143 St. Francois county boys and three from other districts entrained at Delassus Tuesday afternoon for Camp Dodge, Iowa. Their train was scheduled to arrive at Camp Dodge Wednesday at 1:00 p.m.
An immense crowd assembled at Farmington and Delassus to bid the boys God speed. The ladies of Farmington entertained the boys with a dinner served at the Court House. Music was furnished by the Desloge band, under the direction of Father Cunningham. The band boys, who are in the employ of the National, Desloge and St. Joseph Lead Companies, were excused from duty for the day and were given their full days wages.
They were certainly a fine looking bunch of boys and we believe will give a good account of themselves. They were a cheerful lot and all appeared anxious to get started. There was not a disgruntled one in the bunch. One of their number, Mike Thurman, a farmer from the Doe Run neighborhood, is a veritable giant, and attracted considerable notice. He is said to be six feet and a half tall. An average sized man standing beside him, appeared like a dwarf.
This draft has practically exhausted the available men in Class 1. The Local Board reports there are now only about 20 men left in this class.
Walter E. Bennick of Flat River was chosen as captain for the trip to camp. His assistants were Harney Dempsey, Guy Cunningham, George E. Hughes, Edward Herzog, Geo. H. Thompson, J. P. Head, Edward Bradley, Clyde H. Chandler, John Welborn, Ross McHenry, Charles Kelly, Cecil U. Hughes, John Coffel, Marvin Roberts, Chas. Ward, Jamel McMillian, Louis J. Thurman and Jack Kahn.
The Local Board has as yet no information as to when the next quota will be called, but it will probably not be until after the registration on June 5, of all men who have attained the age of 21 years since the first registration.