History of the Lake and Calumet Region of Indiana, 1927, Chapter XV
History of Lake, Porter, and LaPorte, 1927County history published by the Historians' Association . . . .

Source Citation:

Cannon, Thomas H., H. H. Loring, and Charles J. Robb. 1927. History of the Lake and Calumet Region of Indiana, Embracing the Counties of Lake, Porter and LaPorte: An Historical Account of Its People and Its Progress from the Earliest Times to the Present. Volume I. Indianapolis, Indiana: Historians' Association. 840 p.

HISTORY OF THE LAKE AND CALUMET REGION OF INDIANA

CHAPTER XV.

THE LAKE AND CALUMET REGION IN THE WORLD WAR.

THE WORLD WAR -- PUBLIC SENTIMENT IN LAKE COUNTY BEFORE THE WAR -- PATRIOTIC DEMONSTRATIONS -- COUNCIL OF DEFENSE -- WOMEN'S SECTION, COUNCIL OF DEFENSE -- CALUMET REGION A GREAT CENTER OF ENLISTMENT -- AMERICAN ALLIANCE -- HAMMOND LIBERTY TEMPLE -- CONSCRIPTION BOARDS AND REGISTRATION -- HOME GUARDS -- SOLDIERS' WELFARE CAMP ORGANIZATIONS -- LIBERTY LOANS -- THE RED CROSS -- LA PORTE COUNTY IN THE WORLD WAR -- PORTER COUNTY IN THE WORLD WAR -- ROSTER OF SOLDIERS FROM LAKE, LA PORTE AND PORTER COUNTIES -- GOLD STAR LIST.

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When the great war opened in 1914, but few people in America would believe that there was a remote possibility that we would some day be called upon to enter the conflict. Our isolation â our remoteness from the countries involved â our disinterestedness in strictly European affairs â had given us a sense of security which made participation in a European war so unlikely as to be without consideration. In fact, the only relation that seemed probable, if any, was the likelihood of our Government taking action at the proper time to bring the warring nations together as it had done in the Russo-Japanese war, and promote a peaceful ending of the strife.

The great mass of our citizens did not realize that the great conflict which had been threatening Europe since the beginning of the century had burst forth and that twenty years of military preparation was about to reap a harvest of destruction in life and property so colossal that many many years will elapse before recovery is possible on the part of the countries involved.

Those of our citizens who kept in touch with the military affairs of Europe knew that the greatest war in all history had begun, and instead of a battle of armies there was to be a battle of nations, to end only when the weaker in man-power and resources would succumb through exhaustion. But even those who knew the long and desperate nature of the struggle ahead would not believe that a situation could arise which would cause us to assume other than a neutral attitude. Our Government had no thoughts excepting those of neutrality, and preparations for war on

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our part in 1914 was undreamed of. We were slowly recovering from the business depression of 1913 and manufacturers and business men knew that the nations involved would look to us for necessary material and supplies while the war was in progress.

In a few months after the war opened orders began to pour in on us which in a short time amounted to hundreds of millions of dollars, thereby instituting a revival in business which increased in volume with the increasing demand from the countries engaged as their military operations became extended.

THE SUBMARINES.

Just prior to the opening of the war a submersible vessel had been brought to an important state of perfection and efficiency and the Central Powers soon developed it into a great engine of destruction. When used against war vessels it naturally aroused no resentment, but the Central Powers began to employ it almost exclusively in the destruction of unarmed merchant ships belonging to the neutral powers as well as the Allies, on the ground that neutral vessels were carrying military supplies to the Allies which the Central Powers were unable to obtain from neutrals on account of the blockade which existed against the Central Powers on both land and sea. Appeal after appeal was made by neutral governments to the Central Powers to confine the activities of their submarines to action against recognized vessels of war, and promises to do so were repeatedly made by the Central Powers, only to be broken after a short respite and renewed attacks on neutral merchant vessels were made.

During this trying period President Wilson made every effort to maintain our neutrality, although the loss of hundreds of our citizens through the sinking of merchantmen had aroused our people to a high fever of resentment against the Central Powers and pressure was being exercised from various sections of our country to force the Government into the war against them. That the American people were patient and did not think extreme action was necessary as yet was shown in the reelection of President Wilson, largely through the phrase used by his supporters: âHe kept us out of war.â

The civilian population of Germany and Austria were feeling the blockade keenly and food supplies became insufficient by the close of 1916. This situation brought about internal dissension, so the governments of the Central Powers determined on a ruthless submarine campaign against all merchant vessels, with no effort to be made to save either the crews or passengers, in the hope by this method they could virtually destroy transportation and the movement of material on the high seas, thereby weakening the Allies and making a peace agreement possible without a military decision, which at that time appeared to be far in the future.

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This campaign resulted in the further loss of the lives of many Americans travelling on neutral vessels as well as the further loss of our own merchantmen, which, with the growing desire to aid France, brought about such a feeling of hostility in this country against the Central Powers that in response to an almost universal demand from every state in the Union, our Government, on April 7, 1917, formally declared war against them.

NATIONAL UNITY.

With millions of recently arrived immigrants from Europe and the balance of our population descended almost wholly from European stock, it was natural that there would be a division of sympathy for the warring nations, which sympathy became intensified and difficult to restrain as the months and years went by and no definite military decision seemed likely.

To a natural sympathy for the Central Powers in the early stages of the war by those of German blood and descent was added the intense dislike of England by a large percentage of those of Irish birth and lineage, the result of centuries of oppression of Ireland by England, and which drove millions of Irish to America and other lands. The influence of these powerful forces in American life on the sentiment of the country was very great, and only partially offset by the ruthless invasion of Belgium by Germany, which aroused great sympathy here.

What turned the tide of sentiment to the Allies in 1915 was the wonderful sacrifices being made by France and her great defense, and the growing feeling in this country that the debt of gratitude we owed her for the aid given us in the Revolutionary war should now be repaid, and this feeling grew stronger day by day until we entered the war. How powerful was this influence is shown in the expression of one of General Pershingâs soldiers on his arrival in France with Americaâs first contribution in men and material, when, standing before the grave of Lafayette, he said, âLafayette, we are here!â and the promise therein conveyed of the powerful aid she was about to receive revived and breathed new life in the drooping spirit of France.

Those who had any doubts about American unity should we enter the war, on account of the divided sympathy for the countries engaged, must have enjoyed profound satisfaction to see the wave of patriotic enthusiasm which swept the nation when, after our continued protests against the violation of our rights at sea were finally treated, with contempt, our President and Congress prepared to join the Allies in defense of these rights. All former sympathies were forgotten and a crystallization of patriotic sentiment took place, seldom seen in any land.

We had been most patient at the invasion of our rights, and even those who from principle opposed war and would make most any sacrifice to

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avoid it, acknowledged there was no alternative. The leading centers of foreign immigrants overflowed with patriotic fervor for their adopted country, and when the formal declaration of war was made, President Wilson had behind him a united nation ready to make any sacrifice to preserve our national ideals and privileges, and in the language of the President, âmake the world safe for democracy.â

CIVILIAN EFFORTS IN THE WORLD WAR.

Following the plans outlined by the National Government and generally adopted throughout the country to organize the civilian forces into various circles of activity, the citizens of the Lake and Calumet Region of Indiana took early action to render the fullest possible service toward the successful prosecution of the war, and leading citizens with special ability gave free and unstinted service as members of various councils and boards appointed or selected to achieve the greatest possible results. The story of the civilian war activities in Lake, Porter and LaPorte counties, which are included in the Lake and Calumet Region of Indiana, will be found in the sections which follow.

PUBLIC SENTIMENT IN LAKE COUNTY BEFORE THE WAR.

Having such a large element of foreign born in its population, particularly in the industrial centers, the feeling in Lake County before we entered the war was representative of the feeling generally in the larger industrial cities of the country where similar conditions existed. Sympathizers with the Allies were many and there was naturally the most friendly feeling for the Central Powers. While those favoring the Allies were open in their sympathy, they were not as strong and outspoken as the partisans of the Central Powers, who unhesitatingly expressed the hope that the Central Powers would be victorious in the conflict, and there were good grounds for placing some of them under suspicion of not being wholeheartedly in support of America, at least in the early stages after we joined the Allies.

Seditious teachings by those of Bolshevistic tendencies were manifest for a short time before and after we entered the war and created another disturbing situation. Proper measures were taken to ferret out the group organizations from which Bolshevist propaganda emanated, as it became evident their purpose was to affect the industrial situation and the output of the industrial plants. As the Calumet District was to be an important factor in furnishing war supplies to the Government, patriotic citizens in the sections where the dissension seemed centered early determined to crush the element responsible and were especially vigilant after a mys-

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terious explosion at the Aetna Powder Works, at Aetna, which destroyed the plant.

An organization of public speakers was effected with a policy of enlightenment and education and which carried the message of Americanism into every home in the industrial center. To this campaign to destroy disloyalty before it had obtained a serious foothold, P. A. Parry and the other newspaper editors in the industrial centers gave their unqualified support and their newspapers reaching into every home in the region were effective aids in correcting the conditions. Hammond, East Chicago and vicinity seemed to be the principal centers of Bolshevistic propaganda, but in a short time the effective measures inaugurated completely changed conditions. Col. Walter J. Riley of East Chicago early noted the insidious efforts to weaken the loyalty of labor, especially among the foreign born population, and he became a potent influence in creating a unified citizenship. He took charge of the campaign in that section and gave a splendid strength to the counteraction.

In various pamphlets written to meet the conditions, which were widely read and quoted from, he unfolded the errors and weaknesses in the teachings of the radical leaders and made a masterly presentation of the duty and loyalty which labor owed the Government, and materially aided in preventing labor from being misled. In Gary there was but little dissension, and through the efforts of Capt. H. S. Norton of the Gary Land Company, General Superintendent W. P. Gleason of the Illinois Steel Company, and others, it was one of the most loyal industrial cities in the country.

PATRIOTIC DEMONSTRATIONS

EAST CHICAGO â That there would be early public manifestations of patriotic enthusiasm if we entered the war was a certainty, but like in many other sections, the citizens of Lake County, knowing that we were about to join the Allies, began to make preparations for patriotic demonstrations even before war was declared. It seemed general throughout the country to have the first great public manifestation of patriotic ardor take the form of a parade and patriotic meeting, and the citizens of East Chicago were the first to take action for a rousing demonstration.

The movement was inaugurated on March 20th, and on April 5th, two days before war was declared, Mayor Frank Callehan led East Chicagoâs greatest parade with 15,000 in line, which was followed by a patriotic meeting in Masonic Temple. Like in the later parades at Hammond and Gary, not only every organization in East Chicago took part, but thousands of workmen in the East Chicago plants showed their patriotism. Women and children in large numbers were in the procession, the children carrying miniature flags. The meeting at Masonic Temple was addressed by

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Judge Virgil S. Reiter and Joseph H. Conroy of Hammond, and B. D. L. Glazebrook and Charles E. Fowler of Indiana Harbor.

