These are excerpts from one of Staunton, Virginia’s paper, The Evening Leader, Thursday, September 24, 1918:
CITY NOW HAS AN ORGANIZED FIRE DEPT’MT
Despite the recent strike by nearly every member of the Fire Department, the city now has a completely reorganized force of fire fighters—one which, it is thought, will serve the community with fidelity, rendering efficient service whenever called upon.
The organization was effected Monday evening when the fire committee of the city council held a meeting in the city manager’s office. Present were C. P. BOWMAN and George A. COTTRELL.
As a result of this conference the personnel of the S. F. D. No. 1 is as follows:
Chief—A. E. DRUMMOND
Asst. Chief—Clarence AGNER
Foreman—J. P. KELLEY
Firemen—George BRIGHT, John SHEFFER, John RANKIN, H. C. DIGGS, Charles SHELLEY, J. McW. COLLINS, C. D. REEVES, and Virgil REID.
Drivers—D. L. HUFF and Basil ANDERSON
The committee also authorized the purchase of about five hundred feet of new hose, this being among some of the business matters considered.
The department, since the strike, has suffered very little inconvenience because of the fact that many volunteers were ready to assist whenever occasion demanded. Although his term of office expired September 1st, he having been given a year’s leave to enter Y.M.C.A. work, Former Chief J. M. BRATTON has been especially faithful to the department, having attended every alarm and driven a truck whenever occasion required his services in this capacity. What is true of Mr. BRATTON is equally so of a number of other volunteers.
SERGEANT EMPEY HERE
Stauntonians will have the last opportunity to see Sergeant Arthur Guy EMPEY in the story of his life on the battlefields of Europe, "Over The Top," at the Art theatre this evening.
GUERNSEY STOCK SALE ON FRIDAY
Coming as an aftermath of the successful sale at the Great Staunton Fair, an auction sale of sixty registered and high grade Guernsey cattle will be held at the fair grounds Friday, September the 27th, at 12:00 o’clock. Col. D. L. PERRY, of Columbus, O., will cry the sale. C. T. RICE is sales manager. The Red Cross will serve lunch.
EVERETT COLBY ENLISTS
ORANGE, N.J., Sept. 24—Everett COLBY, former State Senator and one time candidate for governor of New Jersey on the Progressive ticket, has abandoned a promising career as a lawyer to enlist as a private in the tank corps. He is to leave for Gettysburg on October 1 to get his initial training.
MRS. CARROLL DEAD
Mrs. Bemia C. CARROLL, aged about thirty-three, wife of J. A. CARROLL, died Monday night at 11:30 o’clock at the family residence on Lewis street. She had been ill for about three months. She also leaves one son about ten years of age. Burial will be from Mt. Tabor Lutheran church Wednesday afternoon at three o’clock, Mrs. CARROLL being a Lutheran.
BOWLING CASE IS CONTINUED
Failure on the part of Dr. John NEFF of the University Hospital, Charlottesville, to be present, caused the case of the Commonwealth vs. Eulis BOWLING, colored, to be continued until the next term of the corporation court. BOWLING is charged with having caused the death of James RILEY, also colored, on April the 10th, by shooting. RILEY died later in the University Hospital and Dr. NEFF was the attending physician. Dr. NEFF is said to be suffering from an attack of Spanish influenza. BOWLING, who was captured the same day of the shooting, has been in jail ever since and is still therein.
PERSONALS
Mrs. WINSTON, wife of Col. Charles P. WINSTON, who had been a guest of her sister, Mrs. G. M. COCHRAN, for several weeks returned today to her suburban home near Amelia Court House.
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Tom S. PROSTOR has gone to Pennington, Va., to work in a munitions plant.
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Mr. and Mrs. L. E. MORAN, of Covington, are receiving congratulations upon the arrival of a ten pound daughter, Alice Katherine, born August the 28th.
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Miss Pauline MILLS, who has been a guest of relatives in Washington for several days, has returned home.
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Miss Helen MISH underwent an operation for her tonsils at the King’s Daughter’s Hospital, and has recovered sufficiently to return to her home near Greenville.
