Image provided by: Independence Public Library; Independence, OR
About The Polk County post. (Independence, Or.) 1918-19?? | View Entire Issue (Dec. 27, 1918)
\y tyc Ji vl ' .ti I I A d M .4 M am W <il T he P olk C ounty P ost VOLUME i. (TWICE A WEEK.) INDEPENDENCE, OREOON, NUMBER ML FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1918. m it M i r e r a s 1 » ( M s neri Great Christmas Joy; E H H ILL HIKE I N EH CHRISMS Miss Bessie Stillwell was here from Portland for the holidays. Miss Lucile Craven, who teaches in Hood R iver county, is home for the holidays. Mrs. Callahan (nee Retta Cuthbert) and baby o f Port land passed the holidays here with relatives. Drain Dickinson of the S. A. T. C. came home to get his feet under dad’s table for the Christmas feed. Ralph Butler was home from Portland for Christmas visiting his parents, Judge and Mrs. N. L. Butler. Mr. and Mrs. Billy Woods o f Portland were here to en joy the Christmas hospitality o f relatives and friends. Dr. and Mrs. O. D. Butler were Christmas guests o f Dr. and Mrs. M. J. Butler and Master Marlowe Butler o f Mon mouth. - Mr. and Mrs. I. Claggett entertained Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Claggett and Mr. and Mrs. Olen Hosford o f Portland and H. Hirschberg at dinner Christmas. Mr. and Mrs. J. G. McIntosh extended Christmas hos pitality to Mr. and Mrs. Harry Patterson of Astoria, Mr. and Mrs. Eugene Hayter and Clias. Hayter o f Dallas. Mr. and Mrs. J. N. Jones had as their Christmas guests, Mrs. Susan Jones and daughters, Misses Katheryn and Grace, of Corvallis and little Miss Marion R euf of Salem. Walter Smith, U. S. N., son of Mr. and Mrs. Layton Smith of Cordova, Alaska, came along with Santa Claus and received a royal welcome and a big Christmas dinner. 2 Hom e From France Unannounced and unheralded, Armine Young, the first Independence boy home from France, walked into the home o f his parents, Mr. and Mrs. E. M. Young, north of this city the day before Christmas. It was not only a com plete surprise but the happiest occasion ever occurring in the Young household. Armine is not only a veteran of the battlefields o f France, but has the scar o f a German bullet on his arm near the shoulder as a memento o f his service in defense o f his country. He is the picture of health; in fact he looks better than he did when he depart ed overseas. His wounded arm gives him a little bother yet, and for that recent he must return to the army hos pital at Fort Snelling, Minn., in a few days as he will not receive his discharge from the army until he has complete ly recovered from the wound. Referring to the time and engagement in which a Ger man bullet hit him, Armine says he was laying on his stomach and pushing bullets in the direction o f the Htfn as fast as he could pull the trigger when zip! The enemy’s shot struck his gun stock under his chin and went on thru his arm. I t ’s Armine candid opinion that some Fritz was shooting to kill. I f the bullet had come two inches higher Armine figures he would still be in France with a few feet o f dirt over him. “ The best thing I ’ve seen since I left,” says Armine, “ was the Goddess o f Liberty when I got back.” Armine was first reported “ missing in action” and for several weeks nothing was heard concerning his fate. Eventually, Armine taken to a hospital after he was wounded, wrote his father. This was the best letter the young man ever wrote. He returned to America about a month ago. , Cyril V. Richardson, another o f the “ L ” boys, is also Mr. and Mrs. Glen Newton and daughter o f Portland home or near home. Cyril also meant to make his coming were here with relatives for Christmas. Glen has gone a surprise, but it appeared that there was a leak somehow back leaving the wife and baby to remain a few days long and it became known that he was coming before he arrived er. in Portland where a family reunion was being held. Cyril has a period o f gallant service to his credit and was in the Olen J, W hiteqker, s pent liis Christmas in Independ thickest o f the fighting at Chateau Thierry, St. Mihiel ence. During his few days furlough from Camp Lewis, and Argonne Forest. In the last named battle, he got a Mr. and Mrs. Whiteaker are staying at their home in this machine gun bullet in the arm which busted it up consid city. erably. He w ill be held at a hospital