoulders a gun, that the citizens of Ripley county adopt the following measures in order to stimulate food production and to conserve our resources to the fullest extent. In order to accomplish this end we feel the necessity of organizing our county with committees to further all branches of pro- duction and to aid in the conservation of food products." Indiana was the first state in the Union to take steps to handle the food situation, though papers throughout the nation were carrying arti- cles on the seriousness of the problem. Governor Goodrich conceived the plan and appointed a State Committee on Thursday, April 5, which, in forty-eight hours, had the counties organized. The following committees had been arranged at Ripley county's meeting: Corn Production, Potato Production, Home Garden and Vegetable Crops, Food and Live-Stock Production, Dairy Production, Home Projects for Boj's and Girls — namely: Corn, Pig, Poultry, Garden and Dairy Clubs. Food Conservation Committees, RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE WORLD JVAR 17 and sub-committees on each subject were planned and immediately or- ganized during the following week in the eleven townships of Ripley county. The county papers came out the week after April 6 with cuts of the Stars and Stripes and the pledge of allegiance on their front pages. The state superintendent asked that the schools be opened with this pledge and the singing of the "Star-Spangled Banner," which was gen- erally observed for a time. Patriotic meetings were held all over the county; that at Batesville, on April 23, being one of the largest. A parade, in which the various lodges and the school children took part, formed the main feature of this meeting. Three bands played for the march, and about thirty-five hundred people were in line, carrying flags. Homes and public buildings were decorated all over the city with flags and bunting. Flag poles were raised at many school houses throughout the county and at the courtyard at Versailles. The bells on all public buildings rang at nine o'clock p. m. on Mon- day, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings of the week of June 11 to 17, to mark the progress of the First Liberty Loan. They were tolled at five minute intervals each, four times on Monday, three times on Tuesday, twice on Wednesday, and once on Thursday, reporting in this way the number of days left in which to buy bonds. As the tolling bells echoed from town to town on the quiet evening air, it came home to all, young and old, rich and poor, high and low, that we were all a fundamental part of the mighty world struggle, whose battle-fields lay along the borders of France and Belgium. That upon us, as civilians, the future of the world depended as truly as upon the men in uniform who should go forth to those bloody fields. Mrs. A. H. Beer, of the Ripley County Council of Defense, Mrs. Lyttleton Reynolds and Mrs. C. S. Royce, all of Versailles, were sent as a committee to Greensburg, on Tuesday, July 10, to hear the plans of Mrs. Mary Boyd, of Indianapolis, who was the head of the Woman's Department of the Indiana Council of Defense for Knitting Socks for Indiana Soldiers. The state had asked Ripley county to furnish ninety- five pairs of socks before September 1, 1917. Indiana was the only state having such a commission at that time. Other states planned to watch Indiana, and, if the plan succeeded, to adopt it also. Each soldier was to be furnished with four pairs of hand-knit socks. Mrs. Beer called a meeting at Versailles, on July 21, to instruct the women of the county in the work, and to hand out the material. This was apportioned by townships and the work was completed in a short time, one hundred five pairs being furnished. The Council of Defense gave out the required knitting needles and instructions with the yarn. The socks were found to be entirely satisfactory but the method of distribution became such a difl^icult problem that the further work of equipping the soldiers with woolen garments was left to the Govern- ment and to the Red Cross. The Ripley County Council of Defense, however, locally, at the request of the Red Cross women of the county, in September, 1917, agreed to furnish a sweater to each Ripley county soldier. 18 RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE WORLD WAR On the same date as the "sock meeting" at Versailles, July 21, which was also National Draft Day, a district meeting of Red Cross workers had been held at North Vernon, Jennings county, Indiana. This meet- ing was instructed by Mrs. Belmont-Tiffany, of New York City. Mrs. TifiFany had organized the New York Red Cross workshops in 1914, and efficiently supervised them up to the entrance of the United States into the World W^ar. Indiana's call for an organizer was met by Mrs. Tiffany's coming in person to supervise the establishing of Red Cross workshops in every part of the state. The membership organization was practically completed in every township during May and June. Mrs. Minnie E. Wycoff, of Batesville, was appointed county su- pervisor of Red Cross work by the executive board of the Ripley County Chapter and went to North Vernon on July 21 as chapter represen- tative. Several other Red Cross members from Osgood and Holton were at the meeting. Mrs. Tiffany showed the hospital garments to be made; explained the requirements and gave details of organization. In the afternoon she gave a most inspiring address, relating the history of the Red Cross, and showing the terrible, immediate need of the armies on the battle-fields. During the months of August and September the Ripley county Red Cross shops were organized and opened in every community except those of Washington and Delaware townships, which failed to organize till the spring of 1918. The Delaware Junior Red Cross was organ- ized in the winter of 1917, however, under the leadership of Miss Hazel Edwards. The Council of Defense, accordingly, asked Mrs. Wycoff, as super- visor of the Red Cross work, to take the management of the sweater- knitting for the home boys also. The work was given out to the Red Cross branches during November and December, 1917, the aim being to send the sweaters as Christmas gifts. One hundred and seventy-six pounds of khaki yarn was bought at an average of three dollars per pound. From this j^arn one hundred ninety-three sweaters were knit and given to the Ripley county soldiers. J. F. Lochard, president of the Council of Defense, accompanied by Mrs. Lochard, and George Sparling, of Osgood, took the largest consignment in person. This went to Camp Taylor, Louisville, Ky. All the first selective men in the county were sent to Camp Taylor for training. The other sweaters were mailed by parcels post to various camps, nine going overseas to boys in the First and Forty-second divisions, which had already sailed for France in July and November, respectively. About two hundred fourteen names were on our service list at Christmas, 1917, but it was impossible to secure the addresses of all the volunteers and regulars, though the Council of Defense asked, through the county papers, for the names and addresses of all enlisted men. A further Christmas treat was supplied to all soldiers from the county who could be reached, by boxes of fruit, jellies and home-made "eats" of many kinds. The county RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE fVORLD WAR 19 tried to leave nothing undone to make our first "War Christmas" as cheerful as possible to the boys in camp. By request of the War Recreation Committee, the five Ripley county newspapers were sent weekly to the training camps. The editors kept mailing lists of local service men and mailed the papers individually to them throughout the period of the war. Families and friends also for- warded papers and subscribed for absent soldiers and sailors that the boys might know, not only the home news, but the reports as to how the "people back home" were supporting them through the Liberty Loan, Red Cross and other agencies. This first Christmas brought its gloom to the county, also. In the early spring, shortly after America's entrance into the war, two of our boys had died in camp : Charlie Sandifer, of Benham, at Norfolk, Va., and Adlai Wilson, of Milan, at Columbus, Ohio. In December oc- curred the first death in battle of a man from our county, when James Alva Francis, of Osgood, went down with the destroyer Jacob Jones, torpedoed oiif the coast of England, December 6, 1917. This casualty was confirmed at Christmas time, and two boys were sent home on Christmas day from Camp Taylor, for burial : Eugene Deburger, of Versailles, and William Lindauer, of St. Magdalene, both having died of pneumonia. Several others were seriously ill at Camp Taylor, and the unprecedentedly severe winter made the rigors of camp life unex- pectedly serious. The draft board had worked incessantly during the summer and fall sending all the men the camps could accommodate during September and October. Various drives for funds, Y. M. C. A., Library, Y. W. C. A., Red Cross, and so on, went forward without cessation. The Lib- erty Guards organization was begun at Batesville in November, with A. B. Wycoff as county organizer. Food laws were being passed by the national organization and put into effect by the local executives in every county. Men were errlisting in the army and navy or marines every week. The service flag with its one, or two, or three blue stars began to shine from windows everywhere. At the beginning of 1918, as already noted, Ripley county had five gold stars on the service flags of as many saddened homes. A War Relief Association was organized at Versailles in November, 1917. The plan was to pledge at least one thousand members who should pay fifty cents each month toward a war fund so as to save the time and energy required in conducting so many separate campaigns. The work was divided by townships but the solicitors failed to secure the necessary number of signatures, and the movement came to nothing. The idea, however, was not relinquished, and the County Council of Defense later requested an appropriation from the county funds. The organization for handling this appropriation was called the United War Work Campaign Committee, of which T. H. Thompson, of Milan, was chairman, and Robert Borders, of the same place, was treasurer. In this campaign Ripley county contributed $22,841.52 towards the $170,500,000 fund, which was divided nationally as follows: 20 RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE WORLD WAR Y. M. C. A $100,000,000 Y. W. C. A 15,000,000 National Catholic War Work (K. of C.) 30,000,000 Jewish Welfare Work 3,500,000 War Camp Community Service 15,000,000 American Library Association 3,500,000 Salvation Army 3,500,000 The money turned over to this committee by Mrs. Laura Beer, treasurer of the Ripley County Council of Defense, was $20,000, re- ceived as follows: Versailles $ 533.36 Johnson Tp $1,548.68 Washington Tp 890.92 Brown Tp 1,661.92 Shelby Tp 1,803.86 Franklin Tp 1,332.85 Milan 586.28 Otter Creek Tp 1,884.61 Jackson Tp 968.51 Adams Tp 2,312.50 Sunman 493.09 Laughery Tp 843.32 BatesviUe 2,037.34 Delaware Tp 1,049.85 Center Tp 1,016.68 Osgood 1,036.83 Donations received and accepted : C. V. Smith, Chairman Versailles and Johnson Tp $ 253.40 H. L. Akers, Chairman Brown Tp 327.78 J. F. Holzer, Chairman Shelby Tp 139.40 Geo. Laws, Chairman Franklin Tp 495.26 W. R. Castner, Chairman Otter Creek Tp 118.69 Clinton Shook, Chairman Jackson Tp 233.30 L. A. Burns and Geo. C. Bos, Chairmen Adams Tp 513.10 M. F. Bohland, Chairman Laughery Tp. and BatesviUe 401.50 V. A. Wager, Chairman Osgood and Center Tp 273.50 Victory Girls of Ripley Co 17.10 Interest on deposit *. 68.22 Total receipts $22,841.25 The funds paid by townships were apportioned according to tax- ation. Payments were made by the treasurer, Robert Borders, to the state treasurer, Stoughton A. Fletcher, as follows: December 28, 1918 $10,000.00 January 20, 1919 12,000.00 March 11, 1919 768.22 April 15, 1919 70.00 Cash Credit of U. W. W. C, October 18, 1919 3.03 The U. S. Public Reserve was organized with the following town- ship chairmen : Center township, George Sparling; Brown township, Frank Sieker- RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE IVORLD WAR 21 man ; Adams township, E. R. Behlmer ; Delaware township, Fred Smith; Franklin township, Thomas H. Thompson; Jackson township, Jacob A. Meyer ; Johnson towriship, Walter Smith ; Laughery town- ship, John Nickol; Otter Creek township, D. C. Yater; Washington township, Ora Peters; Shelby township, John Holzer. The object of this movement was to secure a list of men available for war industries in Ripley county so they could be indexed and classi- fied to be held in reserve for vacancies in the industrial institutions where most needed, and best fitted to perform the work required. Ship- building was the main industry requiring men at that time, and a num- ber of Ripley county men were sent into the work. A few went into airplane service at Dayton, Ohio, and the Automobile Wheel Works, at St. Mary's, Ohio. The Lutheran churches of the county made a special collection among their members to help raise the national fund of $750,000 re- quired for their plan to look after the welfare of their members serv- ing in the army and navy. Meanwhile various disturbing reports came out in the newspapers every week. A large herd of hogs in a nearby county were poisoned by being fed ground glass. The hoof-and-mouth disease broke out among cattle. Foodstuffs seemed to be tampered with occasionally, with a view to poisoning, no one being able to discover the persons responsible for these alleged acts as they were usually not proven. County meetings were held from time to time. September 26, 1917, the Council of Defense called a meeting at the courthouse in Versailles, at 2 p. m. This was one of a group of meetings addressed by John Chewning of Rockport ; Homer Elliot, of Spencer ; John F. Riley, of Hammond, and John W. Spencer, of Evansville. It was for the purpose of planning and inspiring more thorough organization for all lines of war work. The appointment of the county Four-Minute Men was announced at this meeting as were several important committees on organization. Speeches were made by the ministers of the county who were in attend- ance. Each told how he was inspiring and upholding patriotism in his own congregation by service flags, news from the front, and so forth. In October, 1917, the Council of Defense sent out a call to all land- owners to sell or give away waste timber for fuel as the scarcity of coal threatened to cause much distress. Many people bought wood to help out the short coal supply for their stoves and furnaces. A number of farmers were glad to give away tops of trees from their timber lots for the work of cleaning the ground, so that many people, unable to pay the high cost of wood and coal, were able to secure fuel in this way. The Christmas mail for 1917 had no restrictions other than the reg- ular postal regulations, except that parcels for overseas men had to be mailed by November 15 to insure delivery by Christmas. The zeal of families and friends in sending numerous and large packages of gifts caused such a congestion in the New York postoffice, through which all foreign mail had to pass, that the last packages were not cleared out 22 RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE WORLD WAR until the following June. This condition led to the opening and inves- tigating of five thousand packages by the postoffice department. It was learned through this investigation that a large part of the gifts were unnecessary or undesirable, so that a regulation was passed early in 1918 restricting the mailing of any package to an overseas man without a request for the articles by the man himself. This request had to be O. K'd. by the soldier's superior officer. Postmasters were instructed to receive no packages without this written request. For the Christmas of 1918, arrangements were made for the Red Cross to handle the pack- ages for overseas. Committees were appointed in each branch to care for this work. Regulation boxes, three by three by nine inches, were sent out. The weight was limited to thirty-two ounces. Every box had to be inspected, wrapped and sealed by the Red Cross. As in 1917, they were to be mailed before November 15. Only one box could be sent to each soldier. To insure this result, the soldiers were issued coupons which they mailed to their mothers, sisters, sweethearts, or whomever they wished. So many soldiers could not be reached in time with these coupons, or failed to send them after receiving them, that the Red Cross was later instructed to issue coupons to relatives and friends upon their affidavits that but one box would be sent to each soldier. The time was extended to November 30, and the last packages were mailed on that date. Practically every boy and girl overseas was sent a Christmas box, some being sent more than one, after all, since the coupon plan made it possible for a box to be sent from more than one