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F. O. CLINE, formerly of Mt. Solon, now a locomotive engineer on the Virginia Railway out of Norfolk, has returned to his duties after undergoing a successful operation, in the Rockingham Memorial Hospital, Harrisonburg.
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Dr. Harry M. WALLACE was a business visitor in Staunton Monday.
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William (?) BRYAN, of Camp Humphries, was a visitor in the city (?). paper torn
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Sergeant Maynard STODDARD, of (?)5th Depot Brigade Band, Camp Lee, spent a short time here today.
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Captain FRANCIS, of the Salvation Army, is spending a few days in Richmond attending a conference of army workers. He left Monday morning.
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Clarence DESPER has returned to Washington after spending the week-end with friends in this city.
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C. B. RALSTON, secretary of the Shenandoah Valley Fair Association, left Monday evening for Covington to attend the fair, which is in progress there this week.
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Nat. A. MILLS, of Manchester, Ga., and Charles MILLS, of Orange, after a pleasant visit here, and several days spent in Washington, have returned to their places of residence.
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Taylor McCOY has gone to Baltimore on business.
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Mrs. Maggie Henderson PEARCE has gone to Roanoke to visit an aunt.
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Harold KIVLIGHAN left during the morning for Washington, where he will attend the Georgetown University.
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Harry NORRIS, Jr., left Woodberry Forest, at Orange, Va., during the morning, where he will resume his studies.
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Weldon PEMBERTON left on No. 4 for Charlottesville, where he will enter the University of Virginia.
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John D. TRAINUM, who has been firing on the shifter for the C. & O. in Staunton for some time, has been transferred to Clifton Forge, where he will fire on the main line.
DEATH OF MRS. RANKIN
Mrs. Nettie Landis RANKIN, wife of J. E. RANKIN of Basic, passed away suddenly Sunday, at her home there. Her death was a shock to her many friends, although she had been in failing health for some time.
She is survived by her husband and nine children, Mrs. Walter CRAIG, of Weyers Cave; Mrs. Jarman FRETWELL, of New Hope; Mrs. J. W. WISE, of Bridgewater; Mrs. Lewis DRUMHELLER, of near Waynesboro; Miss Lillian RANKIN, John, Oscar and Robert RANKIN, all of whom live at home; and Edward RANKIN of Chattanooga, Tenn.
The funeral will be held Tuesday. There will be a short service at the home at 12:30 and service and interment at 5 p.m. at Union Chapel, near Weyers Cave.
Mrs. RANKIN has been a resident of Augusta County for some years and has been living in Basic for the last two years. She was about fifty-six years of age.
VIRGINIAN KILLS GERMAN WITH TRUSTY FISTS
FORK UNION, VA., Sept. 23—Authentic information confirming statement to the effect that Grover CLEMENTS, a Fluvanna county soldier, used his fists to kill a German while I battle in France, has just been received here. It is further asserted that CLEMENTS carried the dead German under one arm back to where American troops were stationed.
CLEMENTS weighs more than 200 pounds. He is considered Fluvanna’s strong man. He is not boastful of his prowess, however, and has not aspired to pugilistic honors. His feat in killing a Hun is causing many of his friends to predict that he will some day become a prize fighter, should he return from the war zone.
TEAMS NAMED TO CANVAS FOR 325 "Y" MEMBERSHIPS
The social session held at the Y. M. C. A. last evening at 6:30 o’clock was a very enthusiastic one. It was for the purpose of beginning the three-day membership campaign, during which time it will be the committee’s object to obtain two hundred and twenty-five renewals and one hundred new memberships.
The supper was served at 6:30 by the ladies of the serving committee of the "Y." Mrs. A. Hume SPRINKLE, chairman, being out of the city, Mrs. W. H. HALL, was in charge of this department. Following the luncheon, Rev. Dr. T. O. KEISTER, of Christ Lutheran church, talked along the line of Y.M.C.A. membership as a patriotic duty. Rev. M. D. MITCHELL, of Central M. E. church, also spoke, commenting on the fine building and equipment here—one that Staunton should be proud to support.