Resolutions which had just been passed by the City Council pledging the full support of East Chicago citizens to the Government in any action taken to protect American rights on land or sea were read at the meeting and were enthusiastically greeted. The city was alive with patriotism and it was a magnificent beginning to the wonderful contribution in every form which East Chicago made to Americaâs success in the war.

WHITING â The demand by the citizens of Whiting for a manifestation of approval of the Governmentâs action in declaring war took the popular form of expression â a big parade and public meeting, which took place on April 10th. Considering the total population, it was a wonderful demonstration of loyalty on the part of the people of Whiting, 2,000 citizens being in line, and the high and grammar school scholars were largely represented. The parade included five brass bands, with the Hammond band leading, and after travelling the main thoroughfares ended at the auditorium, where a rousing patriotic meeting was addressed by Senator James J. Nejdl, Mayor Walter E. Schrage, John C. Hall, Judge Virgil E. Reiter and Frank N. Gavit. The loyalty of the citizens thus early shown was continued throughout the war, and Whiting, considering the size of its population, had a most commendable record in every sphere of civilian activity.

HAMMOND â Quickly following the example set by East Chicago and Whiting came Hammondâs great patriotic demonstration on April 16th. It was the result of a call issued by Mayor Smalley on April 10th to arrange for a public manifestation of loyalty. At a meeting held at the Hammond Chamber of Commerce and addressed by Judge Virgil S. Reiter, Frank Gavit, Sergt. W. S. Welsh, the United States recruiting officer at Hammond, and Jesse Wilson, president of the Chamber of Commerce, arrangements were perfected for a parade and patriotic meeting.

The parade was in charge of Chief of Police Peter Austgen, with Capt. George Ban Ion, LeGrande T. Meyer, Herman Kellner, John Liesenfelt, Edward Weeks, Dr. H. E. Sharrer and David Emery as marshals. Most of the industries ceased operations and nearly every red-blooded man and woman was in the parade. The stores and dwellings were profusely decorated with flags and banners and nearly all the paraders and onlookers carried flags. The mass of color was a beautiful sight, and as the paraders, 18,000 strong, led by Mayor Smalley, sang patriotic songs, the bands were drowned out. Representatives of nearly fifty social and fraternal organizations participated and every labor organization in the city was in line. The employes of stores and banks, members of the various church conger-

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gations, employes of nearly every industrial plant in the city, and the children in the public and parochial schools, all were strongly represented.

In the Polish section were twenty-five mothers with babes in arm who would not be denied the opportunity of showing their loyalty and insisted on marching, even though obliged to carry their babes. Just before the parade started President F. G. Taylor of the Taylor Chain Company raised a big American flag in front of his plant for his seventy employes, made a patriotic presentation speech and then headed his working force to be a part of the procession. There were twelve bands and five fife and drum corps. After the parade Mayor Smalley, Jesse Wilson, Rev. Floyd Adams, Rev. Thomas J. Bassett, Reverend Sharp, Frank Gavit, Judge Virgil S. Reiter, David E. Boone, D. J. Moran and Reverend Parrett addressed the vast throng of 25,000, expressing their joy and pleasure at the success of the day and the great demonstration of loyalty which had occurred.

GARY â While patriotic enthusiasm was overflowing in Gary, it was not until April 17th that action was taken in arranging for a big public manifestation of loyalty. A committee consisting of Herbert Graham (chairman), T. E. Knotts, J. A. Brennan, W. F. Hodges, Howard Davis, Harvey J. Curtis, Thomas Cannon, R. B. Phillips, Alfred Jones, C. J. Cooper, Leo Dubetz, William Dalton and H. E. Norton, were appointed at a meeting of citizens to arrange for a patriotic parade to be held April 28th.

It was the greatest patriotic demonstration ever held in Indiana and it is doubtful if any other large city in the country ever before had such a proportion of its population in a patriotic parade. More than 30,000 were in line and the parade was viewed by 60,000 persons, more than one-third of whom were citizens of other cities in Indiana. The parade was in charge of Mayor R. O. Johnson, as grand marshal, who was attired as Uncle Sam, and he was assisted by Col. C. H. Maloney and a corps of aids. Like in East Chicago and Hammond, the foreign born were strongly represented, 60 per cent of the paraders in Gary being foreign born.

The sixth, seventh and eighth divisions of the parade were composed almost entirely of Roumanians, Greeks, Italians, Spanish, Polish, Lithuanians, Bulgarians, Hungarians, Slavish, Servians, Croations, and Russians. Every organization in the city was represented and there was an outpouring of the workers in the city. Strongly represented was the colored citizens of Gary, nearly 2,000 being in line. General Manager W. P. Gleason of the Illinois Steel Company, mounted on horseback, led the largest unit in the parade, about 5,800 men, the remaining 3,000 employes operating the mill. Women were largely represented in the parade, and high and grammar school banners proclaimed the 1,500 scholars in line were going to do their bit with the hoe. The Catholic parochial school

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children of the higher grades marched in a body, led by priests of the different parishes.

Veterans of the Spanish-American war, led by Maj. John McFaddon, carried banners stating that they had done their duty by their country and asking that others will now do theirs. The front lines of the Slavish societies had the appearance of a Roman legion. They carried the greater number of American flags and were loudly applauded by the spectators. Twenty bands and ten fife and drum corps inspired the marchers with patriotic airs.

Among the bands from other cities were the Haskell & Barker Band of Michigan City, Hobart Commercial Club, and Hull House of Chicago. Gary showed the most whole-hearted interest in the affair by practically closing all business and the factories were almost silent. Buildings were profusely decorated with flags and festoons and streamers of red, white and blue were strung from sidewalk electroliers to the central poles in streets. Minute salvas from batteries or giant mortars sending aerial bombs made it the noisiest day in Gary history.

SERBIANS LEAVE FOR THE WAR â Hardly had the tired marchers recovered from participation in the Gary parade when an event occurred which again aroused the enthusiasm of the citizens.

On April 30, 86 Serbians blessed by their Greek church priest before leaving and cheered by thousands on their departure left for a Canadian port for service with the Serbian National Army in the Balkans. The Serbians were uniformly patriotic and as early as 1915, 70 Serbians left Gary for service abroad and the same year 21 Italians departed for their native land and many other men left to join the British Army. These were followed in 1916, 1917 and 1918 by groups of Poles, Italians, Czechoslovakians, Greeks and British subjects who left to join the forces of their native countries.

FLAG RAISINGS â During the month of April flag raisings at the plants in the industrial centers were daily occurrences, the exercises being in charge of the officials of the companies. Many of these exercises were largely attended by citizens generally as well as employees, and patriotic addresses were delivered by company officials and by leading citizens in Lake County.

A significant feature at many of the plants was the large number of nationalities represented at the ceremonies, a conspicuous example being the impressive flag raising ceremony of the Standard Steel Car Company of Hammond, who hoisted a flag 12 by 24 feet to the top of a pole 125 feet high, in the presence of twenty nationalities represented among the employees.

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CROWN POINT â Flag raisings and largely attended patriotic meetings were held in Crown Point in April and the loyalty of the citizens pledged to the Government in every measure necessary for the successful prosecution of the war.

HAMMOND â The second great demonstration in Hammond was held in connection with the Memorial day exercises on Decoration day, 1917, and although hampered by rain, thousands joined in a parade. After decorating graves, a patriotic address was given in Harrison Park by Senator L. L. H. Austin of Chicago and a flag raising was conducted, in charge, of Sergt. William S. Welsh.

EAST CHICAGO â The second great patriotic demonstration in East Chicago was also conducted in connection with the Memorial day exercises on Decoration day, 1917.

The committee on arrangements consisted of George P. Hulst, J. S. Johnston, R. M. Royce, John R. Farovid and C. E. Potts. The arrangements were perfect and so complete in detail that the committee were warmly congratulated by citizens generally at the close of the exercises. The parade started from Indiana Harbor, in charge of Captain Hanin as grand marshal, and notwithstanding the heavy downpour of rain, the greatest enthusiasm was shown. After decorating the soldiersâ graves the citizens assembled in City Hall Park, where a flag raising was conducted, and Mayor Callahan introduced Hon. H. H. Atwood of Chicago, who made a stirring address.

JULY FOURTH CELEBRATION â While July 4th in other years had always been celebrated to a greater or lesser extent in Lake County, in 1917 every center of population held patriotic meetings and in some of the industrial centers parades were a popular manifestation of enthusiasm. In Crown Point the largest gathering of citizens every assembled in the city heard the Hon. Patrick O'Donnell of Chicago and the Rev. Charles A. Caton deliver inspiring patriotic addresses.

At Hammond the greatest Fourth of July celebration in the history of the city was held in Harrison Park. Attorney D. C. Atkinson read the Declaration of Independence, and David E. Boone and Joseph H. Conroy gave eloquent patriotic addresses. The meeting was presided over by Frank OâRourke of Hammond. Noted orators from Indiana and nearby states were heard in patriotic gatherings at East Chicago, Gary and Whiting.

COUNCILS OF DEFENSE.

Civilian war activities throughout the United States were centralized under the general supervision of the National Council of Defense. They were represented in the various states by state councils of defense, and

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under the state organizations were the county councils of defense, who were in direct charge of the civilian war activities in the respective counties. The general program was carried out in detail in each county, but the county council acted upon any special problems peculiar to each county.

Fuel and food conservation, increased production of food, creation of war gardens, the work of the Red Cross, aiding in the various financial drives, cases of sedition, violation of Government war rulings the curtailment of unnecessary expenditures of cities and towns and encouraging the practice of economy on the part of citizens generally were some of the many activities of the local county councils.

LAKE COUNTY COUNCIL OF DEFENSE.

Few counties in the United States were organized as effectively as Lake County. The Lake County Council of Defense consisted of Capt. H. S. Norton, Judge Ora L. Wildermuth and George Sheehan of Gary; P. W. Meyn of Hammond; Edward W. Wickey, East Chicago; Neil D. Brown, Shelby; John B. Peterson and Mrs. Jennie Ward Wheeler of Crown Point. John B. Peterson was chairman, and Mrs. Wheeler secretary.

The County Council appointed a number of subcommittees who were in charge of important divisions of the general program of civilian activities and their work will be described later in this chapter. The County Council held thirty-one meetings during the war and all members were actively engaged in the work of the council and devoted a large part of their time to its activities without recompense of any character. Some of them gave nearly all their time, and in this connection the work of Mrs. Wheeler deserves special mention.

She was county chairman of the Womenâs Section as well as secretary of the Council of Defense and participated in many other important civilian war activities, in fact there was no branch of service in which women were engaged but Mrs. Wheeler was found rendering aid and service. Although made secretary of the Council of Defense with a salary attached, at the close of the war she refused to accept it and her services in every direction were given without one dollar of compensation.