Red Cross branch, when friends and families did not find it convenient to confer on the subject. With the sailing of transports in the early spring, the draft activity was resumed, twenty-four men leaving for camp on March 29, 1918, thirty-one on April 26, fiftj^-three on May 27, forty-nine in June, and so on until the signing of the armistice stopped the call for men. In February, 1918, a mass meeting of all war organizations of the county was held at Versailles, special attention being given to Red Cross and food conservation work. This meeting is reported in detail in the Food Administration report. A county meeting of women war workers was held at Osgood on March 21, 1918, the main purpose being to prepare for the women's part in the third Liberty Loan. On April 6, 1918, the third loan was started with patriotic meetings everywhere to celebrate America's entry into the World War and win the loan in the shortest possible time. A parade with historic floats was made the feature leading up to the speeches in the larger towns. On April 18, 1918, the county was shocked by the sudden death at Camp Shelby, Hattiesburg, Miss., of Med. First Lieut. Tony E. Hun- ter, of Versailles, who had succumbed to influenza-pneumonia, later recognized as a forerunner of the terrible plague to spread over the world during the year, reaching America in the early autumn of 1918. Practically his entire regiment, the 149th Infantry, was in quarantine and several deaths resulted. Thornton Roberts, of Elrod, who had died of the same disease at Camp Gordon, Georgia, was buried at Green RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE WORLD WAR 23 Chapel at the same hour as Lieutenant Hunter at Versailles. Later, about the middle of May, Edward Huelson, of New Marion, succumbed to the same malady at Camp Sevier, North Carolina, and was sent home to Shelby township for burial. On May 12 a memorial was held at the Union Chapel, in Sunman, in honor of our first soldier killed on the battle-fields of France, Cor- poral Kenneth Diver, who was reported, "Killed in action, April 28, somewhere in France." A few weeks later a second overseas telegram reported Harry W. Smith, of Pierceville, killed in battle on May 29. A little later on a third message told of the death in battle of Gilbert Sutherland of Napoleon. Every week more and more families received the little printed card, "Arrived safely overseas," and signed with their soldier's name. The newspapers began to publish long casualty lists as the spring offensive developed into the summer's fighting. Names, forever to be uppermost in many minds, began to be heard : Chateau-Thierry, St. Mihiel, the Hindenburg Line, Verdun, Meuse-Argonne, Sedan. Yet from July until late in September no new Ripley county names ap- peared among the killed. Then they began to come in until fifteen names had beeen reported "killed in battle" and the final overseas num- ber rolled on until in February, 1918, it rounded to twenty-two. The terrible influenza epidemic, beginning in September, 1918, and continu- ing throughout the winter, brought our full total of casualties up to forty-two. Memorial day, 1918, was peculiarly appropriate as a day of mem- ories: "Lest we forget," being the burden of the sentiment voiced. The Red Cross began presenting memorial brassards of black cloth with heavy gold cord stars to the parents of soldiers and sailors who were making the "supreme sacrifice." As every one knows, until July, the tide of war had rolled on stead- ily toward Paris. The world read anxiously from day to day for the magic word of a turn in the German advance but it was not until the Fifth and Sixth Marines of the dauntless Second Division helped to turn the tide at Chateau-Thierry that their onward march was checked. From July until the armistice was signed, on November 11, 1918, our own Ripley county boys helped to carry the flag victoriously for- ward from point to point, finally to march triumphantly across the Rhine. July 4, 1918, was used by the nation as a special rally day. Every community had its speakers and programs. Community singing was urged and the nation sang, not only the old patriotic songs, but the new songs to which the boys overseas were marching to battle. The Presi- dent's message was read at all these meetings, the "Star-Spangled Ban- ner" and "America" were sung as opening and closing odes and the flag saluted by orders of the local Councils of Defense. In April, 1918, blanks were sent out for registering the women of America for war service. Committees were arranged in each locality in Ripley county and several hundred women were registered for dif- 24 RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE WORLD WAR ferent kinds of work, nursing, Red Cross, emergency, and so on. These cards were sent in to county and state headquarters and iiled for future use. Several months were required to complete the filing of the cards and the coming of the epidemic followed so quickly by the close of the war, prevented much practical result from this registration. The effort proved, however, the loyalty of our women who came forward to ofifer either full or part time, as it was possible for each to do, in whatever service she was able to perform. Among the many educative features of the war were the exhibit trains sent out along the railways to show captured guns, equipment and war relics of all kinds. A most interesting collection was shown at Batesville, in April, 1919. The moving picture theaters showed war films and war-story films throughout the entire period of the war. Some of the most interesting and educative films sent out by the War Propaganda Department of the Government, that came to Ripley county, were Ambassador Ger- ard's "My Four Years in Germany," "The Kaiser, the Beast of Ber- lin," and the "Sinking of the Lusitania." German helmets, coins, small arms, and so on, were sent by indi- vidual soldiers as souvenirs and many of them were put on public display. The agricultural work of the county was influenced by various or- ganizations. The food clubs, pig and poultry clubs, and so on, were of more or less effect in different communities. War gardens were culti- vated in connection with many schools and in most of the towns waste ground was reclaimed for cultivation. More intensive methods were studied and adopted. E. L. Shoemaker was county agent until the spring of 1919, when he was succeeded by Calvin M. Griffith. A dem- onstration of farm machinery was held at Batesville, in April, 1919, as a culmination of interest developed during the war, principally. Many boys of the Boys' Working Reserve worked on farms during vacation and even for short periods were dismissed for emergency work during school terms. Smileage books were planned in the spring of 1918, named from their resemblance to railway mileage books. Each contained a number of tickets to chautauqua and other entertainments to be given at the various cantonments and were sold to relatives and friends at home, who mailed them as gifts to the boys in camp. This work in Batesville was ably managed by Mrs. Bertha Behlmer, who sold seventy-five one-dollar books, the largest number reported from any one town. These pro- grams were part of the work carried on carefully by the government to give the boys wholesome entertainment as a counteraction to the evils of camp life as illustrated in the history of armies in all ages. Exhaus- tive Government reports, as well as those of individual workers, prove that the American army is the cleanest and healthiest of any in the world or the history of the world. The last county war-work meeting in Ripley county was held at Versailles on September 28, 1918, in connection with the town's annual RtPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE JfORLD fVAR 25 Fall Festival and A. H. Beer's Pumpkin Show. An aeroplane, No. 39329, from the Dayton, Ohio, flying fields, visited the county during the day, coming to Batesville at 9 a. m., where it alighted for a short visit. After distributing Fourth Liberty Loan literature in liberal show- ers over the city it proceeded to Osgood, stopping there over the noon hour. In the afternoon it circled over Versailles during the parade, dropping its pamphlets like snowflakes. This parade was led by the Batesville Liberty Guards in their new regulation uniforms and equip- ment, followed by the Batesville Liberty Girls and Batesville Boy Scouts. The fourth large feature of this memorable parade was tjie Ripley County Red Cross marching by branches and auxiliaries, all in their striking uniforms of white with red crosses on the simple white head-dresses, each unit distinguished by its own banner, while individ- ual members carried small United States flags. Captain Guest, of the English army, gave the principal address of the day. The following week the "flu ban" edict was announced by the health authorities at Indianapolis, and all public gatherings were at an end. On November 8 the first unverified report of the signing of the armistice spread from coast to coast. Bells rang, whistles blew, and the wildest joy reigned for a few hours until it was learned that the celebration was premature. With the actual signing on November 11, however, the joy bells broke forth again and rang for hours from the Atlantic to the Pacific. Factory whistles blew. Parades were formed. Every conceivable noise-making device contributed to the uproar. For one day the nation went mad. Riots in cities and camps occurred. In Ripley county the enthusiasm reached the highest point since the begin- ning of the war. Yet among the laughing, shouting people were those who cried or went about quietly with white faces, for not all our boys were to come home. Twenty-two lay buried in France, some of them in that very "Flanders Field where poppies blow, between the crosses, row on row." Others lie in the family burying grounds of the county, and there is no community that has not its gold-star hero. Every town- ship gave its quota of lives to the cause of human liberty. By townships they are as follows: Brown 7, Adams 3, Otter Creek 1, Washington 4, Franklin 6, Jackson 2, Shelby 7, Laughery 3, Dela- ware 1, Center 3, Johnson 5. Following the armistice the winter of 1918 saw the war relief work going forward. The boys began returning to their homes in Decem- ber, but demobilization could not be accomplished in a short time. The Army of Occupation had to remain along the Rhine until peace was finally signed by Germany on June 28, 1919. The Victory Loan was made in April, 1919, with the ringing of happy bells and the grateful knowledge that this loan was to help bring our boys home. Red Cross activities were turned from hospital work to refugee relief. Memorial day, 1919, was used as a special day for remembering the World War dead. Fitting services were held throughout the county, 26 RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE WORLD fVAR the returned soldiers everywhere being invited to wear their uniforms and take part in this first national Memorial day for their fallen com- rades. The Council of Defense, town boards, and individuals began to plan memorials. In Ripley county, the first memorial tablet was placed in position at the city hall in Batesville, on May 29, 1919. It con- sists of a metal scroll carrying the names of Batesville and Laughery township's honor roll. This is framed in a heavy black wood case, colonial style, glass-covered in front, the supporting posts topped by two gilded eagles with hovering wings. The memorial contains one hundred seventy-one names. On Armistice Day, 1919, a welcome home was given by the city fire- men of Batesville, and a tree planted on North Park avenue for each soldier of the town or township who had given his life in the war, namely, for Hugo Prell and John Bland, killed in battle, and Roy Fruchtnicht, who died in camp during the epidemic of influenza. Various townships held Welcome Home days throughout the sum- mer and autumn. Brown township gave two days during the Friend- ship annual fall festival. A part of the 83rd F. A. from Camp Knox, doing field recruiting duty, attended and gave an extra military touch to the occasion. The County Welcome Home was given at Osgood on September 26, 1919. A parade of uniformed returned soldiers and sailors, and a feast of which the main feature was the famous Kentucky burgoo, were the striking points of the celebration. About three hundred re- turned soldiers and sailors took part in the day's festivities. Many soldiers were still in camp and overseas, but comparatively few who could do so failed to attend. Franklin township set memorial trees for its gold-star men in the Pierceville Memorial Park in September. The men so honored there were: Harry W. Smith, Earl Downey, Philip Levine, Samuel Heis- man, Chris Endres and Roy Raney. The various organizations of the county continued their work so long as any call for their activities existed, the Red Cross enrolling for civic service as the war service was concluded. Surely for all who toiled at home, in workshop, in field, at new and old tasks, as well as for those who went forth to battle, there came a vision that must remain forever. A vision, not of men working, each for himself, against all other men, but a nobler vision of each working for the good of all the rest, and all striving together mightily for the shining goal pointed out by the seers among them. The symbol they set for us to follow is the flag and each forward step adds a new meaning, until at last "government of the people, by the people, and for the people" may be perfected. The "meatless" and "wheatless" days, the "gasless" Sundays, the restriction of building except of necessity, the general conservation of all standard products of food, fuel and clothing, the numberless Red Cross benefits, the earnest striving forward to produce more, save RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE WORLD WAR 27 more, and give more, both of time and service, than before the war was thought possible, lifted our people into a clearer atmosphere where not what you can win for yourself but what you can do for the general good is the measure of a man. . History of Ripley County Chapter A. R. C. Written by Clarence H. Andres, Chairman "But the riffht is more precious than peace and we shall have to fight for the things ivhich we have always carried nearest our hearts. "To such a task ive can dedicate our lives and our fortunes, every- thing that ive are and everything that we have, with the pride of those who know that the day has come when America is privileged to spend her blood and her might for the principles that gave her birth and hap- piness and the peace which she has treasured. God helping her, she can do no other." (From President Wilson's address to Congress April 2, 1917.) When President Wilson, as the spokesman of the American people, in concluding his war message to Congress on April 2, 1917, pledged the lives and the fortunes of his countrymen to the task of bringing de- mocracy to the oppressed people of Europe, not all of us then appre- ciated and fully understood the significance of those memorable words. When a few months later we began to accompany our sons, our brothers and our sweethearts to the railway stations, there to take leave of them and bid them God-speed previous to their entrance into the military and naval service of our country, the President's words took on a greater somberness and their real significance literally stamped itself upon our very hearts. No one but those who witnessed the scene enacted when a mother or sister said a last goodbye to a son or brother who was about to be enrolled in the service of his country, could really appreciate the significance of that grim word — war. We had been reading in our daily papers since that fateful August 4, 1914, when Germany declared war on Belgium, about the horrors, the suffering and the misery that had become the lot of the stricken people of those European countries engaged in the war against German aggression and Prussian arrogance. We had been reading about the privations and the hunger endured and the sacrifices that were being made daily by those men, women and children who were doing their utmost to stay off a merciless foe intent upon despoiling their country, their homes and the things that were dear to them, and we devoutly hoped and fervently prayed that our country would be spared the horrors of war and that we would not be called upon to enter the blood-stained arena brought into being by the Kaiser and his war lords across the sea. However, it soon became apparent that our army and navy would have to put an end to what diplomacy had tried to avert — war. The 1. G. A. Bass, Treasurer Red Cross. 2. Minnie E. Wycoff, Supervisor Red Cross Work. 3 Clarence H. Andres, Chairman Red Cross. 