at the Presidio near San Francisco until the crippled wing is all right again. Guests around the festive board at the K. C. Eldridge Cyril is a good talker and when he gets back home he will home Christmas day included: Mr. and Mrs. K. C. le able to tell o f his experiences in a very intellectual and Eldridge, Jr., and K. C. III., Lawrence Eldridge and Mr. interesting manner. and Mrs. Berry and son, all o f Portland. The Portland Telegram gives this version of how Cyril was wrounded: “ On the morning o f July 23 they were or Glen Smith, looking very nobby in his navy uniform, dered to advance thru Argonne forest after American ar was an arrival from the South Christmas eve and is feast tillery had opened a barrage with 5000 guns. It was dur ing with his mother and other relatives. Glen tells such ing this fight that Richardson dodging across No M an’s a good story about navy life that Granddad Quasdorf Land with ammunition for an automatic gunner hidden wants to join. in a shell hole, w as himself hit by a machine gun bullet in he left forearm. Making his way back to the trench he Mr. and Mrs. J fL . Hanna and son, Mark, and daughter, lad left, the commanding officer dispatched another man Leona, autoed over from Portland for a Christmas dinner with him to walk to the dressing station in the rear. When with relatives. Mark had just returned from the officers’ le arrived here his arm wTas dressed temporarily, but he training camp at Fort Zackary Taylor, Kentucky, and was told that weak as he was, he would have to walk back has been given an honorable discharge. ;o the next station as the ambulances could not come that far front. Just at that time the Germans opened a bom The Owen family enjoyed a delightful Christmas home bardment, and for an hour he was forced to lie wounded coming. S. E. came from Astoria, Mr. and Mrs. Mont in a dugout. The bombardment over, Richardson dragged gomery W ard from Washington, Mr. and Mrs. Dole Pome himself back to the ambulance station, from where he roy and children from Eugene. Mrs. Owen and Mr. and was transported to an American hospital train and finally Mrs. Grover Mattison were here and completed the fam ;o the American base hospital at Bordeaux. He was at ily circle. Bordeaux when the armistice was signed.” Cecil Swope is a home visitor for Christmas. He has four months time yet in the merchant marine service and will leave again in a few days for another cruise— probably Hong Kong, China. Cecil has made a very cred itable record. His former law partner, Edward Drwyer, has just returned to America from hunting U-boats on board one o f Uncle Sam’s submarine chasers. Ernest Smith, the third o f the trio, in America, accord ing to Armine Young, is now at Camp Lewis after a time at Fort Snelling. Altho a German bullet didn’t find Ern est, the rheumatism did fo r which he must kill time at an army hospital. Monmouth Herald: Mrs. Mabel Ground Johnson had a Christmas tree and program which furnished a nice en tertainment for a family party Christmas night. There were presents for all on the tree and when they were dis tributed there were games followed by refreshments. Those present were: Messrs, and Mesdames C. C. Mul- key, G. T. Boothby. C. H. Boothbv, W. D. McCredie, Mrs. W. J. Mulkey, Mrs. R. E. Derby and the Misses Naomi Mulkey, Birdine Derby and Dorothy Clark. Mr. and Mrs. Jess Morgan o f Vancouver were here for the Christmas festival. At the J. S. Cooper home Christmas the following guests enjoyed home hospitality: M ajor and Mrs. Geo. Parker o f Washington, D. C., Mr. and Mrs. C. E. Ireland o f Grants Pass, Mr. and Mrs. Williams o f Centralia, Wash., Mr. and Mrs. John Krause and John Jr. o f Aurora, Mrs. J. S. Cooper, Jr., and children, Elizabeth and J. 8. III. and Mrs. Moreland and children o f Tacoma, Wash. All the family gathered except Captain Moreland and Lieutenant J. S. Cooper, Jr., who are in France. Albert Quartier Christmased at home. While no choir proclamed “ Peace on earth, good will toward men” and while no church bell clanged the jo y fu l approach of the day, the sun had hardly gone over the hills in the West when the genuine Spirit entered the gates o f our city and was visible, was felt, was enjoyed. One had only to wander about in the evening o f the day before to know that “ Christmas” got right close to the hearts of our people, made