Councils of Defense were appointed for the various townships as follows:

Calumet Township â Harvey J. Curtis, chairman; Mrs. Henry R. Snyder, Mrs. Ira Miltimore, Harry W. Sommers, Harry A. Vossler, Harry L. Arnold, and Hoy D. Davis.

Center Township â John V. Perry, chairman; Mrs. Ada Endress, secretary.

St. John Township â August Stommel, chairman; Miss Zipporrah Davis, secretary.

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Eagle Creek Township â Forrest Gorsley, chairman; Mrs. O. G. Fifield, secretary.

Cedar Creek Township â Dr. J. H. Iddings, chairman; Philip N. McNoy, secretary.

Ross Township â William G. Woods, chairman; Mrs. Lydia Zuvers, secretary.

Hobart Township â A. J. Smith, chairman; Mrs. Mary Bollantyne, secretary.

Hanover Township â Emil Ruge, chairman; Otto Meyer, secretary.

Winfield Township â James H. Love, chairman; Mrs. Albert Lewis, secretary.

North Township â David E. Boone, chairman; Mrs. Emma Huehn Leary, secretary.

COUNTY COUNCIL COMMITTEES.

FUEL ADMINISTRATION â W. S. Feuer, chairman; Peter B. Lamb, secretary; O. P. Burdick, East Chicago; Ingwald Moe, Gary; J. E. Evans, Whiting; W. J. Killigrew, Hobart; E. P. Deming and Edward Simon, Hammond; B. F. Hayes, Crown Point. This was one of the most important committees appointed by the Council of Defense as the Government was confronted with the problem of supplying sufficient coal to all parts of the country, ample for domestic needs and particularly for the operation of factories engaged in the manufacture of war materials.

Lake County being such an important center of industry and there being so many of its plants devoted to supplying Government necessities, it was the duty of the committee to insure a proper amount and distribution of fuel and prevent its waste. During the trying period following the blizzard which occurred January 18, 1918, the greatest economy was practiced to conserve fuel until the railroads were again able to maintain regular coal shipments and normal conditions prevailed.

The committee appointed representatives to aid in carrying out the Government closing order and also the relief program which the committee had carefully planned for the county in an emergency, which program was so effective that during and after the blizzard, which caused so much inconvenience and suffering generally, the vital industries in Lake County were well supplied with fuel and there was but little want among the citizens.

Other threatening situations which developed during the winter of 1917 and 1918 were met by the committee through a careful distribution of the coal received, so the necessities of the citizens and factories were met in a most satisfactory manner. The value of the work of the committee can not be over-estimated and throughout the war it rendered the most commendable service.

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FOOD ADMINISTRATION â Another committee of the most vital importance was that of food administration, which consisted of C. A. Westberg, East Chicago, chairman; Leo McCormick, East Chicago; D. W. Dupes, Indiana Harbor; Frank OâRourke, Hammond; John J. Keller, Whiting; Roy G. Parry, Gary; George W. Frederick, Crow Point; Frank D. Barnes, Hobart; and Paul Hathaway, Lowell. Particularly in the early stages of the war, Chairman Westberg and his assistants were obliged to issue repeated warnings to hoarders and food profiteers, and at times the law had to be invoked to successfully enforce the food administration laws.

Most of the members of the committee found their paths beset with many problems and were obliged to use severe repressive measures, particularly in the industrial centers. Roy G. Parry, Gary food administrator, who rendered such excellent service to the Government at this period, performed his duties with a stern hand and in some instances humbled the profiteers and food hoarders through legal action against them. The committee appointed Mrs. Jennie Ward Wheeler of Crown Point to have charge of the organization of women into a county unit for the conservation of food and the application of the food administration laws.

Under Mrs. Wheelerâs direction an excellent committee for the purpose of carrying out a food club program was organized, consisting of Mrs. Noble D. Soper, president; Mrs. Frank L. Evans, East Chicago; Mrs. N. Emmenling, Hammond; Mrs. George R. Brayton, Gary; Mrs. Alice Slocumb, Lowell; Mrs. Lula E. Rought, Whiting; Mrs. Herbert Wheaton, Crown Point; Mrs. William Earle, Hobart; Miss Orpha Maude Peters, Calumet Township; Mrs. Adam Schaffer, Hanover Township; Mrs. A. L. Courtright, Center Township; Mrs. J. A. Clark, Cedar Creek Township; Mrs. John Hayhurst, West Creek Township; Mrs. James Turner, Eagle Creek Township; and Mrs. Albert Lewis, Winfield Township.

Under the able leadership of Mrs. Soper, ninety-five food clubs were organized in Lake County and were a vital influence in carrying out the plans for food conservation. In the interest of food production and food conservation, meetings for women were arranged everywhere throughout the county and through a series of lectures and demonstrations the importance of Secretary Hooverâs efforts to conserve food so large shipments could be made abroad were impressed on the women of the county.

The four-minute women speakers who were active in other civilian movements were especially active in the womenâs program for the conservation of food and advantage was taken of every gathering in theatres, halls, places of amusement and meetings of organizations for the purpose of creating a sentiment which would insure the greatest possible success to the food conservation movement.

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FOOD PRODUCTION â A committee for the purpose of intensive food production consisted of V. A. Place, chairman; F. B. Price, Ross Township; Alfred Schmal, Hanover Township; Thomas Neises, St. John Township; Charles Bacon, Winfield Township; Neil D. Brown, Cedar Creek Township; George Lauerman, Center Township; J. M. Pearce, Cedar Creek Township; Earl Pulver, West Creek Township; Herman Meeter, North Township; F. F. Franks, Hobart Township.

They were assisted by a committee of women consisting of Mrs. Fay T. Paxton, Hobart, chairman; Mrs. Mary J. Conroy, Whiting; Mrs. N. Sterberg, Indiana Harbor; Dr. Eleanor Scull, Crown Point; Mrs. E. L. Reid, East Chicago; Mrs. C. D. Davidson, Gary; Mrs. Carl Gragg, Lowell; Miss Bess Hayward, Hobart; and Mrs. D. J. Moran, Hammond. The work of the above committee can not be too highly praised and their efforts toward intensive cultivation of available farm territory and home gardens in cities met with the greatest success.

Farmers cooperated magnificently with the committee and every necessary aid was rendered the farmers to insure the greatest possible production from the available farm areas. Through the generosity of the various industrial plants all their unused land suitable for cultivation became war gardens, and under the leadership of the mayors in the different cities, citizens, boys and girls, were brought into active cooperation in preventing a possible food shortage. Under the leadership of the committee, home garden associations were formed in the various cities and achieved remarkable results.

As an example, 1,000 families in Hammond had home gardens, and a similar condition in proportion to the population prevailed in every other city in Lake County. In the development of home gardens and intensive farm cultivation, the Boysâ Working Reserve proved of great assistance and committees of women canvassed the city for vacant lots for war gardens and in every way the women of the county rendered the fullest services toward production as well as conservation of food.

BOYSâ WORKING RESERVE â The Boysâ Working Reserve was organized throughout the county, with Frank P. Heiglnvay county chairman, and George M. Pinneo in charge of the organization of the boys in the City of Gary. The organization consisted of boys between the ages of 14 and 17 for certain classes of civilian work to replace the men in service and was intended as a helpful measure in the agricultural situation, as large numbers of farmers and farm laborers were in military service.

Other light tasks which could be ably handled by boys were included in the work of the Reserve. Comprehensive pledge cards issued by the Government were signed by the boys containing information as to the

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state of health, size and weight of the boy and his adaptability to certain tasks, and assignments for service were made accordingly.

Effective work was accomplished in organizing the boys in the high school, through credit rating being allowed on high school work in accordance with the number of hours given to service as a member of the Working Reserve. The organization proved a very helpful solution to the labor shortage not only on the farms and war gardens, but in many other useful forms of employment.

FOUR MINUTE MEN â The County Council of Defense appointed a committee consisting of Judge Ora L. Wildermuth of Gary; A. Murray Turner, Hammond; Frank Williams, East Chicago; A. J. Smith, Hobart; John B. Peterson, Crown Point; and Albert Foster, Lowell, to arrange for four-minute speakers to assist in arousing public sentiment in support of the various sections of the program of civilian activities. The committee prepared a long list of speakers who were active in the various drives for funds, Liberty loans and production and conservation of food. They appeared in public gatherings of every character throughout the county and they were a potent influence in the success of the Council of Defense program.

COMMUNITY LABOR BOARDS â The County Council of Defense appointed George Sheehan of Gary to organize labor boards in the different industrial centers for the adjustment of any differences which may arise between employer and employe and thereby prevent any interruption in the progress of industry. They were also of material assistance in the proper distribution of labor. In another section of this chapter has been related the efforts made by disloyal agitators to create discord and dissension in the ranks of labor just before and after we entered the war, but without material result, and it can be truthfully said that throughout the war labor showed its intense loyalty to the Government and no serious friction at any time existed between employer and employe.

Under Mr. Sheehanâs direction the following labor boards were agreed upon in the leading centers of industry. It will be noted that the boards consisted of a representative of labor and employer and a prominent citizen of each community as chairman.

Gary Board â Fred E. Walton, chairman; F. H. Detrick, labor; and C. M. Greenly, employer.

Whiting Board â Walter Schrage, chairman; James J. Nedgl, labor; and Frank B. Lewis, employer.

East Chicago Board â F. L. Evans, chairman; J. H. Lock, labor; and P. S. Graver, employer.

Indiana Harbor Board â Theodore F. Hine, chairman; Clem Nidig, labor; and William Jewell, employer.

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Hammond Board â H. E. Sharrer, chairman; Henry Gabler, labor; and

J. Steelman, employer.

Crown Point Board â John Claussen, chairman; C. A. Lamberg, labor; and G. F. Hayes, employer.

LEGAL COMMITTEE â The duty of this committee of lawyers consisted of aiding soldiers and sailors and their families by giving them legal advice and helping them to arrange their family affairs and so help the Government in expediting the matter of mobilizing the army for the defense of the nation. The work of the committee was in charge of Frank B. Pattee and Herbert T. Johnson.

Consultations on selective service laws and general business affairs was assigned to Edward F. Knight, Joseph E. Brown, E. W. Brissey and Schuyler Dwyer. The defense of soldiers and sailors in litigation, war risk insurance, allotment of pay and family allowances were assigned to Martin J. Smith, Daniel J. Strayley, L. L. Bomberger and R. R. Petticord. Consultation on soldiersâ and sailorsâ civil rights act, preparation of wills and other probate matters were assigned to A. L. Courtfight, H. T. Davis and J. C. Hall.

Relief of the destitute and needy was assigned to A. A. Bibler, Frank B. Pattee and Herbert T. Johnson. The attorneys in general throughout Lake County were extremely generous to the soldiers and sailors and their families and freely gave advice and legal assistance without recompense for their services. In fact there was no line of patriotic activity but which the members of the profession were first and foremost in promoting the success of the movement.