4. Neil D. IVIcCallum, Red Cross Secretary. RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE WORLD WAR 29 events that preceded our country's entry into the world war are now a matter of history — events with which every citizen of our country is now famih'jfr. The American people, as a whole, were slow to believe that Ger- many, or rather the men at the head of her government, were almost entirely devoid of honor. We at first believed the war in Europe a strictly European affair and early in the struggle declared to the world our neutrality, never, however, for an instant denying ourselves the right to trade with the belligerents in accordance with the customs, usages and provisions of that rule of action that prescribes for the con- duct of nations, known as international law. The United States did all in its power to keep out of the world conflict and on several occasions President Wilson endeavored to bring about peace between the warring nations; however, the war was to go on and we were to become one of the belligerents. It seemed that despite our efforts to keep out of the conflict the Almighty who shapes the destinies of men and nations and who had endowed our country with strength and vigor and lofty ideals had decreed that America be- come a party in this struggle so as to save the world's civilization. As early as 1915 it became evident that Germany or the Central Powers had the United States infested with thousands of spies who until the moment the United States declared war on Germany, con- centrated their efforts on destroying grain elevators, arsenals, ammuni- tion factories and in spreading propaganda which would create sym- pathy for Germany among the citizens of the United States. The history of submarine operations by the Central Powers is one long record of outrages perpetrated on American citizens and American property ; a succession of protests of the United States headed by President Wilson, and of assurances and promises made and later violated by the German and Austrian governments. The sinking of the Lusitania, in which one thousand one hundred ninety-eight lives were lost, of which one hundred twenty-four were Americans, aroused the fire and the fighting spirit of America. A series of outrages perpetrated against Americans and American prop- erty widened the breach and when, after President Wilson's warning to Germany to discontinue her submarine policy, Germany announced on January 31, 1917, her intention to sink all vessels in the so-called "war zone" around the British Isles, the United States government on February 3 severed diplomatic relations with Germany, Count von Bernstorf, the German ambassador, was handed his passports, and Congress on April 11th declared that a state of war existed between the United States and the Imperial Government of Germany. Almost immediately America began to mobilize her men, her money and her natural resources so that we might quickly put an end to the gory spectacle being staged in Europe. Numerous slogans were phrased and came into existence almost overnight. It was said, "Men and Money Will Win the War," "Food Will Win the War," "Ships Will Win the War" — all of which proved true. 30 RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE WORLD WAR Although we had been reading about the wonderful work being done in all of the war-ridden countries of Europe, we did not at first realize the scope and magnitude of the work that had been undertaken by the American Red Cross which, as an institution, previous to our country's entry into the war, was of comparatively small proportions. When a few weeks later the American Red Cross announced its inten- tion to establish a chapter in every county of every state in the Union, Ripley county was among the first in the state to answer the call. On May 31, 1917, the first steps preparatory to getting a chapter of the Red Cross in Ripley county were taken when the following per- sons met and signed a petition for a charter for the organization of Rip- ley County Chapter, the charter being issued a few days later. The fol- lowing are the original petitioners: Mrs. H. C. Canfield, Mrs. W. J. Gelvin, Mrs. G. M. Hillenbrand, Mrs. A. W. Romweber, Mrs. Wm. Wessel, Mr. George A. Baas, Mr. Frank Walsman, Mr. Neil McCal- lum, Mr. Edward F. Brockman, Mr. Clarence H. Andres, all of Batesville. The following officers were elected : Chairman, Clarence H. An- dres; vice-chairman, Frank Walsman; secretary, Neil McCallum ; treasurer, George A. Baas. Branches and auxiliaries were established in the remaining ten town- ships in quick succession in about the order given below: Napoleon Branch — Chairman, Perry N. Brown ; vice-chairman, Harry W. Behlmer; secretary. Dr. E. E. Heath; treasurer, George W. Schmidt. Versailles Branch — Chairman, Mrs. Clara A. Henderson; vice- chairman, J. Francis Lochard ; secretary, Mrs. Ida R. Lochard ; treas- urer, Walter H. Smith. Osgood Branch — Chairman, V. A. Wager; vice-chairman, Mrs. J. S. Bilby; secretary, Mrs. G. M. Beldon ; treasurer. Miss Lou E. Stansbury. Milan Branch — Chairman, Mrs. H. C. Puffer; vice-chairman, Mrs. J. H. Bergdoll; secretary, Mrs. W. E. Lewis; treasurer, Robert Borders. Sunman Branch — Chairman, Mrs. Ruth Ahrends; vice-chairman, Mrs. Lurenia Robinson; secretary. Miss Alma Wetzler; treasurer, L. A. Bruns. Holton Branch — Chairman, M. R. Scott; vice-chairman, Naomi McClure; secretary, Irene Ward; treasurer, O. P. Shook. Cross Plains Branch — Chairman, Thomas R. Humphrey; vice- chairman, John Fuller; secretary, H. J. Miller; treasurer, D. G. Gordon. New Marion Branch — Chairman, Mrs. Vina Bovard ; vice-chair- man, John Holzer; secretary, Edward Fischer; treasurer, Hayes Schaffer. Elrod Branch — Chairman, W. G. Fleming; vice-chairman, Mrs. Wm. Gloyd; secretary, Ruby Elrod; treasurer, John T. Elrod, RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE JVORLD WAR 31 Delaware Branch — Chairman, Mrs. Herman Menke; vice-chair- man, Mrs. Ada Dole; secretary, Rhoda M. Schmidt; treasurer, Mrs. Mary Koechlin. Morris Branch — Chairman, B. H. Kroenke; vice-chairman, John M. Zillebuehler ; secretary, Emma Walsman; treasurer, Geo. C. Bos. The First Red Cross War Fund Campaign (June 18-25, 1917) The period of time beginning Monday, June 18, and ending Mon- day, June 25, was selected by the National Red Cross for the purpose of conducting a campaign to raise one hundred million dollars, of which amount the state of Indiana was required to raise one-half million. Ripley county with a population of approximately twenty-one thousand was given a quota of $6,500. This, at first, seemed to be an exceed- ingly large amount to ask of the people of this county ; however, the chapter proceeded to organize the county with a view to raising the amount asked for, if at all possible to do so. Previous to this the Batesville chapter conducted a membership campaign on Memorial day in connection with the demonstration ar- ranged for that day by John A. Hillenbrand, chairman of the Liberty Loan, and succeeded in enrolling three hundred and twenty-five members. Chairman Andres appointed an executive committee of five to act with him in conducting the war fund campaign and the chairman of each of the branches then established in Ripley county was requested to appoint a like number to act with him in conducting the campaign of that particular branch or township. Some days previous to the open- ing of the campaign a letter was addressed to every minister in Ripley county. The ministers were asked to read it from their pulpits, the letter being an appeal to every man, woman and child to make a contri- bution to the Red Cross war fund. To further the publicity of the cam- paign a publicity committee consisting of Charles Thompson, of Ver- sailles; Richard Beer, of Osgood; Peter Holzer and Neil McCallum, of Batesville, was appointed to have charge of the newspaper publicity connected with the raising of the amount required of Ripley county. Below is a copy of the report submitted by Chairman Andres on July 5, 1917: Total funds in bank as follows : Batesville $2,903.69 Versailles 778.00 Holton 850.75 Osgood 776.45 Milan 802.00 Sunman 765.50 Napoleon 200.00 New Marion 98.00 Total $6,354.39 32 RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE WORLD WAR The Cross Plains and New Marion branches had but recently been established and had not yet completed their campaign for the war fund. Ripley county made an excellent showing and her people again demon- strated in a practical manner, as they had so often done before, their patriotism and loyalty to our country. During the early part of August, 1917, the chairman of the chapter appointed Mrs. Minnie E. Wycoff, of Batesville, chairman or super- visor of sewing and hospital supply work, which selection proved to be a most fortunate one. Due credit will be given Mrs. Wycoff for her devotion and her zeal in the work of the Red Cross in the latter part of this article. Mrs. Wycoff proceeded to organize the women of the county and she met with ready responses everywhere. While the war opened up many fields of activity for the patriotic women of our country, none appealed so strongly as the work of the Red Cross. This was only a natural condition. Sentiment and the mother instinct prompted this. It was the Red Cross that took the place of mother in the training camps, on the transports and even on the bat- tle-field. It was the Red Cross that nursed the boys back to health, eased their pains and provided all those little comforts that mother was wont to provide for her boys at home. And did someone not praise the Red Cross in those beautiful and sentimental words, "The greatest mother in all the world ?" Under Mrs. Wycoff's direction Red Cross shops and sewing rooms were established in every part of the county and it was but a short time until the good women of Ripley county were supplying more than their quota of hospital garments and supplies. The first shipment of garments and hospital supplies was made dur- ing the month of September following, and the shipments continued with due regularity from that time on until the war came to an end. Mrs. Wycoff also organized the Junior Red Cross in the county. This work was begun in September of 1917. The Junior Red Cross had a large membership and under Mrs. Wycoff's direction did excel- lent work. Its activities are more fully discussed in another chapter of this book. THE RED CROSS CHRISTMAS MEMBERSHIP CAMPAIGN This campaign, like the war fund campaign of some months pre- vious, was national in its scope. It was conducted under the direction of the chairman and the other officers of the chapter. Preparations for the so-called drive were begun by the chapter the last days of November. The campaign began December 17 and closed Decmber 24, Christmas eve, 1917. The purpose of the campaign was to add ten million new names to the membership roll of the Red Cross. "Every American home a Red Cross home," was the slogan. Ripley county chapter was asked to add enough new names to its membership roll to bring the total up to four thousand five hundred. For this campaign each of the branches effected an organization which in turn appointed solicitors so that a thorough canvass could be RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE WORLD WAR 33 made and every person be given an opportunity to become a member of the Red Cross. One dollar was the price of a Red Cross membership. The result of the Christmas membership campaign was as follows. Total number of new memberships secured : $1.00 $2.00 Branch Membership Membership Total Batesville 828 8 836 Sunman 439 11 450 Holton 377 6 383 Versailles 290 • 5 295 Napoleon 264 30 294 Osgood 229 7 236 New Marion 177 1 178 Milan 157 2 159 Friendship 97 .... 97 Cross Plains 6 2 8 Total for county 2,864 72 2,936 It will be seen from the figures given above that two thousand nine hundred thirty-six new names were added to the membership roll of the county, making a total membership of more than six thousand, not in- cluding the Junior Red Cross. SECOND RED CROSS WAR FUND CAMPAIGN This campaign, like that waged for increased membership, was na- tion wide. The campaign was to last one week, beginning May 20 and ending May 27, 1918. Its purpose was to raise one hundred million dollars for war work. Ripley county's quota was $9,000. The chair- man of the chapter appointed Mr. Michael F. Bohland, of Batesville, as the campaign manager. Mr. Bohland began his work with a vim and a vigor that presaged certain success at the outset. Mr. Bohland began his campaign after appointing the following committees: Executive Committee — Clarence H. Andres, Batesville; Ruth E. Ahrends, Sunman; Perry N. Brown, Napoleon; Rev. M. R. Scott, Holton; V. A. Wager, Osgood; Mrs. John BergdoU, Milan; Mrs. Vina Bovard, New Marion ; Bertha McCoy, Benham ; Thos. R. Humphrey, Cross Plains; Miss Grace Ricketts, Friendship. War Fund Committee — Will J. Gelvin, Batesville; C. J. Doll, Batesville; W. W. McMullen, Sunman; George C. Bos, Morris; Clin- ton Shook, Napoleon; W. P. Castner, Holton; James H. Noyes, Os- good; Carl V. Smith, Versailles; John Holzer, New Marion; John S. Benham, Benham ; Marshall Spangler, Friendship ; Jesse Jarvis, Cross Plains; Fred Schmidt, Osgood; Henry Voss, Milan; Fred Lamb, Milan; George Laws, Milan. Speaker's Committee — Rev. M. R. Scott, chairman, Holton ; A. B. Wycoff, Batesville; Thos. E. Wilson, Osgood; Rowland H. Jackson, 34 RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE WORLD WAR Versailles; James H. Connelley, Milan; F. M. Thompson, Versailles. Finance Committee — George A. Bass, chairman, Batesville. Publicity Committee — J. H. Letcher, chairman, Milan Commer- cial, Milan; Peter Holzer, Batesville Herald, Batesville; Donald Mc- Callum, Batesville Tribune, Batesville; Richard Beer, Osgood Journal, Osgood ; Chas. Thompson, Versailles Republican, Versailles. Woman's Committee — Mrs. Luella Butler, chairman, Osgood. List Committee — H. C. Canfield, chairman, Batesville; George M. Hillenbrand, Batesville; Mrs. A. W. Romweber, Batesville; Mrs. V. W. Bigney, Sunman ;'Thos. Laws, Milan; Dr. R. A. Freeman, Os- good; John A. Spencer, Versailles. Below is the quota assigned to each township: Adams $ 975.00 Brown 800.00 Center 875.00 Delaware 500.00 Franklin 925.00 Jackson 475.00 Johnson 925.00 Laughery 325.00 Batesville 1,025.00 Otter Creek 750.00 Shelby 1,000.00 Washington 425.00 A series of meetings was held in all the townships of the county. The campaign closed with a county meeting at Versailles, on Sunday afternoon. May 19, the Batesville Liberty Guards giving an exhibition drill, and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Horace Ellis de- livered the address. Also Mrs. Alice French, president of the War Mothers of Indiana, spoke in the interest of the War Mothers. Soon after the close of the campaign, Chairman Bohland was able to report that Ripley county had subscribed her full quota of $9,000.00. The people of Ripley county had again shown in a substantial manner that they were backing up our boys on the firing line. CHRISTMAS ROLL CALL MEMBERSHIP DRIVE The signing of the armistice on November 11, 1918, had brought to a close the great World War and the people of America were asked by the American Red Cross to show their gratitude for this memorable day by universally becoming members of the Red Cross. Those persons who already had a membership were asked to renew it ; those persons who did not have a membership were asked to buy one during the week of De- cember 16-23. The chairman of the chapter appointed Wm. D. Robinson, of Ver- sailles, to act in the capacity of county manager for the roll call drive. Mr. Robinson effected an excellent organization and made a splendid RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE WORLD WAR 35 showing although he was greatly handicapped in his efforts on account of the epidemic of influenza which was raging so terribly in different parts of the country at that time. The following report is copied from current issues of the county newspapers : ''The 1918 Red Cross Christmas roll call membership campaign in Ripley county resulted in the obtaining of 5,546 new members or re- newals, which, with the life and patron members who joined during the organization campaign, gave the Ripley County Chapter of the American Red Cross a total membership of 5,631, exclusive of the membership of the Junior Red Cross. W. D. Robinson, of Versailles, acted as county campaign manager arid Mr. Robinson had every cause to feel gratified by the results, for the campaign throughout was conducted under very adverse conditions. The weather conditions were such as to work a hardship on the solici- tors, especially throughout the country districts, and some sections of the county were under the influenza ban, so that the various township campaign managers and their committees were to be congratulated upon the results obtained under such adverse conditions. In Laughery township. Rev. Schreiber was in charge of the cam- paign in Batesville and Rev. Flautz of the campaign in the township. The latter was assisted by George H. Goyert and the trustees of St. Paul's congregation. Each of the city ministers appointed a committee from his congregation, the Bethany committee being appointed by Thomas Patterson. Rev. Schreiber appointed an executive head from the ministerial body for each ward in the city and we publish the result in Laughery township as reported by the various war and precinct chairmen. BATESVILLE BRANCH Ward One — Rev. L. A. Schreiber. Annual members 259 Magazine members 10 Ward Two— Father Adalbert Rolfes, O. F. M. Annual members 352 Magazine members 22 Contributing 4 Ward Three — Rev. A. Langendorff. Annual members 231 Magazine members 21 Contributing 2 Precinct One — Rev. H. Flautz Annual members 232 Magazine members 32 Contributing 1 1,166 36 RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE WORLD WAR Life members 44 Patron members 2 1,212 CROSS PLAINS BRANCH (Including Benham and Friendship Auxiliaries) Annual members 416 Magazine members 4 420 DELAWARE BRANCH Annual members 299 Magazine members 13 312 ELROD BRANCH Annual members 227 Magazine members 3 230 HOLTON BRANCH Annual members 490 Magazine members 10 500 Life members 10 510 MILAN BRANCH Annual members 481 Magazine members 4 485 Life members 5 490 MORRIS BRANCH Annual members 275 Magazine members 3 278 NAPOLEON BRANCH Annual members 288 ]VIagazine members 18 306 RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE WORLD M'AR 37 NEW MARION BRANCH Annual members 394 Magazine members 3 397 OSGOOD BRANCH Annual members 447 Magazine members 3 450 Life members 10 460 SUNMAN BRANCH Annual members 442 Magazine members 18 Contributing member 1 461 Life members 7 468 VERSAILLES BRANCH Annual members 537 Magazine members 4 541 Life members 7 548 RED CROSS SEWING AND KNITTING Batesville branch was organized into auxiliaries for convenience in work as follows : St. John's Auxiliary — Chairman, Mrs. Dora Fischer. St. Louis's Auxiliary — Chairman, Mrs. G. M. Hillenbrand. Knitting Committee — Chairman, Mrs. A. W. Romweber. Catholic Girls' Auxiliary — Chairman, Miss Rose Meyer. St. Mark's Auxiliary — Chairman, Mrs. Henrietta Wessel, until her death, February 1, 1918; Mrs. Gus Behlmer ; later Mrs. Henry Schu- macher. C. O. U. Girls' Auxiliary — Chairman, Edna Richter. First M. E. Auxiliary — Chairman, Mrs. Ed Schultz. First M. E. Girls' Auxiliary — Chairman, Miss Sophia Nickel, Miss Ethel Schultz. 