Iowa
Old Press
Waterloo Evening Courier
Waterloo, Black Hawk co. Iowa
September 14, 1917
Soldier's Bible is Returned to Widow After 53 Years
Des Moines, Sept 14 - A bible, found on the battlefield of Cedar
Creek, Virginia, during the batle there Oct. 19, 1864, by a
southern soldier, has just been forwarded to the widow of the
northern soldier to whom it belonged - Mrs. Ruth Bowen, Iowa
City.
William J. Bowen, who for many years after the war lived at Iowa
City, was the northern soldier who lost the bible. Samuel G.
Green, Charleston, W. Va., who is now and has been for many years
a practicing attorney, was the young sourthern soldier who found
it. After these 53 years Mr. Green has at last, thru the office
of Adj. Gen. Logan, found the family claimants of the book.
Along in August Gen. Logan's office received a letter from
Attorney Green in which he said:
"In 1864 I was first gun sergeant of Page's battery, light
artillery, second corps, army of northern Virginia. On the 19th
of October, 1864, while acting as first gun sergeant of Fry's
battery, with Gen. J.A. Early's army of the Valley district in
Virginia, I was engaged that day in the battle of Cedar Creek,
between Gen. Early's and Gen. Sheridan's armies. I got from a
federal tent on the battlefield a bible, which belong to one
William J. Bowen, Iowa City, Ia., Co F, Twenty-second regiment,
Iowa infantry. Thinking that probably Mr. Bowen, if living, or
some of the family, would value having the bible again, I write
to ask if your office would give the information locating him in
any way, or getting reliable information from Iowa City as to
their whereabouts. If so and you will undertake to see that the
same is sent to the proper person, I will take pleasure in
forwarding it."
Thomas S. Stevens, record clerk in the adjutant general's office,
immediately wrote to Senator Byington of Iowa City and received
word that Mrs. Ruth Bowen, widow of William J. Bowen, was still
living in Iowa City. This information was forwarded to Mr. Green
at Charleston and he immediately sent the bible. The book was
evidently given Mr. Bowen by his father. A verse was inscribed on
the fly leaf, signed "Thy Father."
Strange Epidemic at Ames
Ames, Ia., Sept 14 - The death of two small children during the
last few days, and the serious illness of several others, is
causing some fear of an epidemic in Ames. Just what the disease
is physicians have been unable to determine. In the case of the
two deaths the children were seriously ill for only a few days.
Jeanne Elizabeth, 4-year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. A.F. Hill,
died Tuesday evening, following an illness of about three days.
Jack, the older brother of the little girl, also is ill with
apparently the same trouble. The 6-month-old baby of Mr. and Mrs.
J.O. Bennett died on Monday evening of what is believed to be the
same malady which caused the death of little Jeanne. Richard
Wickham, 18 months old, and son of City Engineer J.Q. Wickham, is
seriously ill in the Mary Greeley hospital here from an attack of
the compalint. The city health physician stated that the health
board has received no reports of infantile paralysis or other
similar disease in this section.
Haugen's Son is in Flying Corps
Washington D.C., Sept 14 - Lauritz Haugen, son of Congressman
Haugen of the Fourth district, enlisted in the army flying corps
when he was drawn so far down in the draft that he found he would
not be called out with the first levy. He is now at a ground
school in Texas learning the mechanics of flying. If successful
he will be commissioned a first lieutenant in the army of flyers
the United States plans to send abroad to carry the war to
Berlin. Congressman Haugen knew nothing of his son's plans and
does not now know where he has been assigned to duty by the war
department. Young Haugen was in Iowa with his father recently and
returned to Washington before the congressman got back. When the
latter reached the capital he learned his son had found a way to
get into the fight sooner than he would have been able to get
action thru the draft.
Lauritz Haugen gave up plans for a law practice when he joined
the army flyers. He had been admitted to all the bars of the
District of Columbia except the United States supreme court and
was planning to hang out his shingle. But he decided he desired
more to get into the scrap "over there" and he joined
the branch of the service that is most certain to see service in
France. Young Haugen is well grounded in engineering and knows
motors thoroughly. This knowledge, and his ablity as a linguist,
army officers believe, will make him subject to quick promotion.