ADDITIONAL COMMITTEES â Among other committees appointed by the Council of Defense was the Publicity Committee, with Miss Gwen Parry, chairman, and the County Highway Committee, consisting of Charles A. Westberg, W. S. Feuer, Ray Seeley and Neil D. Brown. Rev. William Grant Seaman was appointed county chairman of the Committee on Moral, Religious and Social Forces.

WOMENâS SECTION OF THE COUNTY COUNCIL OF DEFENSE â The County Council of Defense appointed the following committee of women to be members of the Council of Defense, to have full charge of all war activities in which women would be engaged: Mrs. Jennie Ward Wheeler, chairman; Gwen Parry, secretary; Mrs. A. C. Weeks and Mrs. Ira E. Miltimore of Gary; Mrs. C. E. Patton, Whiting; Mrs. Otto Seehase, Indiana Harbor; Mrs. Albert Maack, Crown Point; Mrs. George W. Lewis, East Chicago; Mrs. J. J. Simpson, Lowell; Mrs. E. G. Sayger, Hobart; Mrs. A. J. Miller, Hammond; Miss Barbara Seheidt, Dyer; Mrs. Harriet Hathaway, Leroy; Mrs. S. H. Speith, Shelby; Mrs. Albert Foster, West Creek Township; Mrs.

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Jay Pearce, Eagle Creek Township; Mrs. Otto Meyers, Hanoper Township; Mrs. Bowman, Merrillville; Mrs. V. Turner, Ross; Mrs. Katharine Michael, Miller; Mrs. A. L. Reiner, Highland.

Mrs. O. C. Wicks of Gary was appointed chairman of the Registration Subcommittee who sent registration cards to the women of the county inviting them to register for such service as they would be best suited. Twenty one thousand seven hundred forty-one women voluntarily registered with information on the card returned as to the kind of service they decided they could best render the Government. They proved a wonderful mobile organization of loyal women when later organized into various units of service. A program covering the most important fields of activity was mapped out by the Womenâs Section of the Council of Defense and the various divisions of the program were assigned to the following subcommittees :

CHILD WELFARE COMMITTEE â Miss Alta Adkins, Hammond, chairman; Mrs. George Hoskins, Whiting; Mrs. Oliver Starr, Gary; Miss Weltha Mathews;East Chicago; Miss Josephine Meeker, Crown Point; Mrs. John W. Iddings, Lowell; Mrs. John Killigrew, Hobart; Mrs. Rhoda Kenney, Cedar Creek Township; Mrs. L. L. Bailey, West Creek Township; Mrs. R. R. Sherburne, Winfield Township; Miss Anna Pearce, Eagle Creek Township; Miss Eva Dutton, Calumet Township; Miss Lou Mitch, Hanover Township; Mrs. W. F. Scull, Center Township; Miss Alice Hess, North Township; Mrs. Kate Pierce, Ross Township; Miss Zipporah Davie, St. Johnâs Township; Mrs. S. A. Lightfoot, Griffith; Mrs. W. C. Belman, Hammond. The committee registered 15,854 children.

WOMEN IN INDUSTRY â Mrs. J. A. Teegarden, Indiana Harbor, chairman.

FOOD CONSERVATION â Mrs. Roy E. Green, Whiting, chairman.

HEALTH AND RECREATION â Mrs. George W. Lewis, East Chicago, chairman.

RED CROSS AND ALLIED RELIEF â Mrs. Frank B. Lewis, Whiting, chairman; Mrs. John R. Farovid, Indiana Harbor; Mrs. Ben Williams, East Chicago; Mrs. Mary Holm, Hammond; Mrs. Carlin Handley, Gary; Mrs. Waldo Jennings, Whiting; Mrs. C. E. Black, Crown Point.

HOME ECONOMICS â Mrs. Lillian Brownell, Lowell, chairman; Mrs. James H. Stover, Whiting; Mrs. B. C. Lukins, Indiana Harbor; Mrs. H. H. Clark, East Chicago; Mrs. Edgar O. Selby, Gary; Mrs. W. A. Lacey; Hobart; Mrs. E. R. Cole, Crown Point; Mrs. S. C. Simpson, Lowell; and Mrs. N. Emmerling, Hammond.

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MAINTAINING EXISTING SOCIAL AGENCIES â Mrs. F. L. Shortridge, chairman; Mrs. William Bought, Whiting; Mrs. J. W. Brissey, Indiana Harbor; Mrs. John D. Smalley, Hammond; Mrs. E. N. White, Gary; Mrs. Albert Foster, Lowell; Mrs. W. B. Owen, Hobart, and Miss Carrie Gosch, East Chicago.

EDUCATIONAL PROPOGANDA â Mrs. O. C. E. Matthies, Hammond, chairman; Miss Louise Randall, Whiting; Mrs. Newton Hembroff, Indiana Harbor; Miss Maude Williams, Crown Point; Mrs. E. B. Canine, East Chicago; Mrs. J. A. Patterson, Gary; Mrs. Fannie Werner, Hobart; Mrs. Ben Lynch, Lowell, and Mrs. E. S. Cooper, Hammond.

FOUR MINUTE WOMEN â Mrs. J. C. Gibbs, Crown Point, chairman; Mrs. Frank J. Sheehan, Mrs. J. M. Ferguson, Mrs. W. G. Seaman and Mrs. Ralph Ross, Gary; Mrs. Floyd Adams and Mrs. Jennie Hutchins, Hammond; Mrs. Frank Lewis and Mrs. Burton, Whiting; Mrs. W. W. Smith, East Chicago; Mrs. George Summers, Indiana Harbor; Mrs. Fannie Werner, Hobart; Mrs. J. C. Gibbs, Mrs. E. L. Shortridge, Mrs. H. J. Lehman and Mrs. Jennie Ward Wheeler, Crown Point.

LIBERTY LOAN COMMITTEE â Mrs. Herbert Erickson, of Gary, chairman; Mrs. Charles Andrus, Whiting; Mrs. Abe Ottenheimer, East Chicago; Mrs. J. A. Teegarden, Indiana Harbor; Mrs. J. D. Patton, Hammond; Mrs. Taylor, Lowell; Mrs. E. R. Cole, Crown Point; Mrs. Henry Snyder, Gary, and Mrs. W. B. Owen, Hobart. The committee was appointed after the First Liberty Loan and with hundreds of women aids made a remarkable canvas as shown by the subscriptions received amounting to $1,859,100 in both loans. In the Fourth Loan the men and women solicitors worked as a unit and no separate account was kept.

AMERICANIZATION COMMITTEE â Mrs. J. A. Patterson, Gary, chairman; Mrs. F. R. Cargill, Gary; Mrs. E. N. Canine, East Chicago; Mrs. C. D. Eminheiser, Indiana Harbor; Mrs. Catherine Michael, Miller; Mrs. Carrie Douglas, Merrillville; Mrs. D. M. Duggan, Hammond; Mrs. J. C. Kenney, Lowell; Mrs. Herbert Wheaton, Crown Point, and Mrs. George Petticord, Hobart.

WOMENâS SERVICES LEAGUE â Chairman, Mrs. Jennie Ward Wheeler, of Crown Point, appointed the following women to compose the Womenâs Service League of Lake County: Mrs. O. C. Wicks, Gary; Mrs. J. Thompson, Hammond; Mrs. Katherine Lewis, Whiting; Mrs. A. T. Cox, East Chicago; Mrs. J. R. Farovid, Indiana Harbor; Mrs. F. N. Werner, Hobart; Mrs. Star Brownell, Lowell; Mrs. Ruth Stonell, Dyer; Mrs. Harriet Hathaway, Lowell; Mrs. August Miller, Schererville; Mrs. Henry Daugherty, Highland; Mrs. Goldman, Ainsworth; Mrs. Alex Boyd, Merrillville; Mrs. August Kiassen, Palmer; Mrs. M. Sopier and Mrs. N. D. Brown, Cedar

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Lake; Mrs. F. A. Malmstone, Griffith; Mrs. J. A. Donnaha, Mrs. A. L. Courtright, Mrs. Ruby Sigler, Mrs. W. L. Allman and Mrs. E. L. Shortridge, Crown Point.

CALUMET REGION A GREAT CENTER FOR ENLISTMENT.

For many months prior to the opening of the war â and for a short time after â Hammond and Gary were great centers for enlistment. The Government representative at Hammond was Sergeant W. S. Welch and his record as a recruiting officer ranked among the very highest in the country, and frequently for months before and after we entered the war Hammond, according to its population, led the country in enlistments. Sergeant Welsh came to Hammond in December, 1916, and during the time he served as recruiting officer the enlistments averaged more than 100 men each month, one remarkable dayâs record just before we entered the war being seventy-five enlistments.

In addition to his work as recruiting officer for the Government, he was also active in all lines of patriotic work in association with such notable patriotic leaders in Hammond and vicinity as Joseph A. Conroy, David E. Boone, Jesse E. Wilson, Judge Virgil E. Reiter, Mayor John D. Smalley, Peter W. Meyn, A. Murray Turner, Frank OâRourke, Rev. Floyd S. Adams and others of Hammond; Mayor Callahan, C. A. Westberg and others of East Chicago, and Frank Gavit of Whiting, and their oratorical powers and patriotic utterances were heard in halls, street corners, public squares and in the hearts of what was claimed to be centers of dissension, and their wonderful appeals for loyalty and unity to the Government were a material influence in bringing every element of the population in Hammond and vicinity into a harmonious unit for the successful prosecution of the war.

Before the war opened Sergeant W. S. Welsh had made application for service abroad and when recruiting practically ceased in Hammond with the organization of the National Army, he was selected to have charge of an ammunition supply depot at the front, a position requiring experience and knowledge such as he possessed, and a dangerous point of service as the roads by the front lines were constantly shelled by long range guns.

Mrs. Welsh, who was an accomplished actress before her marriage, was equally active with her husband in patriotic work in Hammond. She is an accomplished elocutionist and her readings at war meetings were a great source of inspiration to her audiences. Since the war Chicago has been their residence, but they are frequent visitors to Hammond, the scene of their former war activities.

During Sergeant Welshâs great enlistment period, groups of enlisted soldiers were leaving Hammond frequently for some camp destination

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and on these occasions thousands gathered at the railroad station and cheered the departing soldiers. Frequently before their departure parades and meetings of the citizens and friends of the soldiers were held, a notable instance being the departure of eighteen high school students from Hammond, nearly all of them being sons of leading citizens of the city. Included among them was Hubert Gavit, son of City Attorney Gavit, Clyde Hudson, Arthur Miller and Herman Krieger.