38 RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE WORLD WAR New Salem Auxiliary — Chairman, Miss Carrie Thackery. Bethany Auxiliary — Chairman, Mrs. Bertha Behlmer, Mrs. Henry Bauman. Wesley Chapel Auxiliary — Chairman, Mrs. Ida Winsor, Mrs. Em- mett Mann. Auxiliaries in other places were organized as follows: Napoleon Auxiliary, Jackson township, Mrs. Mary Letzler, chair- man. Titusville Auxiliary, Shelby township, Mrs. Pearl Titus, chairman. Delaware Auxiliary No. 1, Fink's church, Mrs. Mary Menke, chairman. Friendship Auxiliary, Friendship, Mrs. Mary Koechlin, later Mrs. Ketenbrink, chairman; Miss Clara Otto, secretary; later Miss Grace Ketenbrink. Benham Auxiliary, Mrs. Bertha McCoy, later Mrs. Lizzie Hyatt, chairman; Miss Lola DoUens, secretary. Pierceville Auxiliary, Franklin township, Mrs. Belle Tinder, chair- man. Green Chapel Auxiliary, Washington township, Mrs. Bessie Shep- herd, chairman. Stringtown Auxiliary, Washington township, Mrs. Alice Gault, chairman. Craven's Corner Auxiliary, Mrs. Lottie Craven, chairman, Mrs. Craven succeeded Mrs. Fleming as branch chairman of Washington township in October, 1918. JUNIOR RED CROSS AUXILIARIES 1917-1918 Batesville Juniors — J. F. Hoing, chairman; director of work, Miss Jennie Elmore; 190 members; $47.50 dues; refugee garments made, 25; supplies, 27 pieces. Osgood Juniors — Miss Leona Stewart, chairman; 45 members; $11.25 dues; refugee garments made, 29; hospital bags, 31. Delaware Juniors — Hazel Edwards, chairman; 59 members; $14.91 in treasury ; hospital supplies made, 30 ; sweaters, 5. Tanglewood and Cedar Creek in Johnson township, Mud Pike and Laughery Bridge in Delaware township, Bates Ridge in Brown town- ship, organized Rural School Junior Red Cross auxiliaries. Chloe Bra- ley, Margaret Smith, Emma Gault and Grace Showers, Mary Mul- ford and Lelia Smith were the respective heads of these smaller aux- iliaries. CHAPTER SCHOOL COMMITTEE JUNIOR RED CROSS, 1918-1919 Chairman and supervisor, Minnie E. Wycoff. Tora McCallum, Mrs. G. M. Hillenbrand, Mrs. Anna Wachsman, associate members. RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE WORLD IV AR 39 1918-1919 SCHOOL AUXILIARIES, JUNIOR RED CROSS Batesville — Miss I^eona Stewart, director of work ; school commit- tee, Anna Wachsman, Sophia Nickel, Flossie Ward, Leona Stewart, Catherine Mann, J. F. Hoing. Batesville Juniors, 1918 and 1919 report — Twenty-seven new mem- bers ; dues, $6.75. Osgood — Chairman and director, Mrs. Mercy Bilby Humphrey; no new members ; no dues. Milan — Chairman and director, Mrs. W. E. Lewis; 93 members; $23.29 dues. Delaware — Chairman and director, Miss Hazel Edwards; 51 mem- bers; $21.95 in treasury. Napoleon — Chairman and director. Miss Violet Toph ; 85 mem- bers ; $7.06 dues from new members. Sunman — Chairman and director, Miss Frona Alexander; 76 mem- bers; $19.00 dues. New Marion — Chairman and director, Mrs. Goldie Michel; 44 members; $5.75 dues. Holton — Chairman, Wilbur Furlow^; no report. Batesville Parochial School Committee — Chairman, Mrs. G. M. Hillenbrand; 55 members; dues, $7.00 from new members. Laughery Bridge Juniors — Chairman, Mary Mulford; 5 members; $1.25 dues. " JUNIOR RED CROSS REPORT OF WORK DONE IN THE COUNTY FROM SEPTEMBER, 1917, TO JUNE, 1919 Batesville Junior Red Cross — Hospital supplies, 127 pieces; refugee garments, 46; wool scarfs, 10. Mud Pike Junior Red Cross — Hospital supplies, 35 pieces. Tanglewood Junior Red Cross — Hospital supplies, 12 pieces. Osgood Junior Red Cross — Hospital supplies, 230 pieces; refugee garments, 215 pieces. Milan Junior Red Cross — Hospital supplies, 199 pieces; refugee layettes, 6, equaling 210 pieces. Delaware Juniors — Knitted garments, 12 pieces; hospital supplies, 80 pieces; refugee layettes, 5, equaling 175 pieces. Cedar Creek Junior Red Cross — Knitted articles, 15 pieces. Napoleon Junior Red Cross — Hospital supplies, 24 pieces. In 1917-1918 the Junior work consisted entirely of sewing and knitting. Sweaters, wristlets, scarfs, rugs and wash cloths were the arti- cles knitted by Ripley County Juniors. Infant layettes, dresses and underwear for children, capes, skirts for women, handkerchifs, property bags, ice-bag covers, aprons, caps and operating leggings were made by different auxiliaries. Also pillow cases and towels. The layettes were made principally during the vacation of 1918. Each layette consisted of thirty-five pieces, making a full supply of clothing for an infant. The layette included a knitted hood and 40 RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE WORLD WAR bootees, blanket, cape, extra hood, slips, gowns, shirts, bands, diapers, bag of sundries and wash cloths. Sixteen complete layettes were made by the Osgood, Milan and Delaware Juniors. The Junior work planned for the winter of 1918-1919 was almost entirely prevented by the epidemic of influenza which closed our schools for weeks and months at a time, beginning the first of October, just when the rural schools were opening, and not disappearing entirely until the schools were closing in the spring. The main work for the year was the Modern Health Crusade, the supplies being furnished by the Anti- Tuberculosis Association, the pupils being organized into crusade units. About five hundred children in Adams, Jackson, Shelby and Franklin townships won the different buttons given as rewards in health chore work. Otter Creek township organized, but accomplished nothing further. An assignment of five hundred handkerchiefs was completed by the auxiliaries organized the year before, but no further work could be attempted. Complete reports on the health crusade work can not be secured as the epidemic demoralized all organization and made con- sistent and reliable records an impossibility. The Juniors were called on for help in all regular Red Cross drives, in the various entertainments given to raise Red Cross funds, in all forms of war activities, in parades and public programs. The Delaware Juniors were especially active, giving entertainments to raise funds and in giving drills in patriotic programs. The final Red Cross rally in connection with other organization rallies at Versailles, on September 28, 1918, just before the "flu" ban descended like a pall on Indiana, found the Ripley County Juniors at the height of their en- thusiasm. Delaware and Milan Juniors carried banners and had their special part in the parade. With the beginning of the armistice on No- vember 11, 1918, and the long siege of "flu" lasting into the spring, the organizations found themselves unable to execute what they had planned, and what they would have done under normal conditions. All children of school age are eligible to membership in the Junior Red Cross, twenty-five cents paying the dues. They are allowed to wear the regular Red Cross button. Children over twelve are eligible to reg- ular Red Cross membership, and, as is well known, no age bars one from this regular membership. SUMMARY OF WORK OF RIPLEY COUNTY CHAPTER AMERICAN RED CROSS, FROM MAY, 1917, TO JULY, 1919 Knitting — Sweaters for Ripley county soldiers, 193; sweaters for Red Cross, 301 ; helmets for Red Cross, 46; wristlets for Red Cross, 60 pairs; mufflers for Red Cross, 28; wool socks for Red Cross, 1,814 pairs; stockings for refugee children, 392 pairs; ambulance robe, 1; wash cloths, 270; scrub rugs, 292; hoods in infant layettes, 26. Sewing: Surgical bandages, 740; hospital garments, 4,167; hospital supplies, 7,512; refugee garments, 1,832. Second-hand clothing, 6,831 garments; second-hand clothing, 8,410 pounds weight. Nuts for gas defense, 576 klPl.EY COUNTY'S PART IN THE WORLD WAR 41 pounds. Comfort kits and cases for soldiers, 1,087. Liberty guards, 90 pairs leggings. Second-hand linen shower, 319 pieces. Nurses through influenza, $499.60; local relief, $9.43. Among the women who deserve especial credit as knitters are Mrs. Elizabeth Webster, Mrs. Elizabeth Alexander, Mrs. Ruth Ahrends, all of Sunman; Mrs. Elizabeth Hunter, of Milan; Mrs. Magdalena Price, Mrs, Hedwig Schrader, Mrs. Elizabeth Hammerle, Mrs. Margaret Schiller and Mrs. John Hillenbrand, Sr., all of Batesville ; Mrs. Amanda Cooper and Mrs. Anna Black, of Cross Plains; Mrs. Josina Brinson, of Titusville; Mrs. Louisa Siekerman and Mrs. Jane Gilland, of Friendship; Mrs. Mary Michel, of Delaware; Mrs. Philip Seelinger, of Holton ; Mrs. G. W. Cox and Mrs. Catherine Kenan, of Osgood. All these ladies are either elderly or infirm, or especially burdened with other duties, as in the case of Mrs. Ahrends, who was chairman of the Sunman Red Cross branch. Mrs. Siekerman and Mrs. Gilland are war mothers, as are also Mrs. Ahrends, Mrs. Schrader, and JVlre. See- linger. Several of them knit for the soldiers of the Civil War, and eight of them are widows of Civil War vete.rans. The nation's most gifted writers will pen for the benefit of those who come after us the story of America's activities during the great World War. The pages of history will record imperishably the brav- ery and the gallantry of the American men ^vho covered themselves with glory while fighting under the Stars and Stripes at Chateau-Thierry, in the Argonne, in France and in Belgium. A splendid tribute will be paid by historians to the men who upheld the traditions of the American navy while performing its task of ridding the sea of the submarine so that millions of their comrades in arms might cross the sea without mishap to give battle to the Hun. Our fighting men themselves, together with the people of all the bel- ligerent nations, will always pay homage to the American Red Cross nurse who left home, relatives and friends to brave the dangers and hardships of war and pestilence and disease so that she might take the place of mother in the cantonment, upon the battle-field and in the hos- pitals behind the firing line. The local chapter is justly proud of Ripley's "Roses of No Man's Land": Miss Bertha Greeman, Batesville; Miss Vivian Wiebking, Napoleon; Miss Martha Delay, Holton; Miss Caroline Maffey, Milan. AN EXPRESSION OF GRATITUDE The services rendered by those good women, who, under the direc- tion of the state chapter of the American Red Cross, came to our county to nurse and care for those of us stricken during the epidemic of influ- enza that raged so terribly and so relentlessly in parts of Ripley county during the closing months of 1918, will for all time be remembered and appreciated. The chapter acknowledges its gratitude to the following nurses in particular: Miss Esther Parsons, Miss Nell Vernon, Mrs. Payson Miss Lillian Vogelsang, Miss Bertha Custer. ♦2 RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE IVORLD WAR WORDS OF APPRECIATION To serve in the capacity of county supervisor of sewing and hospital supply work required a woman possessed of executive ability, good judg- ment, pleasing personality, a full understanding of the necessity and magnitude of the work contemplated, and, above all, a woman in sym- pathy with the spirit of the times, so that she might enthuse and inspire those with whom she would come in contact so as to create in them an ardent desire to do a worth-while service. The good work done by the women of Ripley county is in a large measure due to the inspiring leadership and untiring eiiforts of Mrs. Minnie E. Wycoff, of Batesville. While many persons in the county were, by reason of their activities in Red Cross work, entitled to receive a Red Cross medal or badge, the committee on awards voted that honor to Mrs. Wjxoff alone — a sig- nal distinction and honor for an exceptional service rendered. CONCLUSION The foregoing is a brief history of the activities of the Ripley County Chapter of the American Red Cross during the great World War. It was written not to extol or praise the deeds of those persons who participated in the work that the Red Cross in Ripley county accom- plished, but for a greater and worthier purpose: to make known to those who will come after us that the men, women and children of Ripley county who were not privileged on account of certain circum- stances to take their places with the boys on the firing line did their full duty to the men who wore the uniform of our country, and we cherish the hope that our posterity will learn and realize through the medium of this short history of Red Cross activities in Ripley county, that we, like the good Americans of a previous generation, love America and the things that she stands for, and that we, like the boys who engaged and defeated the Hun in battle on land and sea, were at all times willing to give our all, if need be, so that, in the words of the immortal Lincoln, "government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not per- ish from the earth." Home Service Section of Red Cross Peter J. Holzer, of Batesville, as the Red Cross home service secre- tary, appointed sub-committees in all the larger towns to aid in giving local relief, information and help of any kind to all enlisted men and their families. The greater part of the work was confined to tracing out missing Liberty Bonds, securing payment of delayed allotments or wages, and in locating missing soldiers and sailors, or ascertaining, if possible, why the letters written to soldiers were not received by them. So many things caused confusion in the delivery of mail that many soldiers failed *o receive any mail during months of overseas service, and many times RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE WORLD IVAR 43 the families at home failed, likewise, to hear from the soldier between the two cards announcing, first, his safe arrival overseas, and second, announcing his safe return to the United States. The close of the war brought an increase of duties to the home serv- ice section, which sent out questionnaires in the spring of 1920 to all sol- diers and sailors covering every possible point on which the Red Cross could continue to render service, feeling that unless personally reminded some of the men would fail to realize that the home service section was designed for peace as well as war service. Council of Defense J. F. LOCHARD When the dark war clouds that hovered over Europe for almost three years began to drift towards the American continent and it be- came evident that we could no longer keep out of the awful conflict that was devastating Europe, plans were being worked out at Washington as to the best methods to be pursued for the welfare and protection of our country. An organization known as the National Council of Defense was created, whose business it was to carry from Washington to the people the messages and measures of the National Government and to transmit back to Washington the real conditions that existed throughout the rural districts and cities of the nation. An organization had to be formed that extended from Washington down to the school district in every com- munity. Hence, the National Council of Defense in Washington, the State Council of Defense at the capital city of each state, the County Council of Defense in each county seat, the