Iowans as Paymasters
Senator Kenyon has been advised that H.P. Holt, Osceola, has been
named as one of eight Iowans who will receive an appointment as
assistant paymaster in the navy. The appointments will be
announced in a few days. Holt and the others will be commissioned
either as ensigns or junior lieutenants. Holt was formerly
reading clerk in the Iowa senate. Gov. Harding and other Iowa
officials backed Senator Kenyon in urging his appointment.
Marshalltown Youth Anxious for Service "Over
There"
Elderkin C. Boardman, son of C.H.E. Boardman, prominent
Marshalltown lawyer, has applied for transfer from the naval
reserve, in which he is now enrolled in active duty, to the
regular service in order that he may get a chance to reach the
other side. Young Boardman wrote Senator Kenyon that the initials
of the United States naval reserve force, "U.S.N.R.F."
stood for "You shall never reach France" and he wanted
to get away from the hoodoo of those intitials.
Mortuary
Emil S. Peterson. Funeral services for Emil S. Peterson, who died
Wednesday night, were conducted at First Presbyterian church this
afternoon in charge of Rev. J.F. Christianson of Cedar Falls.
Rev. John Robertson Macartney, pastor of First Presbyterian
church, assisted and the Masonic funeral service was conducted at
the church and cemetery. Interment was in Cedar Falls. Pallbears
were T.W. Eaton, N.A. Wolfe, Ira Jackson, Fred Gramm, Lars Nelson
and James Burns. The James Black dry goods store was closed and
the officers and employes attended the funeral.
Iowa Boy One of Gunners That Drove Off U-Boat
Clayton Lane, whose father, C.E. Lane, formerly lived in
Waterloo, was in the gun crew that fired on the periscope of a
submarine that menaced the safety of American's first
expeditionary forces to France. He now wears the insignina of an
expert gunner on his sleeve and is receiving extra pay. This
information has been received by H.W. Grout in a letter from W.A.
Lane, Indianola, secretary of group No. 6, Iowa Bankers'
association. "Some time the latter part of June, Clayton's
ship, while leading the convoy, at 10 o'clock one night spied a
periscope," writes Mr. Lane. "The call to quarters had
been sounded to repel an air attack. While the search lights were
playing across the sky, trying to locate the airplanes, the
submarine was discovered. The alarm was sounded and the gun crew
of which Clayton was a member trained their gun on the periscope,
with the result that has been described in all the papers. The
crew can't swear the submarine was sunk, but it knows the U-boat
ceased to be visible or to bother any afterwards. The crew was
personally complimented by the captain." Young Lane, who has
been home on a furlough, left Tuesday for Boston to report for
further patrol duty.
City in Brief
-Mr. and Mrs. W.C. Logan have returned form California.
-Mrs. L.N. Frank, Jesup, was a visitor in the city yesterday.
-Mr. and Mrs. W.E. Peavey are in Riceville looking after business
interests.
-L.C. Megow and E.A. York, Independence, were business visitors
in the city yesterday.
-T.J. Close has returned from Philadelphia and reports that
prices are unusually high at that place.
-Mrs. A.C. Hanchett, 1115 Fourth street west, left today for
Sibley where she will be the guest of a son.
-Miss Bessie Johnson has returned from Belvidere where she
visited Mrs. M.J. Robbins, formerly Miss Mayer, Waterloo.
-Mrs. J.A. Clark and mother, Mrs. A.E. Lizer, will leave for
Manhattan and Waverly, Kan. this evening for a visit.
-Mayor W.R. Law was at Dewar last night and made a patriotic
address, the occasion being a special program by the band.
-Abraham G. Coble, Blairsburg, left last night for Great Lakes
naval training station, Chicago. He has enlisted as a thrid class
fireman.
-Mrs. W.A. Scott has received a souvenir postcard form her son,
W.R. Hoffman, mailed at Gibraltar. Mr. Hoffman is with the United
States navy.
-D.V. Stranahan, charged by the police with illegal
transportation of booze into Iowa, denies his guilt and claims
the packages, or grips, in which the booze was found were not his
property.