The boys were entertained at a sorority dance and by various city clubs in the city and on the day of departure thousands gathered in front of the high school and addresses were made by Mayor Smalley, City School Superintendent McDaniel, A. L. Murray, A. Murray Turner and Principal McElroy. After the meeting 700 students escorted the enlisted soldier boys to the station and enthusiastically cheered their departure. At the same time Walter Meyn, son of Peter B. Meyn, of the Lake County Savings and Trust Company, who graduated from the high school the previous year, and one of the most popular young men in Hammond, left for Chicago to be a member of a hospital corps.

Another striking example of the patriotic fervor of the citizens at this period was shown on May 1 at the departure of eighty young men, who had enlisted from Indiana Harbor for service in the regular army. A parade was held participated in by 1,500 school children and many local organizations, the 800 marchers being inspired by patriotic music from eight bands. The atmosphere was surcharged' with war excitement and the enlisted boys in the parade were enthusiastically cheered by the spectators. The Inland Steel Company and American Steel Foundries Company had large drill teams led by a drill sergeant in uniform. Mayor Callahan made a stirring address to the young soldiers and Pat Reilly of Hammond created great enthusiasm with his patriotic utterances and words of cheer to the boys. The committee in charge was J. R. Farovid, D. Garber, H. H. Barker, W. B. VanHorne, D. W. Dupes, L. H. Seifer, W. J. Murray and J. W. Brissey. In November, 1916, a permanent recruiting office was established in Gary, and Corporal George H. Bradley was sent there as Recruiting Officer. Immediately Gary took very high rank in the State, the total number enlisted during December, January and February, 1917, being higher than that of any other one station of similar population in the United States and second in Indiana only to Indianapolis. The largest contingent of 152 men left Gary on December 12, 1917, and a large parade was staged on the morning of departure. The total number of men enlisted up to September, 1918, when the office was closed was 1,121. The office was in charge of the following officers, in addition to Corporal Bradley: Sergeant Harry Burgman, Sergeant George Bonshire, Corporal Byron Carmichael and Sergeant Raymond Magruder. The latter, when leaving Gary made this statement, âIâve been

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stationed all over the State of Indiana and I never was in a city that had as much true patriotism expressed practically as right here in Gary. I have never made a request for aid of any sort from any of the merchants or city officials, but it was at once granted. Every one has given me help, which has made my stay in Gary pleasanter and I hope more helpful to the government.â

CROWN POINT.

An enthusiastic meeting in honor of its enlisted soldiers was held on May 2 by the citizens of Crown Point and Mayor Krost read the honor roll of fifty-four enlisted soldiers who were now in service. He also read the names of seven enlisted soldiers from LeRoy. Included in the list was Capt. J. A. Umpleby of the Indiana National Guard, Lieut. Elmore Z. Salisburg of the United States Army and Capt. William Haan of the United States Army.

David Boone, of Hammond, lauded the young soldiers and he was followed by John Brown of the Grand Army, Cyrus Hayden, Professor Painter of the high school and Mrs. Jennie Ward Wheeler, with addresses suitable to the occasion. Captain Haan of the United States Army, who made a distinguished military record in the World war, was born on a farm about five miles from Crown Point and graduated from the Crown Point High School, where he was captain of the School Cadets.

He was appointed to the Military Academy at West Point, where he graduated with honor and, during the years of peace preceding the World war, his talents and ability were recognized as of a superior order and he attained the rank of major general and was in command of the Thirty-second Division on the west front, composed largely of Michigan and Wisconsin soldiers and which made a glorious record. After the war, when visiting his old home at Crown Point, he was given an enthusiastic reception by the citizens.

GRIFFITH.

A patriotic celebration was held in Griffith on May 7 in honor of ten enlisted boys who were leaving for the front which was a fine showing from a population of 500. Patriotic addresses were made by David E. Boone of Hammond, Sergeant Welsh, United States Army recruiting officer, Dr. F. A. Malmstone and others.

THE AMERICAN ALLIANCE.

In the winter of 1917 and 1918 a plan to promote patriotism was conceived in the minds of David E. Boone and Sergeant William Welch of Hammond which resulted in the formation of the American Alliance. The principles of the organization were: To promote Americanism, to

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make clear the reasons âwhy we are at war,â to promulgate âfreedom and democracy,â to safeguard American interests, to stand patriotically behind the Government, to render aid to the boys in the trenches and on the sea, to back the man who is fighting for you, to teach 'âYoung Americaâ his duty to his Government and to bind firmly together all true Americans.

A preliminary meeting presided over by David E. Boone resulted in a conference of men and women in Hammond representing the people generally, all societies, labor organizations, churches of every denomination and fraternities. The Chamber of Commerce, under the leadership of its president, Jesse E. Wilson, took an active hand in the movement and Judge of the Superior Court, Y. S. Reiter, gave it his enthusiastic support. The movement was strongly favored by such patriotic leaders as Joseph A. Conroy, John F. Reiley, A. Murray Turner, Tom Harle, J. T. Hutton, Mrs. Preston, Reverend Adams of the Baptist Church, Reverend Bassitt of the Methodist Church, D. J. Moran, Charles Frederick, Dr. J. T. Clark, G. G. Kingwell, Fred Friedley, I. J. Pollard, Judge Ibach, W. J. McAleer, Mayor John D. Smalley and many others.

At a mass meeting held for the purpose of organization, David E. Boone was elected president; Jesse E. Wilson, vice president; Charles Dwyer, secretary, and Charles Frederick treasurer. Stirring patriotic addresses were made by Joseph A. Conroy and John F. Reiley, representatives of the State Council of Defense in Hammond, and by A. Murray Turner, Judge V. S. Reiter, J. T. Hutton, Mrs. John D. Smalley, Mrs. Preston, Judge Ibach and others. It was decided to invite every man, woman and child to sign cards pledging their support and cooperation to the Government and a membership committee consisting of Lawrence Cox, chairman, Mrs. John D. Smalley, Doctor Ostrowski, W. A. Williams and Frank OâRourke were appointed to enroll the citizenship of Hammond into the Alliance.

In a few weeks thousands had become members of the organization and it was a potent factor in every patriotic movement during the continuance of the war. In connection with the story of the organization it can be said that while there were many great patriotic leaders in Hammond and vicinity, the one outstanding figure in many ways was David E. Boone. His Americanism was of the pure unalloyed type. He had a natural eloquence and was generally spoken of as âSilver-Tongued Dave.â During the war, although entirely dependent on his law practice, he practically closed his office and devoted his energy to the prosecution of citizen war activities.

He was instrumental in forming the Soldiers and Sailors Association, was on the Liberty Hall executive board, was one of the Four Minute Brigade and figured prominently on all of the Liberty Loan executive com-

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mittees and various war drives. His office was a recruiting office and a haven for drafted men to whom he gave legal advice. For two years, how to win the war was almost all he thought of and no sacrifice was too great for him to make. At the close of the war he again resumed the active practice of his profession and died suddenly in July, 1920. Few men in Hammond have enjoyed the great popularity of David E. Boone and he was noted for his independence in thought and action.

The members of the Lake County Bar Association paid tribute to his memory at a meeting held shortly after his death. Attorney Clyde E. Cleveland read an interesting biographical sketch of Mr. Booneâs life, and his career as a lawyer was dealt with by Attorney W. J. McAleer. Judge V. S. Reiter, who was closely associated with Mr. Boone during his entire life in Hammond, spoke on his career as a publicist and citizen. Attorney

J. K. Stinson, a former schoolmate of Valparaiso University and an intimate friend of Mr. Boone, told some interesting incidents of their long and intimate association as friends. Five minute tributes were rendered by August Bremer of Crown Point, Floyd Murray of Hammond, Abe Ottenheimer of East Chicago and John C. Hall of Whiting. The following original poem was contributed by Mrs. Estelle Lovelle Welch, wife of Capt. William Welch, Mr. Booneâs intimate associate in many war activities in Hammond:

He is not deadâHeâs just away.

A sudden summon came for him Which he needs must obey,

And so he passed beyond our view,

With no farewellsâwithout adieu!

We neâer shall hear his cheery voice,

Nor clasp his friendly hand.

We neâer again his likes may find,

In all this broad fair land.

But in that realm of memory,

Where friendships never end,

âTwill ever be a joy to know, and say,

âHe was my friend.â

A friend in sunshine, and in rain,

Loyal, and staunch, and true,

With a sense of justice and of right Accorded to but few.

Aye! He still lives within the hearts

Of those who loved him well;

His kindly deeds and cheery words

Long in our hearts shall dwell.

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Thus shall his memory be kept green,

With thoughts from day to day.

Thus he still lives! He is not dead!

Not dead! Heâs just away.

HAMMOND LIBERTY TEMPLE.

The necessity for commodious quarters and a general meeting place for patriotic organizations and a center for their activities during the war, led the citizens of Hammond to decide to build the Liberty Temple. The idea was born in the minds of Peter W. Meyn and A. Murray Turner and at a meeting held March 15, 1918, presided over by Dr. H. E. Sharrer, plans were formulated to erect and complete the structure with a seating capacity of 5,000 â if possible in one day â and on the only available spot in the heart of Hammond.

An adjourned meeting held at the Chamber of Commerce presided over by Peter W. Meyn proved a revelation in the offerings of aid and assistance of every character to promote the success of the project. The school board offered the site and Thomas Harle, president of the Trade Unionists and Craftsmen, guaranteed the labor and lumber and building material were offered at cost by patriotic dealers. Electricity was offered by the local public utility and Mr. O. A. Kimball, local superintendent of the telephone company, said he would pay the expenses himself for telephone service, as the company was not allowed by law to give free service. Merchants, manufacturers, lawyers, judges and other leading citizens offered their services in the performance of crude labor.

Enthusiasm for the project characterized the meeting and a committee consisting of Rev. F. H. Adams, C. J. Sharp, Peter W. Meyn and Dr. H. E. Sharrer were appointed to get the services of the architect of the Billy Sunday Tabernacle. It was decided to erect a building of sufficient size to provide offices for the work of the Red Cross, American Alliance, Council of Defense, Liberty Loans, Y. M. C. A., Knights of Columbus, Exemption Board and all other war work organizations. War meetings, bazaars, Red Cross benefits and patriotic gatherings of every character were to be held in the temple.

When the meeting adjourned committees promptly were at work so the construction of the temple could begin at the very earliest date. It was a wonderful sight to see the professional and business men of the city in overalls doing the rough work of cutting trees, digging trenches and other preliminary labor in preparing the site for the temple. The first tree was cut by R. H. McHie and P. A. Parry of the Lake County Times with a cross cut saw in nine and one-half minutes and the second by two employees of the Times composing room with Ben L. T. Bell assisting

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and the work of preparing the site was fully completed and it was ready for the erection of the building in a few days. Plans of the building gave a front on ILohman Street of 106 feet and on Fayette Street 140 feet, with a depth of 70 feet on the north side and on the east end 50 feet.