Township Council of De- fense in each township and the school district organization in each school district made it possible for the Government to get to the people all its plans for the carrying on of the great war and to get back to Washing- ton a report from the people. Through this organization it was possi- ble for the Government at Washington to keep its hands upon the pulse of the nation. In the building up of this organization, appointments were made so that all classes might have a voice in the council rooms. The County Council of Defense of Ripley county, Indiana, consisted of the follow- ing named persons, who were designated and appointed by Judge Robert A. Creigmile, judge of the sixth judicial circuit of Indiana, and ap- proved by Governor James P. Goodrich of Indiana, namely: Anthony W. Romweber, of the city of Batesville, a representative of the manu- facturing interests of Ripley county, Indiana; Harry W. Behlmer, of Napoleon, a representative of the merchants; Oliver P. Shook, of Hol- ton, a representative of the millers; Fred W. Kline, of Milan, a repre- sentative of union labor; Ed. G. Abbott, of Milan, a representative of the agricultural interests; Mrs. Laura Beer, of Versailles, to represent the women's interests, and J. Francis Lochard, of Versailles, to be a UJ o Q 0= RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE WORLD IVAR 45 general representative of the county. J. Francis Lochard was desig- nated as the chairman of the county organization. The County Council of Defense held weekly meetings at the court- house in the town of Versailles, Indiana, all members of the organiza- tion serving without any compensation. They gave their active support to all war work in the county and assisted in every way possible to pro- mote the sale of all Liberty Loan bonds, war savings stamps, the rais- ing of funds for the Red Cross, Y. M. C. A., Y. W. C. A., K. of C, and all other activities, keeping in mind all the time that their principal duty was to keep the people informed of the Government plans in the war and transmitting back to Washington a report of the true condi- tions that existed in the county. No organization can get very far without some finances, and steps had to be taken to secure the necessary funds for carrying on the work of the organization. The first money the Council of Defense secured to finance its work was borrowed from the Versailles Bank on a note signed by the members of the Council of Defense. Other funds were furnished to the Council of Defense by the Ripley County Council, making an appropriation out of the county treasury of the county. Mrs. Laura Beer was selected as the secretary and treasurer of the organization in the county and her reports as such show that she has received the sum of $1,946.08 and made disbursements to the amount of $1,946.08. We desire to quote, for the benefit of our readers, the following tribute to the Council of Defense system by Grosvenor B. Clarkson, director of the Council of National Defense, which will give you the details of the work that was to be done through this organization: "Here at home there have been armies, too, and they have performed a marvelous task. They were created without mandates ; they were welded into cohesive form by suggestion rather than by order ; they were galvanized from beginning to end by the mighty force of voluntary co- operation ; and they went into the home stretch with a power which nothing could have stopped. These were the armies of production — production not alone of guns and steel plates and soldiers' shoes, not alone even of visible things, but production of energy, of thought that made the sword a flaming thing of optimism to offset the stupid pes- simism of people who criticized but had nothing tangible to contribute, of the immortal spirit of 'carry on,' of above all, unification. For it has only been within the past year that this nation has completely real- ized that after all it is, properly introduced to itself, but a partnership of one hundred million persons. Out of all this has grown one of the great lessons of the war to America: the interdependency of social ef- fort, the effort which in the last equation must keep a nation wholesome in peace and which must furnish the continuing tireless force behind the cutting edge in time of war. This, then, though it is stated loosely, was our task here at home. "In the vast work of unification, in the carrying from Washington to the people the message and measures of the National Government, 46 RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE WORLD IV AR and in the transmission back to Washington of the moods and aspira- tions of a people at war, the council of defense's system, with its more than one hundred and eighty thousand units set down in almost every hamlet of the country, played a definite, stirring, and highly fruitful part. One of the phrases with which Congress created the Council of National Defense is this: 'The creation of relations which will render possible in time of need the immediate concentration and utilization of the resources of the nation.' It was under this authority that the na- tion-wide council of defense system was brought into being, just as it was possible as well as necessary for the council under the same author- ity to bring about the mobilization of our industrial, labor and scientific forces for the national defense. "On May 2, 19l4, the Council of National Defense called in Wash- ington a conference of the states. From this meeting, which was ad- dressed by the President of the United States, by the chairman of the council, and by several members of the cabinet, sprang the council of defense system as we now know it. Co-operation was established be- tween the state divisions of the woman's committee of the Council of National Defense and the work was everywhere got under way. It consisted, in the first instance, of explaining and transmitting to all com- munities of the country the policies and the programs of the various fed- eral departments and war agencies. Educational propaganda necessary for the proper emphasis of war measures essential to victory was pre- pared in Washington, and through the Council of National Defense forwarded at once to the state councils of defense and to the state divi- sions of the woman's committee, where immediate decentralization of the message to be conveyed or of the work to be done took place. In this way the council of defense system served in the mobilization of resources and materials, and it stirred the communal conscience, and, by extension, the national conscience, to a realization of the problems inci- dent to the winning of the war. With the personnel almost wholly voluntary throughout, the original machinery became an extensive and elaborate mechanism, but one which has always stood up under the stress and strain put upon it, no matter how involved and taxing the task. Today, the council of defense system comprehends one hundred and eighty-four thousand four hundred units, made up of state, county, municipal and community councils of defense. "Under the direction of the Council of National Defense at Wash- ington, composed at the top of its structure of six members of the cabi- net, headed by the Secretary of War, the work went forward. Toward the end of the war, the direction of the work was, as you know, con- centrated into the Held division of the Council of National Defense un- der the chairmanship of Franklin K. Lane, Secretary of the Interior. The programs of the War, Navy, Agriculture, Interior and Labor De- partments, the Food and Fuel Administrations, the Shipping Board, the U. S. Employment Service, the Children's Bureau, the Bureau of Education, the American Red Cross, the National War Savings Com- mittee, the several Liberty Loans, the Commission of Training Camp RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE WORLD WAR 47 Activities, and the various other official and recognized agencies united in the common task of war, were sent in complete form to the states and there made clear to the communities and translated into action. Many of these programs, and more especially those involving the exercise of extraordinary powers or the responsibility for handling im- mense funds, required the creation of separate machinery, which, radiating from the national center to the small localities, would concern itself exclusively with the fulfillment of the special program of the administration and be directly and fully responsible therefor. In the creation of this special local machinery, the councils of defense and the divisions of the woman's committee bore a large part. To your prompt and effective aid the remarkably quick and yet wholly sturdy growth of the Food Administration, Fuel Administration, the United States Em- ployment Service and other great war administrations and agencies is in large measure due. Even those established departments, which, like the Department of Agriculture, had already spread a network of local agencies over the country, were through your assistance enabled to make this network rapidly finer, more complete and ready to meet the strain of war. Your aid to these Federal departments and administrations, however, by no means ended there. You provided to them facilities and assistance which were needed by all alike, first by one, and then by another, and which therefore could be provided with economy only through a central organization, and you have made available to them resources and public co-operation which no special agency alone could command. Your extensive publicity organization, which, because it was always at work and at work everywhere, was unparalleled in the effectiveness and extent of its contact with the press and in the vigor and completeness of its speakers' bureaus; your contact with the people themselves through your community councils, and your complete en- listment, organization and leadership of the women of America, have been a mighty source of power from which arose much of the strength of these local Federal bodies. In addition to bringing these local Federal agencies together in your state and county war boards, you have fused their energies and those of the state into one harmonious and effective power, and have brought into their councils the viewpoint of the state and locality, which increased the effectiveness of each or- ganization through leading to a closer adjustment of programs to local needs and conditions. In such of the great war programs as did not inherently require the creation of extensive local machinery, you have assumed the full con- duct of the work. You have thus saved to the nation, at a time when economy was vital, the tremendous expense of creating elaborate new administrations, ramifying in ever-increasing multiplicity throughout the land ; and } ou have made possible the conduct of brief and im- mediate emergency tasks when lack of time, as well as inordinate ex- pense, would otherwise have made impossible the provision of the ex- tensive organization requisite to meet the brief but imperative need. Almost without additional expense or the creation of additional or- 48 RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE WORLD WAR ganization, you have, under the leadership of the War Industries Board, regulated and curtailed non-war construction through the action of tribunals sitting in every county in America. You have conducted for the Children's Bureau its children's year program by creating a special organization extending to counties, towns and even school districts. You have relieved railroad congestion through extending and facilitating motor transportation. You have brought to the people a message of economy and thrift and have made practical application thereof through supervising the solicitation of funds by voluntary war agencies and co- ordinating their work in the interest of economy of resources and effort. You have aided existing social agencies to meet the strain of war and recruited thousands of nurses to fill the emergency need of the hospitals at home. You have met the problems of housing in centers where intensification of war work has led to congestion. Through speakers and the press, through personal contact, through community singing and the organized fellowship of war workers in community coun- cils, you have aroused throughout the nation a desire for service; you have brought before the people an intelligent vision of how that service could best be rendered, and you have upheld their faith and enthusiasm throughout the trying months of the war, thus winning the high title of being the special guardians of civilian morale. The strength of your organization and your prompt and effective execution of Federal pro- grams and requests led President Wilson, on October 26, 1918, to request of every department or administration in Washington, when they were considering the extension of their organization or new work to be done in the states, 'to determine carefully whether they can not make use of the Council of Defense system' through the Council of National Defense in Washington. "Not only in the execution of Federal programs, however, have you rendered distinguished service. From their origin, councils of defense and divisions of the woman's committee have been vigorous and re- sourceful in devising independent programs and independent amplifica- tions of Federal programs, to meet the peculiar needs and to make avail- able for national service the special resources and opportunities of their states. "Your work and the democratic nature of your organization have also led to great permanent benefits. You have awakened a nation- wide interest in the welfare of our children, in the assimilation and Americanization of our foreign born, in healthy group recreation and social expression and in wise non-partisan community organization. You have made the communities sensible of their own needs and op- portunities and strong in action to meet them. You have developed the means of translating the new interests which you have aroused into effective action, and the work which you have done and the organiza- tion which you have established may fittingly be maintained as perma- nent monuments of the war. "Thus during the war you have, on a non-partisan basis throughout, strengthened and upheld the hands of the Federal Government, you RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE WORLD JVAR 49 have made available to it the great resources of your state and you have brought the people to the Government in effective and understanding service." TOWNSHIP COUNCILS OF DEFENSE The Township Councils of Defense were organized in October, 1917, by a committee appointed by the County Council of Defense. The members of this committee were A. B. Wycoff, Peter J. Holzer and M. F. Bohland of Batesville, who traveled throughout the county helping the various townships to perfect their local organizations. It was the duty of these township councils to receive all war news and propaganda from the County Council of Defense and distribute it to the people of their township. To organize committees for work on all Liberty Loan, Red Cross or other drives for funds; to arrange for public meetings and to report any disloyal acts or talk that might occur among the people. This last was a rather delicate duty but was handled very tactfully by the various councils. A number of mis- taken citizens were called before the County Council occasionally for examination, but only one or two prosecutions were made in the county. These failed to convict, thus proving the mass of Ripley county people to be thoroughly American or open to reason. No overt acts were com- mitted in the county at any time, and a very small number of people failed to respond to the various national calls for money and men. Ripley county's quotas in the various drives were usually oversubscribed, and the amounts raised in minimum time. There was no real resistance to the draft, and the war work was carried on in all sections, promptly, efficiently and harmoniously. Float in Liberty Loan Parade, April 6, IQ/S, Baies-ville Liberty Loan Report J. A. Hillenbrand When on April 11, 1917, Congress, in response to President Wilson's message of a few days previous, declared that a state of war existed between the United States and the Imperial Government of Germany, the people of our country began immediately to mobilize the nation's resources in order to quickly put an end to Prussianism and all that the term then implied. The citizens of Ripley county without exception were immediately in accord with the spirit of America ; they, like those of the other counties of the great state of Indiana, began to enter upon those activi- ties decreed by the officials of our Government as essential so that we might soon bring to a close the awful carnage across the Atlantic. When, through the operation of the Conscription Act passed by Congress in April of that year, the youth of the land began to don the khaki, it at once became apparent to the more practical and far-seeing patriot that