Hon. Joseph A. GLASGOW, chairman of the membership committee will meet the different team captain and their assistants each evening at the "Y" at eight o’clock, then a report for the day will be (?). The canvass will cover today, Wednesday, closing Thursday evening when the final and total result of the campaign will be announced.
Last evening teams were organized and captains appointed with an assistant for each. The following began work during the morning to boost the membership here to the desired goal.
Captain F. H. BEAR; assistant, Joseph BLACKBURN
Captain S. I. DAVIS; assistant, J. M. H. MORGAN
Captain K. H. KNORR; assistant, W. H. KELLER
Captain R. P. LANKFORD; assistant, C. M. PAUL
Captain H. C. GIBSON, assistant to be selected
Captain J. J. PRUFER, assistant S. B. ALLEN
Captain F. A. LASLEY; assistant to be selected
Captain M. J. PAYNE; assistant to be selected
Captain J. H. BRYAN; assistant, Taylor McCOY
Captain T. M. PARKINS; assistant, W. H. HALL
Captain S. M. DONALD; assistant, Joseph BARKMAN
Captain John STOTT; assistant, A. Stuart ROBERTSON
Captain Jos. A. GLASGOW; assistant, Curtis P. BOWMAN
Captain P. G. STRATTON; assistant to be selected
SOCIETY
Collins—Warner
Miss Kathleen WARNER and First Lieut. Archie D. COLLINS, both of near Staunton, were married at "Topside," the home of the bride Saturday morning at 10:30 o’clock. Rev. A. B. MANN performed the ceremony, in the absence of the bride’s pastor, Rev. W. G. McDOWELL, who is at a Chaplain’s school at Camp Zachary Taylor.
There were no attendants, and the bride was given in marriage by her father, C. H. WARNER. Miss Virginia EDDY played the wedding march. The bride wore a lovely gown of bright blue satin and velvet, with hat to correspond.
Immediately after the ceremony, Lieut. and Mrs. COLLINS left in his machine for Camp Meade, where the groom is now stationed. He has recently been made battalion adjutant and has seen considerable service in the army having joined the First Virginia Regiment, when it went to the Mexican border. He was with the 116th Regiment at Camp McClellan and won an appointment to Camp Lee Training School where he was given his commission. He is a graduate of the Staunton Military Academy.
Mrs. COLLINS is a young woman of charming personality. She attended Mary Baldwin Seminary and the Harrisonburg Normal School, and since coming to Staunton from West Virginia, where her family formerly resided, has been popular in social circles.
CASUALTIES
The following casualties are reported by the Commanding General of the American Expeditionary Forces:
Killed in action, 66; missing action, 12; wounded severely, 34; died from wounds, 9; died from accident and other causes, 1; died of disease, 3; wounded, degree undetermined, 2; wounded slightly, 2. Total 129.
MISSING IN ACTION
Private George T. WILBURN, Alexandria, Va.
Section No. Two
The following casualties are reported by the Commanding General of the American Expeditionary Forces:
Killed in action, 12; wounded severely, 29; died from wounds, 12; died from Aeroplane Accident, 1; died from accident and other causes, 2; died of disease, 2; wounded, degree undetermined, 1; prisoners, 5. Total, 119.
Marine Corps Casualties
Summary of casualties to date:
Officers:
Deaths……….39
Wounded…….65
Missing……… 1
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105
Enlisted men:
Deaths……………..1000
Wounded…………..1946
In hands of enemy…. 15
Missing…………….. 168
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3234
The following casualties are reported by the Commanding General of the American Expeditionary Forces, (included in above total);
Killed in action, 1; died of wounds received in action, 1; wounded in action (severely), 7; wounded in action (degree undetermined, 1; missing in action, 10; in hands of enemy, 1. Total 21.
WOUNDED IN ACTION (SEVERELY)
2nd Lt. Allain C. PERKINSON, Petersburg, Va.
Sergt. Felix W. HILL, Moundsville, W. Va.