The day the building was erected was the greatest in enthusiasm ever witnessed in Hammond. Thousands of Hammond citizens reinforced by other thousands from other cities were on hand to see the loyal contractors and craftsmen undertake the phenomenal act of completing the building in eight hours. Three hundred union workers and helpers were promptly on hand and at seven oâclock six revolver shots announced that work would start. Before the echo had died away frames were being raised in place on all sides of the structure and in fifteen minutes the frame was up. By 9 oâclock the floor was laid and this miracle in rapid construction by loyal hearts went merrily on. By noon the sides and roof were practically finished and miles of lumber previously prepared had been put in place.

The sounds of hammers and saws could be heard for blocks around and contractors McClay and Reed with trained union labor were demonstrating the wonders of skill and knowledge in construction. So rapid was the work that every few minutes saw a material change in appearance and when noon arrived the tired and happy workers knew their task would be completed on time. After a fine dinner furnished by J. E. Fitzgerald, the sound of the hammers and saws were again heard and the trained craftsmen were reinforced by Mrs. J. E. Fitzgerald, Mrs. David T. Emery, Mrs. J. H. McClay, Mrs. J. J. Ruff, Mrs. R. H. McHie and Mrs. P. A. Parry, who donned overalls and with the cheers of thousands of spectators quickly demonstrated they were worthy rivals and valuable aids to the loyal mechanics who were uninterruptedly completing their task.

While no serious accidents occurred, many of the workmen were painfully hurt, but refused to pause in their work and endured with fortitude their wounds and loyally stayed on the job. As fast as one craft finished another was ready and without pause â carpenters, building laborers, plumbers, steamfitters, hod carriers, sheet metal workers, roofers, teamsters, electricians, painters, lathers, plasterers, cement finishers, journeymen stone craft and blacksmiths, promptly took their assigned tasks and gave a testimonial of efficiency rarely seen. The workmen sang frequently âHail, Hail, the Gangâs All Hereâ and other songs, and worked with speed and order and the spirit was magnificent. Only skill and organization and thorough knowledge of their craft could make the erection of the building possible in eight hours.

During the day representatives of leading papers and magazines marveled at the scene and moving pictures at various intervals were taken. Dictaphone records of the various noises were made by Harry Morgonan of the Betz Company. During the day the workmen were inspired by

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music furnished by the Hammond members of the American Federation of Musicians. The completion of the work was greeted by the cheers of thousandsand Peter W. Meyn and A. Murray Turner, who conceived the idea, were overjoyed, and enthusiasm and happiness reigned supreme among the committees, the workmen and the citizens. The Liberty Temple was a monument to the patriotism of the 40,000 citizens of Hammond and West Hammond and an act of enthusiasm rarely found and caused Hammond to be heralded as the wonder municipality throughout the country for its unique contribution to the war.

The building was ready for service the evening of its erection, complete with benches, telephones, lighting fixtures and other necessaries, and was a blaze of light. The citizens of Tacoma, Washington, erected a similar building and took twelve hours to complete the work done by Hammond craftsmen in eight hours and demonstrating the extraordinary capacity of the architects, contractors and workmen on the Hammond Liberty Temple. Thousands from nearby cities came to inspect it and marveled at its completeness and could hardly be convinced it was built in such a short period of time. The thoroughness of the work in its construction was shown the day after its erection when a heavy rain was carried off in the eaves and water spouts and not a drop of water entered the building during the storm.

Some construction records were made worthy of perpetuation and showing the high order of craftsmanship. Painters required only one and one-half hours to paint the building thoroughly. Plumbers constructed a drinking fountain in forty-five minutes. Eighty thousand square feet of lumber were used in the building and there were 100,000 square feet of floor space. Committees in charge of the construction of the building had good reason to be proud of their efforts in providing material, thereby making possible the erection of the structure in a comparatively few days after its conception. An example worth mentioning was that of R. H. McHie, who went to Chicago for structural material and so convincing was he in presenting the need of the material that it almost caught up with him on his return journey from that city and was ready for use the next day.

Souvenir programs were sold to help pay the wholesale price of material and J. E. Fitzgerald, who was prominent in committee work, gave $250 for this purpose and also furnished food to the workmen on the day the temple was erected. The Liberty Temple was dedicated on April 6, 1918. H. A. Lamprell was chairman of the committee on decorations and installed in the temple his private collection of flags, which included the Pine Tree, Betsy Ross, Bunker Hill, the original Puritan, St. Georges, the Revolutionary Naval, 1665, the Israel Putnam and many others. On the front of the temple on Hohman Street a spot lighted sign was placed 106

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feet long and 4 feet wide with the name Hammond Liberty Temple. The committee on dedication were Peter W. Meyn, A. M. Turner, Mayor Brown, P. A. Parry, Charles R. Dyer and Mrs. Joseph Thompson of the Womanâs Club.

INDIANA HARBOR RED CROSS HOME.

Not to be outdone by the citizens of Hammond the Red Cross organization of Indiana Harbor, aided by citizens generally, performed another wonderful feat in building construction in the erection in one day by 200 craftsmen of the Indiana Harbor Red Cross Home, at a cost of nearly $8,000. It was an exceptional accomplishment and in many ways rivaled the efforts of the larger community, Hammond, in the building of the Liberty Temple.

CONSCRIPTION BOARDS.

Promptly after the passage of the National Conscription Act by Congress, the Conscription Board for Lake County was appointed by Governor Goodrich and consisted of Dr. J. C. Gibbs, Sheriff Lew Barnes and County Clerk Herbert Wheaton. Appointments of Conscription Boards for the principal centers of population immediately followed. Owing to the large population in Gary and the language difficulties encountered in registration, three Conscription Boards were appointed for that city, the North Side Board consisting of John A. Brennan, chairman, assisted by

L. Brown and Dr. T. J. Toner. A. L. Brown was replaced by C. P. Vallet and later Dr. T. J. Toner enlisted for service. The second Gary board generally spoken of as the South Side board consisted of C. O. Holmes, chairman, and Dr. Frank J. McMichael of Tolleston and Peter Zinaich. Dr. McMichael enlisted for service and was succeeded by Dr. G. W. Gannon. Mr. Zinaich was succeeded by Joseph Nietubic who was in turn succeeded by Herbert Graham. The third board appointed consisted of William J. Williams, chairman; Dr. F. J. McMichael and Joseph Morris who was succeeded by J. Ferman. Frank J. Sheehan was also a member of the board as attorney.

Two Conscription Boards were also appointed for Hammond and Whiting, the first board consisting of Frank N. Gavit, chairman, assisted by Dr. Thomas W. Kohr and Dr. A. J. Lauer. Dr. W. D. Weis, chairman, assisted by Paul Lepinske and W. E. Osborne, composed the second board. The East Chicago Registration Board had Mayor Frank Callahan for chairman with Newton Hembroff and Dr. C. C. Robinson as his assistants. Sheriff L. E. Barnes was chairman of the Lake County Board with Clerk Herbert Wheaton and Dr. Janies Gibbs as assistants and which served Crown Point and Southern Lake County.

Owing to the many nationalities in the industrial centers of Lake County the difficulties in registration were many. As an example, the

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registration boards in Gary reported they had given information on the draft in fifty-two languages to 20,000 employees of the United States Steel Corporation and other industrial plants.

The Conscription Boards in East Chicago, Whiting and Hammond faced a similar situation to that of Gary in as much as the great majority of the employees in that industrial sector were also foreign born and they were obliged to furnish information on the draft in more than twenty-five foreign languages. The registration in Gary was under the supervision of Mayor Johnson and totaled 10,860. The registration in Hammond was 4,096, East Chicago 7,000, Whiting 1,420, North Township 200, Hobart Township 542, Center Township 320, St. John First Precinct 69, Hanover Township 89, Calumet Township 107, Eagle Creek Township 81, Ross Township 191, Cedar Creek Township 191, Winfield Township 81, West Creek Township 133; a total registration for the county of 25,380. Later registrations greatly increased the total number to near 50,000 and of this number Gary had 22,914.

The call of the Government for troops to form the National Army practically ended the great record for enlistment for which the Calumet District was famous through the country. Although Hammond and Gary were the principal centers of enlistment, the soldiers who joined the United States Regular Army were drawn from every section of Lake County. In addition to the hundreds of enlisted soldiers in the regular forces of the country and those who later joined the National Army, Lake County was represented by three companies of Indiana National Guards. Although Lake County had two companies before the war, a new company for local service was organized in Gary by Captain Umpleby of Company F and designated as Company I on May 18, 1917, the ranks being filled in a one day announcement of its organization. Owing to the many nationalities existing in Lake County, the work of the Exemption Boards presented many difficulties, although there were only a few outright refusals to join the National Army, and these individual cases were promptly dealt with by the Government authorities.

The departure of the young soldiers for the various camps in the country was attended generally by demonstrations at the railroad stations, where friends gathered in large numbers and cheered the departing soldiers. The departure of the companies of National Guards and the need of a military organization to preserve order and safeguard the industrial plants who were manufacturing needed military supplies for the Government led to the formation of the Home Guards, composed of men past military age or who for many reasons were exempt from service in the regular army organizations.

Capt. H. S. Norton of Gary was in charge of the organization of the different companies throughout Lake County and many of those who joined the Home Guards had seen active military service. Some were young men with military training who, although exempt from service

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at the war front or military camps, could and did render valuable service as members of the Home Guards. The Home Guards were well trained and disciplined and in various ways rendered important service during their existence. A nearly accurate list of all the soldiers from Lake County in the Regular Army, National Army and National Guards will be found at the close of this chapter.

SOLDIERâS WELFARE CAMP ORGANIZATIONS.

An important line of welfare work for soldiers was inaugurated by the Y. M. C. A., Knights of Columbus, Jewish Welfare Board, Salvation Army and some other organizations and it was soon realized that their work was of outstanding importance. Headquarters of the organizations were established in the different American camps and at the front, which were centers of information, recreation and of social activities. Newspapers, magazines and books were kept on hand for the free use of the soldiers. Religious services were held by the various organizations for the soldiers who desired to attend them, but the conduct of the camp huts was strictly non-sectarian and a broad American atmosphere prevailed. The work of these organizations was later supplemented by the Y. W. C. A. War Camp Community Service and American Library Association.

During the early stages of the war, drives for funds were conducted by the Y. M. C. A., Knights of Columbus, Jewish Welfare Board and Salvation Army, but near the close of the war all of the organizations above mentioned united in a single drive for funds to maintain the camp service they were rendering. The first call for funds was made by the Y. M. C. A. and Capt. Horace S. Norton, of Gary, was made chairman of the first drive for Lake County. The quota for the county was $10,000 and the total amount subscribed was $16,000. As the plans of the organization expanded and more camps were established it became necessary to raise a large sum for the future needs of the organization. In this drive Lake County was part of a district containing seven counties, the quota for which was $115,000.