money, money and more money would be necessary to properly equip the boys who were to wage a righteous war to make the world a decent place to live in. Consequently, when our Govern- ment made known its plans to finance the war, patriotic citizens, with a practical knowledge of economics and finance, began to mobilize their workers and the money of the country in order to make it possible for our Government to put the "doughboys" on the firing line, sustain and keep them there until they could successfully finish the job. Ripley county did its full part in helping to finance the war. The various Liberty Loans became a series of successes and in order that future generations may know that the citizens of Ripley county who remained at home did their full duty to the boys who wore the uniform of their country, it is well that a record be made of their activities and their sacrifices. Therefore, this brief history of the five great war loans. Probably the first work done in connection with the financing of the war in Ripley county was the action taken by the Hillenbrand interests of Batesville, when during the first days of May, 1917, they addressed a circular letter to their some six hundred employes urging the purchase of the war bonds about to be issued by the Treasury De- partment and expressing a willingness to advance to any employe who was not then financially able, the money with which to avail himself of the opportunity being offered by our Government. John A. Hillenbrand, of Batesville, president of the Hillenbrand Company, and at the time president of the First National Bank of that city, was appointed state chairman to serve as chairman for the first Liberty Loan for Ripley county. (50) RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE WORLD WAR 51 THE FIRST LIBERTY LOAN (May 14 to June 15, 1917) The first organization meeting was held at Batesville, on May 29, 1917, at which were present representatives of the various banks of the county. Upon the recommendation of County Chairman John A. Hillenbrand, C. F. Childs, state chairman of the Liberty Loan Dis- tribution Committee for Indiana, appointed the following local chair- men for Ripley county: Christ Nieman, Sunman ; Wm. Leslie, Osgood ; C. W. Laws, Milan; Charles H. Willson, Versailles; George W. Schmidt, Na- poleon; Wm. P. Castner, Holton ; E. T. Coleman, Cross Plains; Wilkie Lemon, Friendship. Ripley county, with a population of a little more than twenty-one thousand, was assigned a quota of two hundred and sixty-three thousand six hundred dollars. This on a basis of eight per cent of the total bank- ing resources of the county which at that time amounted to $3,295,000.- 00. The banks of the county were asked to make the solicitation and distribute the bonds and each bank was given a quota based upon its total banking resources. The bankers were asked by Mr. Hillenbrand to call a special meeting of their board of directors and arrange for each bank employe as well as each bank director to devote at least one-half day of that particular week to soliciting Liberty Loan bond subscriptions. The total subscriptions up to Thursday, June 7, amounted to John A. Hillenbrand 52 RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE WORLD WAR P)6fi00, five hundred forty subscribers having pledged or subscribed for that amount. On June 14 the county chairman reported a total subscription of $110,200. On June 21 the total subscriptions amounted to $177,050, with nine hundred subscribers. When the county chair- 'nan submitted his final report on the first Liberty Loan it showed that the people of Ripley county had subscribed for $177,050 worth of bonds, falling short $86,550 of the county's allotment. While, as will be seen from the figures, Ripley county did not subscribe for her entire quota of bonds of the first issue. Chairman Hillenbrand expressed his satisfaction with the showing made and complimented the people of Ripley county very highly. Below is the quota assigned to each of the banks and the amount of subscriptions taken: Quota Bonds Sold First National Bank, Batesville $21,360 $33,650 Batesville Bank 47,760 30,000 Sunman Bank 28,800 30,000 Milan Bank 20,570 22,250 Ripley County Bank, Osgood 52,000 15,000 Versailles Bank 28,880 12,050 Farmers' National Bank, Sunman 17,870 9,000 Napoleon Bank 16,400 9,000 Holton Bank 13,840 6,000 Friendship Bank 10,640 5,000 Cross Plains Bank 11,520 2,600 Osgood Bank 11,360 2,500 $177,050 Not only did individuals purchase the bonds but they were also taken by fraternal societies and organizations of divers character. THE SECOND LIBERTY LOAN CAMPAIGN (October 1 to October 27, 1917) The campaign for subscriptions for bonds of the second Liberty Loan issue began in Ripley county on Monday, August 1, 1917. Ripley county was assigned a quota of ten per cent of her banking resources, the quota being $380,000. John A. Hillenbrand, of Batesville, who was again appointed to serve as county chairman for the second Liberty Loan in Ripley county, appointed the following as the local chairmen : Charles L. Johnson, cashier Batesville Bank, Batesville; John H. Wilker, cashier First National Bank, Batesville; Louis Bruns, cashier Sunman Bank, Sunman; John Minger, cashier Farmers' National Bank, Sunman; George W. Schmidt, cashier Napoleon Bank, Na- poleon ; Wm. C. Leslie, cashier Ripley County Bank, Osgood ; B. L. Vawter, cashier Osgood Bank, Osgood; F. M. Laws, cashier Ver- sailles Bank, Versailles; T. W. Laws, cashier Milan Bank, Milan; RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE WORLD WAR 53 Wm. P. Castner, cashier Holton Bank, Holton ; D. G. Gordon, cashier Cross Plains State Bank, Cross Plains; Wilkie S. Lemon, cashier Friendship Bank, Friendship. The county chairman also in this instance requested the local chair- men to appoint committees to assist them in the work of getting sub- scriptions for bonds of the second Liberty Loan issue. Below is the quota, the number of subscriptions taken, and the total amount of bonds subscribed for as reported by Chairman Hillenbrand on November 1, 1917: No. of Sub. % of Subscribers Bank Quota Taken Quota 51 Ripley County Bank, Osgood $66,500 $24,050 36 640 Batesville Bank 60,000 80,000 133 146 Sunman Bank 40,000 67,500 164 131 Milan Bank 37,500 37,500 100 51 Versailles Bank 37,000 28,000 76 214 First National Bank, Batesville.. 30,000 52,250 165 44 Farmers' Natl. Bank, Sunman.... 24,000 14,600 61 50 Napoleon Bank 20,500 15,100 74 85 Holton Bank 19,000 22,500 118 41 Osgood Bank 19,000 12,500 66 52 Cross Plains Bank 14,500 14,500 100 75 Friendship Bank 13,500 12,000 90 1,586 $380,500 As will be seen from the foregoing figures, Ripley county exceeded her quota in the amount of $500. The total number of subscribers was one thousand five hundred eighty-six. THE THIRD LIBERTY LOAN CAMPAIGN (April 6 to May 4, 1918) John A. Hillenbrand, who had served as county chairman for the first and second Liberty Loans, was again appointed to serve as the chairman for the third Liberty Loan campaign in Ripley county. At a meeting held at Versailles on March 27, 1918, at which the county chairman presided, the Woman's War Council was extended an invita- tion to participate in the campaign. The following persons were ap- pointed to serve as chairmen for their respective townships: Sunman and Adams township, Louis A. Bruns; Delaware town- ship, Fred Smith ; Osgood and Center township, Wm. Leslie ; Shelby township, Wm. A. Green; Versailles and Johnson township, Frank M. Laws; Otter Creek township, Wm. P. Castner; Washington town- ship, W. E. Smith ; Brown township, D. G. Gordon ; Milan and Frank- lin township, T. W. Laws; Jackson township, George W. Smith; Batesville and Laughery township, Charles L. Johnson. 1. Darius G. Gordon, Cross Plains. 2. Louis A. Bruns, Sunman. 3. Nora B. Gookins, Napoleon. 4. John Minger, Sunman. 5. Wm. Castner, Cashier Holton Bank. 6. Brainard Vawter, Osgood. RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE WORLD IV A R 55 Ladies' Committee: Delaware township, Mrs. Henry Gookins; Jackson township, Mrs. Emerson Behlmer; Johnson township, Mrs. Carl Smith; Otter Creek township, Mrs. D. C. Yater; Adams town- ship, Mrs. W. W. McMullen; Center township, Mrs. V. A. Wager; Laughery township, Mrs. Neil McCallum ; Brown township, Miss Martha Winkler; Shelby township. Miss Georgiana Spears; Franklin township, Mrs. Walter Beer. Publicity Chairman: Mrs. Peter Holzer, Batesville. Committee Chairman: Mrs. Luella Butler, Osgood. Secretary-Treasurer: Mrs. B. L. Vawter, Osgood. Ripley county was assigned a quota of $330,000. The report made public by Chairman Hillenbrand on April 18 was to the effect that the citizens of Ripley county had purchased bonds of the third Liberty Loan issue in the amount of $415,500. On April 19 the county chairman received a telegram from the manager of the Chicago Federal District asking that an effort be made to raise an oversubscription in the amount of fifty per cent, thus making a new quota of $495,000. On Thursday, May 16, there was published in the county papers Chairman Hillenbrand's final report, a copy of which is given below: Quota Subscribers Sales Per cent Sunman $ 8,500 94 $42,950 505 Batesville 34,000 623 92,250 275 1/3 Versailles 9,000 60 21,700 241 1/9 Jackson Township 16,500 127 31,550 191 1/5 Johnson Township 25,500 124 46,900 184 Brown Township 28,000 248 46,300 165 1/2 Laughery Township 14,500 170 32,000 158 Milan 10,000 75 15,750 157 1/2 Washington Township 14,500 55 20,650 142 3/7 Delaware Township 17,500 165 24,250 138 1/8 Osgood 17,500 151 23,100 131 Franklin Township 22,500 74 28,850 128 Adams Township 38,500 256 48,650 127 Shelby Township 30,000 114 35,500 118 1/3 Center Township 17,000 66 17,300 101 Otter Creek Township 31,500 253 38,200 121 1/4 $335,000 2,655 $557,600 166 1/2 Ripley county was the thirteenth in the state to oversubscribe her quota and ranked sixteenth among the counties of the state in the amount subscribed over and above that quota. THE FOURTH LIBERTY LOAN CAMPAIGN (September 28 to October 19, 1918) On August 26, 1918, John A. Hillenbrand was again selected as chairman of the fourth Liberty Loan campaign of Ripley county. He 56 RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE WORLD WAR met with the bankers of the county at the courthouse at Versailles to effect an organization for this campaign. Provision was made to or- ganize each township by school districts, and committees were appointed to solicit subscriptions for bonds in each of these districts. The cam- paign in Ripley county began on Saturday, September 28, and lasted but a few days. The persons who served as chairmen in the various townships during the third Liberty Lxian campaign were reappointed by County Chairman Hillenbrand to serve in the same capacity for the fourth loan, with one exception: Fred R. Papenhaus, of R. F. D., Osgood, was appointed chairman for Delaware township to succeed Fred Smith, who was unable to serve. The quota assigned to Ripley county was $750,000. The time set apart for the fourth Liberty Loan campaign in Ripley county was the occasion of a visit of an airplane to Batesville, Versailles and other parts of Ripley county, probably the first airplane that visited this part of the state. Its visit created a great amount of interest with resultant increased enthusiasm and contributed materially to the success of the fourth Liberty Loan. Below is a report of the fourth Liberty Loan campaign in Ripley county: Quota Batesville and Batesville Bank Laughery Township ; $113, 000 First National Bank, Batesville Sunman and Adams Township 88,800 Farmers' National Bank, Sunman Sunman Bank Versailles and Johnson Township 86,800 Versailles Bank Brown Township 73,900 Cross Plains Bank Friendship Bank Osgood and Center Township 72,600 Osgood Bank Ripley County Bank Milan and Franklin Township 68,900 Milan Bank Otter Creek Township 56,500 Holton Bank Jackson Township 41,300 Napoleon Bank Delaware Township 38,900 Shelby Township 75,900 Washington Township 33,600 $750,200 Subscriptions taken from persons living in surrounding counties Subscribers 505 Amount $ 76,300 265 68,000 174 248 37,300 65,400 357 106,950 162 142 40,550 39,350 119 281 27,500 92,500 441 99,159 393 74,500 165 46,050 3,252 86 $773,559 19,200 3,166 $754,359 RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE WORLD JVAR 57 THE VICTORY LOAN (April 21 to May 10, 1919) For this loan Ripley county was assigned a quota of $550,000. The campaign was begun in Ripley county on April 21 and ended by night- fall of the same day. Very little effort was required on the part of the chairman and his organization of Liberty Loan workers to "finish the job." On April 3 Chairman Hillenbrand addressed a letter to the people of the county through the press, making it known that the same persons who had made the solicitation for subscriptions to bonds of the fourth Liberty Loan issue would make the canvass for the Victory Loan. While the banks of the county expressed their willingness to subscribe for practically the entire quota assigned to Ripley county, the chairman insisted that the people of the county who had so generously subscribed for bonds of previous issues at a lower interest rate be given an oppor- tunity to purchase the Victory Bonds. A report giving the number of subscriptions and amount of bonds sold by each bank in the county follows : Subscriptions Amount Batesville Bank 269 $100,500 First National Bank •. 162 73,000 Cross Plains Bank 44 28,800 Friendship Bank 77 57,100 Holton Bank 55 27,750 Milan Bank 172 80,100 Napoleon Bank 70 26,500 Osgood Bank 56 30,000 Ripley County Bank 125 92,150 Farmers' National Bank 77 40,050 Sunman Bank 163 76,600 Versailles Bank 103 58,300 Totals 1,373 $690,850 SUMMARY OF THE FIVE LOANS Report of the number of subscribers and total amount subscribed by each bank in Ripley county for the second, third, fourth and fifth loans floated by the United States: Amount Number of Loans Subscribed Subscribers Batesville Bank, 1 (Not on record) Batesville, Ind.— 2 $75,000 640 3 61,000 486 4 76,500 511 5 101,000 160 1. Chas. L. Johnson, Batesvllle. 1. Wilkie S. Lemon, Friendship. 3. Wm. A. Green, Trustee Shelby Township. 4. Wm. C. Leslie, Osgood. 5. F. M. Laws, Cashier Versailles Bank. 6. Thos. W. Laws, Milan. RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE IVORLD IVAR 59 Amount Number of Loans Subscribed Subscribers First National Bank, 1 (Not on record) Batesville, Ind. — 2 52,250 158 3 50,500 362 4 68,000 275 5 92,000 155 Cross Plains Bank, 1 (Not on record) Cross Plains, Ind. — 2 14,500 227 3 26,550 150 4 33,800 133 5 37,250 43 Friendship State Bank, 1 (Not on record) Friendship, Ind. — 2 12,000 75 3 20,500 120 4 39,350 188 5 57.100 80 Holton State Bank, 1 (Not on record) Holton, Ind. — 2 20,000 76 3 45,000 250 4 74,500 393 5 30,000 87 State Bank of Milan, 1 (Not on record) Milan, Ind.