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Written by Earl S. Brown, 1919 Transcription by Ruth A. Hoggatt
Benjamin M. Bledsoe was made President; W. W. Fry, Vice-President; E. T. Coleman, Treasurer, and Charles L. Kincaid, Secretary. The following directors were also chosen: Charles C. Shaw, E. T. Coleman, George N. Reeves, E. E. Hufford, George Graham, Earl Shaw, Harry Rochat, William E. Poston, P. H. Wallick, W. Scott Welch, James B. Banta, Lincoln Means, Edwin Ferguson, Edgar Siebenthal, Virgil Dunning, W. S. Humphrey, Rev. John Dennis, E. W. Shaw, Harry Tapp and Roger Holder. Rev. John Dennis later moved away from the county and Dilver Clark was elected to succeed him. All officers of the organization held office until the War Chest was finally discontinued. At the organization meeting it was agreed to designate the week of May 19 to 25, 1918, as the time in which to make a house to house canvas in the county for funds to meet all demands made during the coming year. A week before the drive was started patriotic meetings were held at every town in the county. Ministers, lawyers and business men addressed the meetings, explaining why a War Chest was needed in Switzerland county, and pleading with their audiences to open the purse strings wide and subscribe every dollar possible. On the morning of May 19th the directors of the organization started the drive. A house to house canvas was made and every man and woman in the county was given a pledge card on which to pledge the amount he or she would give to the War Chest during the next year. Strange as it may seem, a few slackers were found. In some instances men of means refused to subscribe a single penny to the War Chest and their names were reported to the County Council of Defense. The action taken by that body was another of its many deeds that was not made public. Some of the slackers were called before the Council of Defense. What was said or done need not be told. Suffice it is to say that in most instances when the Council of Defense had gotten through with the slacker he pledged himself to pay a certain amount into the War Chest. Switzerland county people, as a whole, subscribed liberally to the War Chest. Many people, fired with patriotism and a desire to help our boys on the firing line, subscribed more money than they could afford to pay. A woman in Vevay who helped support a large family by taking in washings, subscribed $4.80. A widow dependent upon a small pension for support, insisted upon subscribing $6. William Sanders, an ex-slave, unable to work, and who lived on a small pension, subscribed $6. A colored tenant on a farm subscribed $25. One example of unselfish sacrifice is worthy of especial notice. Robert Gross, sixteen-year-old son of William Gross and wife, of York township, gave more than any man in Switzerland county; he gave every penny he had in the world. George Reeves, York township director, was making a house to house canvass soliciting funds. Realizing that William Gross and his family, who owned a tiny farm, were heavily in debt, he decided not to ask them for a subscription. However, at the home of Gross's neighbor, Charlie Pickett, Mr. Reeves was informed that Mrs. Gross had left word for him to come to their house. Arriving there Mrs. Gross said to him: "Mr. Reeves, you know we just can't give anything, although we would like to, but Robert here, has some money he wants to give you." The boy explained he needed a suit of clothes and that for some time he had been saving every nickel he earned. During several months he had succeeded in saving five dollars. When he learned of the War Chest drive he studied the matter over carefully and came to the conclusion that the American soldiers in France needed to be taken care of more than he needed a new suit of clothes. Mr. Reeves tried to get the boy not to give all the money, but the lad replied: "They need it, and I'm going to make this old suit do another year." Afterward Mr. Reeves told the story to several friends. Mrs. Jim Bennett learned of the lad's patriotism and among her neighbors she raised more than ten dollars. Other persons who heard of it sent money to Mr. Reeves until there was enough on hand to buy Robert Gross the finest suit of clothes he had ever owned in his life. When the week's drive was over Switzerland county citizens had pledged $23,175 to the War Chest, which was an average of $2.31 for every man, woman and child in the county. The subscription by townships was as follows:
On June 2, 1918, the War Chest paid Switzerland county's quota of $3,000 to the American Red Cross. At a meeting of the War Chest directors on September 1, 1918, $300 worth of Smileage Books were purchased and a number of these were sent to Switzerland county soldiers in American training camps. All selected men who left the county after that date were also supplied with these books, which enabled the soldiers to attend shows at the camp free of charge. On November 10, 1918, the organization allowed the county's quota of $8,301 to the United War Work Fund. On February 2, 1919, at a meeting of the directors, $1,000 was voted for the Armenian Relief Fund. During the Salvation Army drive in May, 1919, the War Chest directors voted the county's quota of $1,500. At the same time they also allowed $61.20 to the Y. W. C. A., which amount was the quota asked of the county. During the little more than a year of its existence the War Chest answered every plea made on the county for funds to aid war causes, the total amount of their contributions being $14,162.20. The officers of the War Chest Organization were all representative men of their communities, and they each, unselfishly, willingly gave many days of their time to the aid of the boys in the service.
Switzerland County INGenWeb
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