Capt. H. S. Norton, of Gary, who was county chairman of the first drive, was placed in charge of the second drive, and he was assisted in Lake County by George Hanneur, of Gary; Beaumont Parks, F. N. Gavit and F. R. Smith, of Whiting; Charles H. True and William E. Funkey, Jr., East Chicago; C. E. Potts and John O. Farovid, Indiana Harbor; Dr. H. E. Sharrer, Dr. C. J. Sharp and W. G. Paxton, Hammond. Mr. Paxton also acted as county treasurer. The quota for Lake County was $60,000, and the amount subscribed in Lake County was $131,000, or more than the entire quota for the seven counties in the district. Of this amount Gary contributed $61,367, Hammond $24,500, East Chicago-Indiana Harbor

Whiting $12,000, Crown Point $31,000 and Lowell $1,900.

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K. OF C. DRIVE â The Knights of Columbus drive for funds in May, 1918, for social service in training camps and at the front was largely over-subscribed. Like the Y. M. C. A., the Knights of Columbus also conducted religious services, but the conduct of the camp centers was strictly non-sectarian and their camp huts were popular centers of recreation for the soldiers. Before the drive started a poem written by Edgar A. Guest, which follows, in praise of the attitude of the order in its conduct of camp service was widely circulated by the press all over the country and was an important influence in the success of the drive:

âThey do not ask the faith or creed,

Of him that comes into their hut.

True knighthoodâs door is never shut,

Against a pilgrim warriorâs need.

They question only: âWould you rest, and are you weary and oppressed?

Then brother, lay aside your care and come this sheltering roof to share.â

âThe days of bigotry are passed; now creeds are standing side by side,

To stem warâs devastating tide, all Christians as one race are massed.

And Jew and Gentile work and pray, as fellows of a common day

Throughout warâs black and bleary blight, in deeds of mercy men unite.

âPerhaps some one you love or know may seek the door thatâs never shut.

And enter knighthoodâs cheery hut and hear the songs of long ago.

And live once more an hour or two the joys of home that once he knew;

Shall he not feel your presence there regardless of the garb you wear?â

The drive in Gary was in charge of C. Moran, chairman; P. F. Murphy, secretary; J. Letz, treasurer, assisted by M. E. Kolb, P. I. Muschelwetz, J. J. Molloy, Charles Tauchek, L. S. Lahey, J. Kussukal and G. M. Carroll. In Hammond the drive was in charge of J. E. Fitzgerald, chairman, assisted by Thomas S. Boyle, John E. OâNeill, D. S. OâConnor, W. J. Hastings and Frank OâRourke. Other committees were in operation in Crown Point, Hobart, Whiting and East Chicago.

The drive in Hammond was preceded by a parade held May 5 with patriotic exercises in Liberty Hall, where speakers representing various denominations praised the Knights of Columbus welfare service to the highest and urged the most generous contributions on the part of the citizens to insure a continuation and expansion of their work. Lake Countyâs allotment was $33,100. The amount subscribed was $42,981. The allotment and subscriptions for the principal centers of population follow:

Allotment Subscriptions

Gary $10,000 $17,098

Hammond 10,000 11,283

East Chicago 10,000 11,100

Whiting 2,500 2,800

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UNITED WAR WORK DRIVE â The Y. M. C. A., Y. W. C. A., Jewish Welfare Board, War Camp Community Service, American Library Association, Knights of Columbus and the Salvation Army, who had been conducting separate drives for carrying on social welfare work for soldiers in camps, decided to unite their efforts to obtain in one big drive the additional funds needed to continue the service they were rendering. The drive was held late in October, 1918, and the quota for Lake County was set at $297,500. Capt. Horace S. Norton, of Gary, under whose leadership the Y. M. C. A. drives had been such pronounced successes, was made county chairman, and A. B. Dickson was made county secretary and campaign manager and L. W. McNamee county treasurer.

The following chairmen and assistants were selected to have charge of the drive in the various centers of population: Charles H. Doorley, chairman, assisted by L. B. Boyd, H. G. Hay, Jr., L. B. Judson, P. W. Seyl, John A. Gross, Charles S. Martin, Oliver Thompson, W. F. Hodges, N. A. Tharp, Henry Wellner, Rev. Charles E. Hawkins, George Sheehan, Col. H. Maloney, Mrs. W. A. Cain, Mrs. Louis Dubetz, Dr. W. Grant Seamon, B. Kellar, W. C. Loyd, C. E. Carr, J. Considine, William Feder, O. L. Wildermuth, Walter L. Plew, A. M. Fisher, W. S. Fener, Mrs. W. F. Hodges, Mrs. Ralph Russ, Mrs. O. S. McGuianty, Rev. Thomas F. Jansen, Rabbi J. Max Weiss, of Gary; H. E. Sharrer, chairman, assisted by George Ilannauer, P. A. Parry, Howard Gescheidler, Leo Wolf, S. Hedegard, L. L. Bomberger, J. E. Fitzgerald, C. H. Levers, Mrs. O. C. E. Matthies, and C. M. McDaniels, of Hammond; Walter J. Riley, chairman, assisted by M. J. Sontag, John W. Lees, Charles H. True, John Carroll and John E. OâNeill, of East Chicago; John J. Keller, chairman, assisted by Dr. R. E. Humphrey, O. S. Mayhew, William S. Stoll, Roy Green, A. E. Sullivan, Jessie Curtis Smith, Frank Barr, Mrs. Gentry Cash and Rev. George W. Jones, of Whiting; M. E. Dinwiddie, chairman, assisted by Edward J. Eder, Herbert P. Johnson and John H. Lehman, of Crown Point; Dr. P. L. Rigg, chairman, assisted by Peter A. Berg, Frank Malloy and Star Brownell, of Lowell; R. R. Peddicord, chairman, assisted by Clarence S. Darrow, Emil Scharbach and E. G. Sayger, of Hobart; J. L. Keilman, chairman, of Dyer; Herman Meeter, chairman of Highlands; Charles Schoon, chairman of Munster, and Dr. F. A. Malmstone, chairman of Griffith.

Enthusiastic meetings were held throughout the county and the ministers and priests in the various churches urged the parishioners to contribute liberally. The slogan in the manufacturing cities of Gary, East Chicago, Hammond and Whiting was âA Dayâs Pay,â and each wage earner approached subscribed at least that amount. While preparations for the drive were in progress came the favorable reports from the front and the great successes attending the efforts of the American soldiers

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wherever they were engaged, and just before the drive was to take place came the cheering news that American soldiers had accomplished one of the greatest military achievements of the war in the capture of the St. Mihiel salient followed by the victories in Argonne forest and that the German lines were broken and in full retreat and that the war would be over through a military decision. In a few days came the armistice and victorious celebrations were held everywhere throughout the county.

Although the war was over, the need for funds for the welfare organizations still existed as it would be many months before welfare work would cease and when the drive took place the citizens responded most generously with the result that the total contributions amounted to with Gary, East Chicago and Hammond having a more than 100 per cent over-subscription.

LAKE COUNTYâS CONTRIBUTION TO WELFARE WORK â A review of the contribution made by the citizens of Lake County to the soldiers welfare work, Red Cross and other forms of war relief, shows a record almost unrivaled in the country by any city, county or section, with nearly the same population. In the various drives for the Red Cross, Y. M. C. A.,

K. of C. and other organizations including the United War Work Drive, Lake County contributed approximately $1,300,000 and in addition thousands of dollars were expended by the various county war relief organizations, the total amount being difficult to ascertain. It is a wonderful record of accomplishment by the citizens of Lake County and a proud heritage of loyalty, application and organization efforts for the patriotic inspiration of future generations.

LIBERTY LOANS.

When we joined the Allies in 1917 we pledged them our unflinching support and that the resources of the nation in men, money and material would be used, if necessary, to the point of exhaustion in order to bring victory to our arms. The resources of our Allies had been sorely taxed during the conflict and shortly after the war opened America was the principal outside source of war material, food and other necessary supplies. The prosperity which we enjoyed was largely at the expense of the nations engaged who had expended vast sums in the conflict, a substantial part of which was borrowed in this country and used in payment for the supplies purchased here. Great Britain to a large extent had financed some of her Allies but even her financial resources, great as they were, had become sorely strained.

The closing of the conflict through a military decision seemed doubtful or at least far distant before we entered the war, but the addition of our powerful support made certain a victory as soon as our resources in men

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and material could be made effective. As it was going to take some time before we could become a vital military factor, we assumed our share of the burden by pledging to our Allies the loan of large sums of money and the furnishing of supplies of every character on their promise to pay some time in the future. The mobilization, equipment and the training of several millions of soldiers which was planned and carried into effect by our Government meant the expenditure of billions of dollars in addition to the sums expended for our Allies. It also became necessary to largely increase our tonnage at sea as well as that of our Allies, which meant new ship yards with every facility for quickly constructing vessels. Still further and of vital importance were the plans for enlargement of industry, to not only care for our own military wants but that of our Allies, which meant more billions, and the people were called upon by the Government to loan it the vast sums that would be necessary to cany out the program mentioned and insure victory to our arms.

Preparations were made for loan subscriptions at intervals and as the result showed, the people throughout the country responded nobly and the counties of the Lake Region proved exceptionally generous in their subscriptions. Porter County, with its small population and handicapped by lack of industries of importance, nevertheless made an excellent average record in the various loan drives, to some extent extraordinary when its resources are considered. LaPorte County was one of the banner counties in the State and the loyalty of its citizens was shown in every loan drive, far exceeding the Government expectations, but Lake County was one of the banner sections of the United States.

In the first, second, third and fourth Liberty Loan drives Lake County subscribed $24,125,000, and in the Victory Loan which followed Lake County subscribed $7,568,100; and still further in the War Saving Stamp drive Lake County subscribed $1,425,000.75 â a total in Government loans of more than $33,000,000 â unrivaled in the country by any city or county of equal population with the possible exception of a few cities like Hartford, Connecticut, and some others in which a large amount of capital drawn from all over the country had become centered. A striking feature of the various loan drives was the large number of individual subscriptions showing the whole-hearted support given by the entire population. The story of the various county loan drives follow:

FIRST LIBERTY LOAN â All the Liberty Loan drives were in charge of the banking interests of Lake County, who selected a county chairman and he appointed city and district chairmen, who had direct charge of the drives in their respective localities. Harry M. Johnson, treasurer of the Citizenâs German National Bank, of Hammond, was made county chairman of the First Liberty Loan drive.

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No intensive efforts were made during the first loan to greatly exceed the Government expectations as the amount asked for by the Government could be easily met, but during this campaign, through speakers at various gatherings and articles in the press, the people were made acquainted with the plans of the Government and the large sums which would be necessary to carry out these plans for the successful prosecution of the war, and the necessity on the part of the people to render the most whole-hearted support to enable the Government to finance its requirements.