— 2 35,000 140 3 65,000 191 4 99,150 441 5 84,400 211 Napoleon State Bank, 1 (Not on record) Napoleon, Ind. — 2 15,000 43 3 27,750 150 4 46,050 333 5 26,500 90 Osgood State Bank, 1 (Not on record) Osgood, Ind. — 2 12,500 43 3 20,900 115 4 27,500 125 5 30,000 60 Ripley County Bank, 1 (Not on record ) Osgood, Ind. — 2 28,000 52 3 63,000 272 4 92,500 604 5 92,150 125 Farmers' National Bank, 1 (Not on record) Sunman, Ind. — 2 14,600 44 3 48,000 102 4 37,300 175 5 45,000 82 60 RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE WORLD JVAR Versailles Bank, 1 (Not on record) Versailles, Ind. — 2 28,000 57 3 65,150 233 4 106,950 357 5 58,300 113 Sunman Bank, 1 (Not on record) Sunman, Ind. 2 68,000 146 3 86,800 362 4 65,400 248 5 111,250 345 While much credit is due the various banks of the county, the members of the various soliciting committees, the speakers, and, in fact, all those persons who took an active part in the campaigns, the success of the five great war loans in Ripley county is due primarily to the patriotism and loyalty of our citizens. Ripley county, as stated else- where in this article, did her full duty in backing up the boys on the firing line, and our children and children's children will in the years to come have just cause to feel proud of the achievement of those who will then have gone before them. REPORT OF WOMAN'S COMMITTEE FOR THIRD LIBERTY LOAN State Chairman: Mrs. Fred H. McCulloch, Ft. Wayne, Ind. Township Chairmen: Jackson township, Mrs. Emerson Behlmer; Lr.ughery township, Mrs. Neil McCallum; Brown township, Mrs. Carl Smith; Otter Creek township, Mrs. D. C. Yater; Adams town- ship, Mrs. W. W. McMuUen; Center township, Mrs. V. A. Wager; Laughery township, Mrs. Neil McCallum; Brown township, Miss Canfiehi's Drum Corps — Liberty Loan Parade, Batesville, April 6, iqiS. RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE WORLD WAR 61 Martha Winkler; Franklin township, Mrs. W. A. Beer; Shelby town- ship, Miss Georgiana Spears. Approximate number of workers, one hundred twenty-five. Total amount of bonds sold by women during the third Liberty Loan in Ripley county, $141,050. Total amount sold by women in the state, $23,623,750. A county conference for the purpose of organization was held at the assembly room of the library at Osgood, April 24, 1918. Mrs. Moll and Mrs. Brigham, of Indianapolis, gave interesting and inspiring talks on why and how to organize Food Clubs and Woman's Liberty Loan Committees. After each township chairman appointed her assistants, these committees then met and co-operated with the men's committees of their townships for final formation of local plans for the drive from April 6 to May 4. The women's committees assisted at all Liberty Loan meetings, distributed Liberty Loan literature and posters throughout their districts, and did their part to instill the spirit of the Liberty Loan in their community. Our county four-minute women also re- sponded nobly at various times, giving four-minute talks in behalf of the loan at the theaters and other meetings. Opportunity for greater and more valuable service knocked at our doors, and wide did w^e open the doors since the enlarged vision of our responsibilities made us move forward with greater determina- tion to meet the obligations that awaited us. The financial report was made possible because the wonderful women of our county were so eager to do Liberty Loan work, for they realized, as only wives, mothers and sweethearts could, that the necessary equipment of our vast army, both overseas and at home, could not be supplied w^ithout selling the loan to the people. The women of our county carried on this work willingly without counting cost or sacrifice, feeling it a sacred privilege to have so small a part in helping their boys and their country. This same spirit and splendid results would have prevailed during the fourth loan if the women's committees could have secured the co- operation of the men's committees, which they justly deserved. Mrs. Luella Fink Butler, Chairman of Woman's Liberty Loan Committee of Ripley County. War Savings Movement Neil D. McCallum With the preparations for war assuming gigantic proportions, and the absolute necessity for greater and greater speed in the preparations, the expenditure of money by the billions to equip and maintain our fighting forces was found necessary, and it became the business of the Treasury Department to seek every available source of keeping its coffers replenished, that the w^ork of mobilizing, training and caring 62 RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE WORLD WAR for our soldiers and sailors might not be hindered, but move on speedily and steadily that the war might be won in the shortest time possible. Through the Liberty Loans a great part of this money was raised, but the Treasury Department, not knowing how long the war might last, nor how much money might be needed ere it ended, instituted a plan known as the war savings plan, by which it hoped to encourage economy and thrift in every home, and to teach the small wage earner, who wished to contribute to the great cause, and who found it not possible to spare from his earnings a very large sum at one time, but who could, by economy and industry, manage to save a little from time to time, thus materially aiding his government and giving him a profitable investment besides. It also hoped to call to its aid in this great war savings movement the school children of America, and enlist their services by inculcating in them, through their teachers, habits of self-denial and economy with their little earnings and spending money, that every penny might be turned into this war savings fund to help win the war. Briefly, the plan was as follows: Upon payment of 25 cents for a thrift stamp, a card with sixteen spaces for pasting sixteen 25-cent stamps was given you. JVhen you had purchased sixteen thrift stamps, or $4.00 worth, you were entitled to exchange your card full of thrift stamps for a war savings stamp, by paying in addition a slight sum, this depending on the month of their purchase, according as their inter- est accumulated each month. This stamp would be worth in five years $5.00. Or, if you had the price of a war savings stamp on hand, you might buy it outright, without purchasing any thrift stamps, or, any person might buy as many as he chose, up to $1,000 worth, the maximum amount any one person might own. Immediately upon announcement of the plan by the government, the thrift stamps and the war savings stamps were placed on sale at the postoffices, stores, banks, and numerous public places, rural carriers playing a prominent part in their sales in rural districts. In December, 1917, their sale began, and in every part of the country people responded liberally, for not only were they giving the use of their money to their country, but they realized the war savings stamps were a safe and profitable investment. The Government hoped by these small contributions to raise two billion dollars in a year's time or up to January 1, 1919. Organizations of states and counties began immediately and John A. Hillenbrand, who was also serving as county chairman of the war savings movement for Ripley county in December, 1917, began to organize Ripley county for the sale of its quota of war savings stamps. Mr. Hillenbrand appointed the following committee to serve with him: J. Francis Lochard, Versailles; O. R. Jenkins, Osgood; Charles Hertenstein, Versailles; William McMullen, Sunman ; Davidson Yater, Holton; Thomas Laws, Milan; G. A. Baas, Batesville. They planned to start their campaign for sales immediately after January 1, 1918, RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE WORLD WAR 63 though in a number of places in the state the campaign began in December, 1917, but Ripley county was not organized to begin ear- nestly at that time, although the sale of stamps was fairly launched in most parts of the county. On December 29, 1917, the employes of the Hillenbrand interests of Batesville met and organized a war savings society, pledging themselves to systematic saving; to refrain from unnecessary expendi- tures; to encourage habits of thrift and to invest their savings in war savings stamps. This step on their part encouraged greatly the sale of stamps, not alone amongst themselves, but amongst the people of Bates- ville and vicinity. While it had been planned by the county chairman and his com- mittee to inaugurate a campaign for the sale of stamps on a large scale immediately after New Year, 1918, the terrible blizzard and continuous cold weather throughout January made it impossible to attempt an organization of the entire county that could be relied upon to give effective service, so there was a lull in the movement, although the sale of stamps everywhere possible was going on. When the weather became fit, the big drive for large sales began in March, 1918, when Mr. Hillenbrand and his committee began the organization of each township. Ripley county's quota of war savings stamps to be sold by January 1, 1919, was $389,040, or $20 per capita. Up to March 1, 1918, through the various postoffices, banks and schools of the county, a total sum of $53,948.70 w^orth of war stamps had been sold, or about 14 per cent of the county's quota. With each township organized the members of the various com- mittees went to work with the usual zeal exhibited by the people of Ripley county, and by general publicity, by advertisement, by public meetings, through the postmasters and the rural carriers, and through the schools, the sale of stamps began in earnest, the end of March showing the total sales for March of $27,523.93 and a total of all sales to date of $81,372.63. On May 1, the sales for the period to that date showed a total of $102,824.67 or about $5.31 per capita, w^hereas $20 per capita was the quota assigned. On April 1, 1918, Mr. J. D. Oliver, state chairman, appointed John A. Hillenbrand, chairman of the Fourth Congressional District in addition to being chairman of Ripley county. Niel McCallum was appointed vice-president of the Fourth Congressional District. Mr. McCallum visited every county chairman in the district and in several of the counties assisted the county chairman in getting the county organized. The Fourth Congressional District was composed of eleven counties, Bartholomew, Brown, Dearborn, Decatur, Jackson, Jennings, Jefferson, Johnson, Ohio, Ripley and Switzerland. With this additional task before them, the chairman and vice-chairman set out, not only to make 64 RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE WORLD WAR their own county of Ripley do its duty, but the counties of this district as well. On May 6, 1918, a district meeting was held at Seymour — it was a representative gathering of all the districts in the state, chairmen, committeemen, postmasters and all those vitally interested in putting over the sale of war savings stamps being present to exchange their views and opinions, and to glean from their fellow workers various plans and devices for effecting sales of stamps. Joseph D. Oliver, director, and Frank E. Herring, vice-director of the war savings stamps movement in Indiana, were both present at the meeting, and presented before their co-workers the decision of the Government to try to raise the two billion dollars by July 1, 1918, in sales or pledges, instead of extending the time up to January 1, 1919, as had been originally planned. Therefore, it was agreed at the meeting that every county should begin, without delay, a strenuous campaign for raising its full quota as soon as possible. Ripley county being thoroughly organized, undertook the task im- mediately, and during the first week in June a campaign was con- ducted in every township with the following results : Adams $ 8,131.61 Brown 12,668.25 Center 9,056.00 Delaware 352.00 Franklin 8,077.00 Johnson 410.00 Jackson 4,777.00 Laughery 13,846.50 Otter Creek 4,478.25 Shelby 4.000.00 Washington 3,500.00 Total $77,306.61 Jackies' Band, Victory Loan, IQIQ, Great Lakes, Illinois. RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE WORLD WAR 65 The Government now decided to close the campaign for the war savings stamps on June 28, 1918, and President Wilson and the governors of all the states issued proclamations designating Friday, June 28, as War Savings Day, upon which date all were expected to purchase stamps or to pledge themselves to do so to the full extent of their ability, that the entire quota for the county, the state and the Nation might be met on that date, thereby doing away with constant solicitation for sales. Extensive and thorough preparations were made by Mr. Hillenbrand and Mr. McCallum for this climax to the campaign, not only in Ripley county, but in the district as well. A program in compliance with requests from the Government was carried out in every school district and at every meeting place on that day, as follows: 1. Reading the Proclamation of the Governor of Indiana. 2. Reading the call from the State Director of the Indiana War Savings Committee. 3. Announcing the unsold \ quota for the year of war savings stamps for the township or school district or other division in which the meeting was held. 4. Reading the names and the amounts on such pledge cards as had been filed for credit to. the June 28 drive by those who, for justifi- able reasons, could not be present at the meeting. 5. Reading the names and listing the amounts on the pledge cards of those present. 6. Adding the amounts of all pledge cards by a committee of three, of whom the secretary should be chairman, and announcing to those assembled whether or not the quota had been met. The total sum pledged was immediately to be telephoned or telegraphed to the county chairman. 7. Appointing a committee of five, of whom the presiding officer and secretary should be members, to compile a list of property owners, wage earners, taxpayers and others included in the call who were not present at the meeting, and who had not previously filled out and delivered pledge cards to authorized solicitors or war savings repre- sentatives, the list to be prepared as soon as possible; the original to be sent to the state director and a copy filed with the county chairman. 8. Community singing of "America" or "Star-Spangled Banner." 9. Dismissal. The day was a very significant one, for it became practically obligatory upon every taxpayer and wage earner to purchase, or pledge to purchase stamps if he did not wish to be classed as unpatriotic. Every citizen had been sent a notice previous to War Savings Day designating the place he was to report that day to pledge the amount of his purchase, providing he had not already pledged an amount upon solicitation. The zeal, the earnestness and patriotic endeavors put forth by the large group of willing workers in this "finish" campaign for war savings stamps bore good fruit, for when the totals were compiled, following the "big War Savings Day", Mr. Hillenbrand 66 RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE WORLD WAR was gratified to learn that Ripley county had kept up her "over the top" reputation, figures showing that with her year's quota of $389,040 to be met, old Ripley had, with cash sales and pledges a total of $423,- 206, having exceeded her quota by $34,166. During the week previous to and on Friday, June 28, a total of $233,410 worth of stamps were sold or pledged, the following showing the apportionment assigned each township, the amount of sales and pledges, and chairmen of each: Cash Sales Township Quota and Pledges Chairmen Adams $ 21,011 $ 25,190 Louis Bruns Brown 18,011 26,665 Wilkie Lemen Center 20,584 22,000 O. R. Jenkins Delaware 11.136 12,905 Henry Bultman Franklin 17,512 21,890 Thomas Laws Jackson 11,614 16,045 Harry Behlmer Johnson 21,011 19,040 Chas. Hertenstein Laughery 30,751 37,810 G. A. Baas Otter Creek 16,729 12,365 Davidson Yater Shelby 22,190 27,000 Dr. Cramer Washington 8,695 12,500 Edgar Smith Total $199,244 $233,410 Not alone did Mr. Hillenbrand and Mr. McCallum have the satis- faction of seeing their own county exceed her quota, but the Fourth District, of which Mr. Hillenbrand was also chairman and Mr. McCallum vice-chairman, as a whole made a wonderful showing, ranking second in the districts of the state, which is very creditable, considering the resources of some of the counties of the district, and Ripley county ranked fourth in the state and second in the district. One of the counties of the Fourth District, Johnson, bears the distinction of being the first county in the United States to exceed its quota, getting this honor by a slight margin only, as Ohio county, in the same district, was a strong contestant for this honor, and, small as it is, made a brilliant record for war savings stamp sales. In recognition of the splendid work done in Ripley county during the campaign, a letter of commendation was received from Mr. J. Oliver, director of the Indiana War Savings Committee, to the local newspapers, as follows: "As director of the Indiana War Savings Committee, I should like to give public expression through your columns of my earnest appreciation of the untiring efforts of County Chairman John A. Hillenbrand and his zealous co-workers in the war savings campaign, and particularly the special effort which culminated in the drive on June 28, when your county was one of the first to go "over the top" and reach its goal. I congratulate the resi- dents of Ripley county on the enthusiastic and patriotic manner in RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE WORLD WAR 67 which they have responded to the call of duty, and I would especially urge your county organization be not allowed to disintegrate, but be kept together to the close of the campaign. Sincerely yours, J. D. Oliver, State Director." Thus, while the sale of war savings stamps did not end with this campaign, the solicitation for sales practically ceased with the June 28 drive, and through the rest of the year pledge cards were redeemed and investments constantly made by those who had money to spare. Ere the close of the year, November 1 1 brought a great change in the outlook for America and for the world, and the war savings stamps movement was lost sight of in the coming of peace and the return of the soldier boys. All faces eagerly turned toward the scene of conflict waiting for the ships that arrived day by day with their precious cargo of America's bravest and best, whose dauntless courage and bravery was, in a large measure due to the power "behind the guns" in which the little thrift stamps and its "big brother," the war savings stamp, played their parts with as much skill and success as did the larger Liberty Bond, and the small investor, proportionate to his earning capacity, merits as much gratitude from his nation and her defenders as the holder of larger investments, all, both little and great, a mighty force "behind the lines" for their country and their God in the establish- ment of peace. Food Administration The war in Europe had so affected the food supply of the world that long before the entrance of America into the World War, we had felt the need of conserving our resources for ourselves, as well as to supply the needs of the warring nations. With the declaration of a state of war between America and Germany on April 6, 1917, the food situation