them forget for a time at least, th^ir business cares and worries, their enmities, their harshness, their unkinduess. Walking in the residence districts, uncurtained windows permitted the rays o f yule- tide to penetrate the outer darkness which pantommed the story far better than eloquent lips could tell it or gift ed pen could write it. Candle-lighted trees were every where and the gleam of candles in the windows seemed to be a cordial invitation to the man without to seek his own Lind revel in the pleasure and happiness o f the season. Then Christinas morning how delightful it was to hear the cheery “ Merry Christmas” all around you and to see the happy children scurrying about with their gifts. Some folks say there is no Santa Claus but if you once see the sparkling eyes o f a five-year-old youngster when his or her greatest desire has been gratified, when the sm iling face of a child dances before your eyes, you w ill know there is a Santa Claus. Holidays may come and holidays may go, but there are none like Christmas. Owing to the curtain o f safety being drawn around us to retard or prevent the spreading of an epidemic, public gatherings had to be dispensed with everywhere exeept in the postoffice lobby. No church services, no entertain ments or large parties were given. For the first tim e in fifty years no church bell peeled in Independence on Christmas day. But families and relatives gathered ju st the same and did full justice to the chicken, duck or goose. (A few of our plutocrats had turkey.) Then in the glow of fire place or heater the last hours of Christmas 1918 were spent in peace and comfort. CHRISTMAS WEDDING Miss Della Byars and Kenneth W. Bayne o f Salem were united in marriage at the home of the bride’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. J . A. Byars, in Independence on Christmas day at twelve o ’clock noon, Rev. James Elvin o f Portland reading the ring service. J. R. Bayne o f Portland, broth er of the groom, played the wedding march. The bride was charming in a beautiful blue silk gown and carried a bouquet o f pink roses. The ceremony was performed in elaborately decorated rooms with potted plants and greenery forming a pleasing background. Mr. and Mrs. Bayne will reside in Portland. AN AFTER CHRISTMAS INVENTORY m Mid (By the Rhyming Summarist.) Here's hoping that every kiddie Received his Christmas gift, Here's u bouquet for every fellow Who gave some kid a lift. Christmas is for children And if a single one was miased- If Santa Claus forgetting ft Left one empty fist— »7 If your gifts were many, m (And a few extra more) Hs that a right division J With the kid next door? ’Aa Christmas is for children, It cannot be a joy If Santa Claus was missing To any girl or boy. A Christmas Prayer It was the night before Christ mas and the little Independ ence girl was praying a great deal for the benefit of Santa Claus. "Have Santa Claus bring me a doll and a doll bug gy and some roller skates and that’s all." Not so with her lit tle brother. He yells out, “ Hit him for a coaster wagon too." J. O. Anderson and family of Silverton were holidaying with relatives and friends in this vicinity. Mr. and Mrs. Ed Lorrence o f Walla Walla, Wash., came “ home” to celebrate Christmas. Henry Oberson received his discharge from the army and got home in time for the Christmas eats. Wendell Denlinger, one o f the S. A. T. C. boys at the O. A. C., arrived here in plenty o f time to eat his Christ Miss Frances Townsend, who is attending school in mas dinner with his best girl. Miss Bessie Swope, teaching at W oodbura, showed ex Portland, was an arrival home the day before the big day. cellent taste in not missing any of the Christmas dinner at Lew Stapleton was here for Christmas. Nothing like a the home of her parents, Mr. and Mrs. B. F. Swope. holiday dinner on the farm where there’s always more It was the joyful privilege o f Mrs. Jane Cooper to have where the last came from. her four sons as Christmas guests. They are Wilmer and Mr. and Mrs. Ray Clark and Charles Ryder o f Portland William o f Independence, Theodore of Washington and Curtis of Portland. Others present were Mrs. William and LaGrande Dickson, who wears the khaki at Camp Cooper, Mrs. Curtis Cooper and Mr. and Mrs. Sherman Lewis, were the Christmas guests o f Mr. and Mrs. F. E. Dickson. Cooper and baby.