This education as to Government needs proved a helpful aid in succeeding Liberty Loan campaigns and the loyalty of the people was shown in their subscriptions. Lake Countyâs quota on the First Liberty Loan was $1,760,000. The subscriptions received were $2,069,400, due to Garyâs large over-subscription. Subscriptions by cities and districts follow:

Amount

Gary $1,068,000

Hammond 367,000

East Chicago 150,000

Indiana Harbor 145,000

Whiting 135,000

Crown Point 125,000

Lowell 39,000

Dyer 15,000

Hobart 12,400

West Hammond 10,000

Highland 3,000

SECOND LIBERTY LOAN â The large amount asked for by the Government for the Second Liberty Loan necessitated an intensive campaign to exceed the amount asked for and it was a great test of the loyalty of the citizens and the results showed that they fully appreciated the necessity of their subscribing liberally to finance the Government. In this and succeeding loan drives the women took an active part and their remarkable efforts had much to do with the great success of the drives. In a preceding page of this chapter will be found a list of the women appointed to aid in the war loan drives and who were assisted by hundreds of the leading women in the county.

H. G. Hay, Jr., president of the Gary State Bank, was county chairman, assisted by S. J. Watson, president of the North State Bank, and J. W. Albright, president of the International Trust and Savings Bank, and in Crown Point S. A. Love, vice president of the Commercial Bank, assisted by John E. Freeze, of the Peopleâs State Bank. In Hammond C. W. Belman was chairman, assisted by Frank Hammond, and in East Chicago John

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Carroll, cashier of the First State Trust and Savings Bank, was chairman, assisted by W. J. Funkey. In Hobart Frank H. Davis was chairman.

The Government minimum quota for Lake County was $2,170,560, and the maximum $4,090,000. The total subscriptions for Lake County was $5,335,450, an over-subscription of $1,245,450, and in this connection it may be stated Whiting made the greatest over-subscription, more than 100 per cent. The following are the city and district allotments and subscriptions:

Allotment Subscription

Crown Point $120,000 $149,600

Dyer 15,000 15,100

East Chicago â Indiana Harbor 1,050,000 1,463,850

Gary 1,650,000 2,131,000

Hammond 900,000 1,063,600

Highland 5,000 5,000

Hobart 90,000 31,400

Lowell 60,000 70,900

Whiting 200,000 405,000

THIRD LIBERTY LOAN â H. G. Hay, Jr., of Gary, was again appointed as county chairman to have charge of the Third Liberty Loan, assisted by H. M. Johnson, of Hammond. The local chairmen appointed throughout the county were Dr. II. E. Sharrer, Hammond; Col. Walter J. Riley with William Funkey, vice chairman, East Chicago; John Carroll, Indiana Harbor, assisted by General Superintendent John W. Lees, the industrial chairman of Indiana Harbor and East Chicago; Attorney R. R. Peddicord, Hobart; J. B. Peterson, Crown Point, and Fred J. Smith, Whiting.

The growing needs of the Government and the large expenditures which were being incurred made necessary still larger subscriptions from the people for the Third Liberty Loan and again the loyalty of the citizens of Lake County was shown to great advantage. Preparations were made for an intensive campaign to reach into every home in the county, stores, offices and every department of the industrial plants. Public meetings and parades were planned and the cities rivaled with each other in their preparations to bring the greatest results.

In Gary a great parade was held, with ten divisions, in charge of Chief Marshal W. P. Gleason, and with C. H. Doorley, P. W. Seyl, John Gross, W. Loyd, and Col. C. H. Maloney as aids. Although it rained steadily while the parade was held, it did not restrain the enthusiasm of the marchers, who carried banners appealing to the citizens to subscribe to their limit. In the East Chicago and Indiana Harbor districts Chairman Col. W. J. Riley and John Carroll, with their assistants, William Funkey and John W. Lees, were bending every energy to insure an over-

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whelming subscription. At a meeting of the solicitors held March 20th it was announced that approximately $1,000 was contributed by Chairman W. J. Riley, C. A. Westberg, and some local corporations, to defray the expenses connected with the Third Liberty Loan drive in East Chicago and Indiana Harbor, which announcement was received with great enthusiasm.

Attorney R. R. Peddicord of Hobart had a most difficult task before him on account of the large number of Hobart citizens who were employed outside the city and who made their subscriptions where they were employed, but with his assistants he worked overtime to overcome this handicap and establish a record subscription for Hobart. Claude W. Allman and Mayor B. F. Hayes of Crown Point, with a large corps of aids, conducted an intensive canvass in their section. In Hammond and Whiting no one could say they had not been solicited for a subscription. The First National Bank in Hammond came forward with a subscription of $150,000, and the American Maize Products Company with a subscription of $100,000, and the officials of the industrial plants generally materially increased their subscriptions over previous loans.

Following the example set by Gary, there were parades in other cities and meetings held in halls, on street corners and at industrial plants and urgent appeals made to make the largest subscription possible. It was generally known the day before the drive took place that Lake County was going to make a magnificent showing and within a few minutes after the loan subscriptions had opened, the Treasury Department in Washington was electrified by a telegram from Col. W. J. Riley that East Chicago had oversubscribed its quota and it was the first to announce the result. The telegram was read in the United States Senate and House of Representatives and enthusiastically cheered.

When the subscriptions had been totaled it was found that East Chicago had exceeded every city in the United States with a population of from 25,000 to 50,000, and that Gary was second only to Hartford, Connecticut, in all cities of the country with from 50,000 to 100,000 population. In Lake County there were 56,481 subscribers in a population of 135,000, or an average for city and farming sections of one subscription to every 2Yz persons in the county. It was the banner record in the United States. In East Chicago 18,758 persons bought bonds, more than half of her 35,000 population. In Crown Point, Claude W. Allman announced his gratification beyond measure at the $121,100 subscribed by the people of Crown Point, and an additional $91,000 from the suburban territory. These subscriptions were obtained without calling on banks or industrial concerns and represented a truly popular subscription, 777 of the number being for $50 each. Dyer was another community which sold its entire allot-

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ment to private subscribers, no banks or industrial concerns being represented.

An examination of the allotment and subscriptions of the different sections of Lake County shows that Lake County exceeded its allotment 140 per cent, and that Hammond and Whiting made magnificent showings, while the smaller sections made record subscriptions. The subscriptions from Hobart shows the magnificent work accomplished by Attorney Peddicord and his aids, who succeeded in having most of the subscriptions made by Hobart citizens in other cities credited to Hobart, which had an oversubscription of 25 per cent:

Allotment Subscription

Gary $1,020,000 $3,050,000

Crown Point 120,000 212,650

Dyer 15,000 38,450

East Chicago 780,000 2,137,600

Hammond 640,000 1,080,000

Highlands 2,500 9,400

Munster 2,500 6,600

Hobart 80,000 100,250

Lowell 60,000 136,350

Whiting 260,000 507,350

Total $2,980,000 $7,279,450

FOURTH LIBERTY LOAN â The Government in the Fourth Liberty Loan called for a much larger subscription than asked for in preceding drives, and again the willing workers in Lake County in previous loans responded with still greater efforts in order that the amount desired by the Government would be subscribed. The amount asked of Lake County was $7,000,000, and in every township the most intensive campaign was conducted to obtain an oversubscription. Mayor William F. Hodges of Gary was county chairman of the Fourth Liberty Loan drive; H. M. Johnson of Hammond and Benjamin Hayes of Crown Point were vice chairmen. The Lowell district, which included Cedar Creek, West Creek, and Eagle Creek, was in charge of Albert Foster, chairman, and Peter A. Verg, vice chairman. A. W. Stommel was chairman in Dyer, Claude Allman in Crown Point, and R. R. Peddicord in Hobart, assisted by John H. Carpenter. Fred J. Smith was in charge in Whiting, Col. Walter J. Riley in East Chicago, Dr. H. E. Sharrer in Hammond, Herman Meeter in Highland, and Walter L. Plew in Gary.

Parades were held and loan meetings were conducted in every city and town. The farmers were asked to do their utmost and the employes in the various lines of business and industrial plants were asked to strain

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themselves to insure an oversubscription. Great as were the accomplishments of the women solicitors in the Second and Third Loans, they far exceeded their previous efforts in the Fourth Loan, and their aid was a most important influence in the great success of the Fourth Liberty Loan drive. The drive started on the morning of September 28th with the booming of guns and the blowing of whistles, and soon the streets were alive with the activities of the solicitors. Every possible subscriber in the cities, towns and rural communities were seen, and as the thorough preliminary campaign which had been conducted had aroused the patriotism of the citizens to the utmost, subscriptions were quickly obtained.

There were joyous gatherings that evening at the various headquarters of the loan committees, as it was early known that an oversubscription was in sight, notwithstanding the large amount of the quota, and as the magnificent returns began to pour in and were announced to the gatherings they were greeted with cheers of exultation and delight. The returns showed that every section of Lake County had oversubscribed its allotment, the total subscriptions being more than $10,091,750:

Allotment Subscription

Gary $2,214,960 $3,110,000

East Chicago 1,759,590 3,000,000

Hammond 1,422,490 1,750,000

Whiting 641,976 723,000

Crown Point 350,000 354,000

Lowell 225,330 262,100

Hobart 139,760 164,150

Dyer 40,180 72,100

Balance of Lake County 666,400

VICTORY LOAN â In March, 1919, the Government issued its last appeal for funds. A million of our soldiers on foreign soil had to be returned, approximately two million more were in various camps throughout the country who had to be maintained and returned to their homes, contracts had been made by the Government of such a character they must be kept, our Allies were still in want of much assistance, and a large sum was thus needed to care for these necessary expenditures which the Victory Loan would meet. When the Victory Loan announcement came, the citizens were in a joyous mood, as victory had been attained, and once more the patriotism of Lake County asserted itself as full as it had in previous loans.

The Victory Loan drive was in charge of F. R. Schaaf, one of the prominent bankers of Hammond and Gary, who announced Lake Countyâs quota as over $5,200,000, and he asked the citizens of Lake County in

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its final call for funds to make a large oversubscription. A few days before the drive took place Mr. Schaaf called a meeting of the different city and township chairman and their leading workers, and he made a splendid address to his associates on the need of an intensive campaign so that the drive would bring a large oversubscription. Other inspiring talks were given by Chairman Davis of Gary and by City Chairman Fred Smith of Whiting, W. C. Belman of Hammond, Joseph Brown of Crown Point, W. H. Cavender of Hobart, Col. W. J. Riley of East Chicago, and Mrs. Herbert Erickson of Gary, who was chairman of the Liberty Loan Committee of the Womenâs Section of the Council of Defense. Prominent loan workers wore German helmets just received from France, and it was announced that fifty medals made from German cannon were to be given to the solicitors who received the largest total subscriptions. The drive was preceded by patriotic meetings and parades in which army tanks were a prominent feature, i