in many ways became acute. Herbert Hoover was sent to Belgium to try to save the oppressed people from starvation. It became our immediate duty as an ally to feed, not only the Belgians, but the rest of our European allies as well. We had at once to raise, feed and equip an army of several million men. These several million men had to be taken from our fields and factories, as well as from desks and offices. That meant a shortage of productive labor from coast to coast. Fewer hands on the great northwest wheat fields ; fewer hands in the mills, in the workshops, everywhere, while, at the same time, the output of our fields must be multiplied as much as possible. To meet these sudden gigantic needs, various plans had to be made. Our best trained men were called from everywhere to help in the crisis of our affairs. To meet the food situation, a Food Administration Bureau was created at Washington which labored to learn how to save what food we already had and to increase production as efficiently as possible. Sunday, July 1, 1917, was set as National Food Conservation Day. All ministers were asked to preach on the subject in their various churches on that day. 68 RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE WORLD WAR In August, 1917, the President fixed the minimum price of wheat for the 1917 crop at $2.20 per bushel. The price for the 1918 crop was set at $2.00 per bushel. Food pledge cards asking housewives to observe certain strict con- servation rules were sent out for signature. The first, somewhat loose, general plan of appeal did not succeed as had been hoped. The women did not sign the cards in any great numbers. They did not under- stand the necessity for doing so. Also, many feared they might pledge themselves to respond to unknown demands. So very few signed pledges went back to Washington that a better plan for securing the support of the women of America had to be worked out. New methods of instruction and distribution of the cards were carefully planned. Meetings were held to explain the need, the entire necessity for the strictest conservation of food. To feed our soldiers already pouring into the cantonments and overseas the people at home must sacrifice and save. To win the war in the shortest possible time with the least expenditure of our own men, we must feed the allied soldiers so that they might hold the trenches and share the fighting with our men when they should finally be ready. These plans eventually developed into a house to house canvass and the Food Administration cards were hung in practically every home in America. These cards pledged the house- wives to follow all rules of the Food Administration as they should be given out from time to time. Recipes for using wheat substitutes, fat substitutes and sugar substitutes were printed and distributed broad- cast. The three great food staples had to be conserved if the war was to be won against the Central Powers. State administrators were appointed, who in turn appointed county administrators. J. H. Bergdoll, of Milan, was appointed for Ripley county. A mass meeting was called by the Council of Defense at the court- house in Versailles, on September 26, 1917, for the purpose of organizing more intensely along various lines for war work. Groups of speakers had been sent out by the state to address these meetings, which were held over a period of a few days, the state being divided into groups of counties. Decatur, Ripley, Dearborn and Franklin counties constituted one group. The speakers sent to these counties were John Chewning of Rockport, Ind., Homer Elliot of Spencer, Ind., John F. Riley of Hammond, Ind., and John \V. Spencer of Evansville, Ind. The four-minute men were appointed at this meeting, at which all war organizations were represented. The speeches gave plans for closer organization and data, and plans to be used in making addresses and completing this organization work. Meetings were held all over the county during Septembr, 1917, by Oscar Swank, a hog-growing expert, who explained how to produce more hogs in the shortest time and with the least amount of labor and capital possible. Pig clubs were organized, and the various towns made new RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE JVORLD IV AR 69 rules allowing pigs to be fed within the town limits under certain regulations along sanitary lines. The United States Food Administration Law was passed on August 10, 1917. Its purpose as outlined was as follows: "To provide for security and national defense by encouraging the production, conserva- tion of supply, and control of distribution of food products. Its hopes were threefold : To so guide the trade in fundamental food commod- ities as to eliminate vicious speculation, extortion, hoarding and waste- ful practices, and to stabilize prices in the essential articles. Second: To guard our exports so that against the world's shortage we retain sufficient supplies for our own people, and to co-operate with our allies to prevent inflation of prices. Third : That we stimulate in every manner within our power the production and saving of our food in order that we may increase exports to our allies to a point which will enable them to properly provision their armies and feed their people." Mr. BergdoU was appointed as food administrator in December, 1917. He immediately announced in the five county papers the purposes of the Food Administration, and toured the county as rapidly as possible, calling on all dealers in food commodities and establishing a mailing list so that each could be notified promptly of changes and new regula- tions as they were issued by the Food Administration. Milk dealers were notified not to advance prices without permission of the county food administrator. Flour and sugar were to be handled until further notice, as follows: Only one-eighth to one-quarter barrel of flour could be sold at one time to consumers in towns and villages. Only one-quarter to one-half barrel of flour to consumers in country districts. Sugar could be sold to consumers in towns and villages only in two jfarrrtTJiii^ I kMr i^^lh^iMidii -^lilHI- -^'--'fr-m^^l^ ik-fc >«%&^i^j.>-./ • ^Wf^g Liberty Loan Parade, Fair Grniuids, Bafes'ville, April 6, igiS, Eureka Band. 70 RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE WORLD IV A R or five pound lots. To consumers in rural districts only in five or ten pound lots. A mass meeting of retail grocers was held at Osgood, Friday, Janu- ary 11, 1918, at 1:30 P. M., to elect a delegate from Ripley county to the Federal Food Administration at Indianapolis, on January 15. Will D. Vayhinger of Osgood was elected and attended the meeting. The papers and magazines were filled with war-time recipes. One famous sample provided for an entire meal in one dish as follows: "Dried Peas With Rice and Tomatoes. — One-half cup rice, two cups peas, six onions, one tablespoonful salt, one-quarter teaspoon pepper, two cups tomatoes. Soak peas over night in two quarts of water. Cook in this water until tender, add rice, onions, tomatoes and so forth, and cook twenty minutes." On February 2, 1918, the following flour rules were put into effect: One sack of twenty-four and one-half pounds to one family at one time. Substitutes in equal amount at same time. Barley, buckwheat, corn flour, corn meal, corn starch, corn grits, hominy, oatmeal, potato flour, rice, rice flour, rolled oats, soy beans, sweet potato or rye flour were all allowed as substitutes. Records had to be kept to prevent hoarding. Millers were not per- mitted to sell in different amounts. Tuesday of each week was set aside as meatless day. Monday and Wednesday of each week as wheatless days. No wheat flour could be used on these days except in soups and gravies, or as a binder with corn meal or other cereal breads. One meatless meal and one wheatless meal was to be observed every day. No pork was to be served on Tuesday or on Saturday. Fish, poultry and eggs could be used instead. Every day was to be a fat and sugar saving day by making less use of both. Plane 3Q32Q, Fourth Liberty Loan, September 28, IQ18. RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE IVORLD If'AR 71 All this conservation was asked to be given voluntarily by the people of the United States. The signatures to the pledge cards prom- ised to conform with these rules and the Government hoped to escape taking coercive measures. Another county conference was held at Versailles, on February 13, 1918. The schools of the county were dismissed so that the teachers and as many pupils as possible might attend. These meetings were not easily held, as the winter of 1917 and 1918 was the most severe in our history, the storms of December 8th and January 12th continuing two weeks in each case with several feet of drifted snow, zero weather, sleet and wind, causing unheard of hardship owing to scarcity of coal and food. Owners of timber had been asked to sell or give away all available tops, branches and refuse timber as fuel and had thus aug- mented the coal shortage to some extent. Mrs. J. H. BergdoU had been appointed as chairman on home eco- nomics and conducted an interesting session in demonstration of her subject at this February meeting. C. H. Andres, as Red Cross chairman, showed moving pictures of Red Cross work at the Austin theater. The Versailles Red Cross served dinner to the crowd and added to their local Red Cross fund in this manner, as well as serving war dishes, breads and so forth, in line with food conservation plans. Miss Elinor Barker talked on "Food Conservation," addressing the crowd in the afternoon. Judge Sample gave the main address on the "Help-Win-the-War Slogan" topic. A returned Canadian soldier fur- nished the war experience talk. A woman's war workers' meeting was held at Osgood, at the public library, on March 21, 1918. The Council of Defense had appointed the following chairmen: Enrollment and Women's Service, Laura Nelson, Osgood. Food Conservation, Laura Nelson. Food Production, Mrs. J. A. Hillenbrand, Batesville. Child Welfare, Mrs. W. W. McMullen, Sunman. Liberty Loan, Mrs. Luella Butler, Osgood. Red Cross and Allied Relief, Mrs. F. M. Laws, Versailles. Health and Recreation, Mrs. C. W. Gibson, Batesville. Maintaining Existing Social Service Agencies, Monta Royce, Ver- sailles. Educational Propaganda, Sophia Nickel, Batesville. Publicity, Mrs. Peter Holzer, Batesville. Special Committees, Mrs. James Hazelrigg, Napoleon. Chairman, Fourteen-Minute Women, Monta Royce. List of Fourteen-Minute Women: Mrs. Pearl Copeland, Ver- siailles; Mrs. Luella Bilby, Osgood; Mrs. G. Herman, Osgood; Mrs. J. H. BergdoU, Milan; Mrs. May Laws, Milan; Mrs. Minnie E. Wycoff, Batesville; Mrs. Tora McCallum, Batesville; Mrs. Sherman Gookins, Napoleon. 72 RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE IVORLD WAR These women were called together at this time to receive the plans for their special lines of work. The meeting was particularly for the purpose of instruction for the Third Liberty Loan drive and for special food conservation plans. On May 23, 1918, floiir and sugar cards were issued by the Food Administration. One and one-half pounds of Hour and three-quarters pound of sugar were allowed for each person for one week. Twenty- five pound lots of sugar for canning purposes only were to be sold. This time penalties were fixed for failure to comply with these rules; a $5,000 fine or six months in jail were the extreme penalties imposed. On and after July 15, 1918, all wholesale egg and poultry dealers had to have a license. This included all retail and country grocers and hucksters who bought eggs from farmers for sale to commission men or shippers. Licenses were secured from the License Division, Law De- partment, United States Food Administration, Washington, D. C. After that date all eggs had to be candled ; every case had to contain the license number of the dealer, name of dealer, and date on which eggs were candled. These rules were issued by the Indiana Egg Dealers' Association at Indianapolis. Wholesale egg dealers were not allowed to buy from unlicensed dealers. No cases were allowed to be shipped without the certificate con- taining license number and name of dealer with date of candling of eggs. The sale of eggs on the loss-ofiF basis was abolished. On July 5, 1918, the following beef order was issued to hotels and restaurants: Beef, except steaks, may be served in any order from 11 A. M. to 2 P. M. on Sundav, Mondav, Wednesday and Friday. Steaks may be served from 2 P. M.'to 10:30 P. IVL on Tuesday, Thursday and War Exhibit Train, Batesville, IQIQ. Ripley county's part in the world ivar n Saturday. By-products, such as tongue, liver, heart and so forth, can be served at all times. No beef under five hundred pounds weight was allowed to be used. As the wheat crop of 1918 was harvested and turned into the mar- ket new regulations were issued as follows, on August 29th : Four parts of wheat flour to one part of substitute flour should be used by every one. No limit as to amount of flour purchased was made. All bakers and consumers were compelled to use the 80-20 per cent rule in baking. The amount of sugar allowed to each person had been reduced to one-half pound per week for a short time during the fall of 1918. The amount of canning sugar to one family was finally limited to twenty-five pounds, though many families, buying in twenty-five pound lots, had used up to one hundred or more pounds before this order was passed. The final canning regulations allowed but ten pounds at a time, up to twenty-five pounds total to each family. The sale of canning sugar was suspended entirely in October. Restrictions on the sale of all foodstufiFs were removed after the signing of the armistice in November, 1918. Consequent restrictions and regulations belong to the after-the-war period. The people of Ripley county proved, as a whole, to be adaptable and truly patriotic. But few violations of the food laws were discovered. A number of arrests for the hoarding of sugar and flour were made at different times but the intent of most of our citizens was to obey the Food Administration regardless of inconveniences involved. No real suffering because of these laws was reported. The larger number of people were glad to "do their bit" in this, as well as in other ways. The final work of the Food Administration in 1918 was a meeting at Versailles, on Friday, November 29, for the purpose of organizing food clubs throughout the county. During the summer of 1919 the shortage of the sugar supply caused a resumption of duty by the Food Administration to control the prices and to receive an equitable distribution of the available sugar. County Historian. FOOD CONSERVATION "To minister to those in need. To bravely meet life's toil and care, To bind up stricken hearts that bleed, To smile though days be dark or fair; To scatter love and live the good — This is the crown of womanhood." The war brought a very clear and powerful emphasis to the word "Conservation." And in August, 1917, our country had already seen the immediate need of conservation of food, so I was asked by the County Council of Defense to take up the work of distributing the food conservation pledge cards throughout Ripley county for our women to sign. 74 RIPLEY COUNTY'S PART IN THE IVORLD WAR Every woman who signed a card pledged her willingness to conserve all she could in her own kitchen to the best of her ability. The twentieth day of February, 1918, 1 was officially appointed by H. E. Barnard, Federal food administrator of Indiana, to act as county presi- dent of United States Food Clubs. The organization plan of the clubs was to appoint township presidents, and each township president to or- ganize food clubs and appoint food club presidents, thus making a thoroughly organized community. The township presidents were as follows: Center township, Mrs. E. Maud Bruce. Johnson township, Mrs. Monta Royce. Laughery township. Miss Sophia Nickel. Adams township, Miss Myrtle Stille. Delaware township, Mrs. Herman Menke. Jackson township, Mrs. Ada Myers. Shelby township. Miss Georgiana Spears. At the meetings of these clubs, literature furnished by the state was distributed among the ladies an-d these leaflets contained recipes on how to save the wheat, meat and fats. Our four-minute women did a noble work in our clubs, too. Only seven townships in our county organized these clubs, but practically every woman in the county received litera- ture, as every school child was given literature to take home. At this time our sorrows were akin and prompted our desire to do for others. By these little acts of service there was a network of friend- ship woven throughout our county. I can not refrain from expressing my sincere gratitude for the splendid assistance you women of Ripley county have rendered. It was your efforts and those of others associated with us that made possible the proud record of Indiana and helped to cause the defeat of the arch enemy of civilization. Mrs. Laura Row Nelson^ President of U nited States Food Clubs of Ripley County. /X^^wiCsB^L' ' ^rBpiw 1 ^ ^K