-Capt. and Mrs. Frederick Keller have arrived from San Antonio,
Tex. He will proceed to Washington, D.C. where he will take up
work in the ordnance department. Mrs. Keller will remain thru the
winter with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. C.A. Lewis. For the past
six years Capt. Keller has been in service for Uncle Sam, most of
the time as chief clerk in an arsenal in Texas. His promotion to
captain occurred recently. It is possible he may see service in
France with his former captain, now Major Jordan.
Farmers Must Go to War
If a conscript would be granted exemption on agricultural grounds
by the district board, his claims must be such as to convince
that body that his absence would seriously affect the food
production department of the government. This is indicated by the
numerous claims that are being denied on this ground. In the
rulings presented below, which includes only a part of the cases
considered, 71 registrants in Sioux county had their agricultural
claims denied while only four had them allowed. It is reported
many claims are being filed for exemption along this line which
really have no merit in them. The following rulings by the
district board were announced today:
Butler County - Uffe Lauterback
Calhoun County - Joseph Francos Bremen, Edward Leonard Brugger,
August William Meyer, Worth Harley Catheart, Clyde Roby, Merl
Doty, Carl Weiss, William Walter Fickbohm, George John Ditzel,
Mike Mullen, Arthur Carlson, Arle Carl Rosenquist, Ernest Wiese,
Carl Zell, August Frederick Quade, William Edward Welch, Ira
Melvin Stanfield.
Carroll County - Herman Grau, Hans W. Moller, Carl Christian
Piper, Herman Dalif Freese, Lawrence O. Miller, William John
Schmich, Herman Stallman.
Clayton County - Roy William Engelhardt.
Worth County - Martin Edwin Hugen, Seymour A. Rustad, Lyle
Augustus Iverson, Gul C. Frustein, Rinold Kuntz, Melvin K. Sveen,
Carl T. Enquist, Ernest Koehler, Roy Myron Terrier, Truman Hogen,
Clarence E. Hiedermann, Vincent James Ryan.
Woodbury County - Herbert John Angore, Howard Victor Ashmore,
Loyal Everett Malcom.
Sioux County - John J. Schneider, Herman Werkman, Gilbert Kuyper,
John Buttger, William J. Klein, Math. F. Klein, Albert Bogaard,
Wm. H Winter, Claire Ellsworth Stewart, Gerrit Van Es, jr., John
Witte, Henry Twillman, Earl Bayden, William Henry Vugteveen,
Edward Fred Degen, Lawrence Richter, Herman Rowenhorst, John
Rodenbour, Henry John De Haan, Gerrit Draayer, Clarence W. Land,
Conrad Jacobs, Henry Reckers, Marinus Schuurman, Leo Comstock,
Gariat Solsma, Fred Arens, Cornie Rozenboom, Martin Dykahoorn,
Alvin Scott Karr, Geo. C.H. Bultman, Cecil J. Mahoney, Charles
John Weir, William Van Roekel, Henry Erickson, Frank Louis
Schiefen, Art Timmer, Carl Hans Moeller, John Henry Stange, John
J. Aalders, Edwin Alphonce Miller, Fred Dannenburg, George B.
Evans, Bert Ver Wey, Evert Van Volhulzen, Will Muehlethader,
William Barthoid Van Corbach, John Gloden, Jacob Van Veldhulzen,
James Rogers, Fred Reimers, Walter Christian Adolf Pruess, George
Reimers, Gerben Van De Garde, Garrit William Oldenkamp, Oscar
Elmer Miller, George William Miller, Joseph Mousel, Andrew
Rosenboem, Edward C. Johnson, Albert John Jongewaard, Bert Kroon,
Albert Van Putten, Henry Vis, Dick De Groot, William P. Ahlers,
Nicholas M. Frantzea, Clarence Dobbert, Fred Dawson, John Haupt,
Adrian Mieras.
Claims Granted - Argicultural claims have been granted as
follows:
Calhoun County - William August Robbert
Worth County - Roy Allen Green
Sioux County - Earl L. Brewster, Harry L. Kessler, Henry James
Schlesser, Charley Arens.
Woodbury County - William Ralph Kleckner, George M. LeVasseur.
Jackson County - James Joseph Hayes, Louis H. Felderman,
Ferdinand Petesch, Thomas Lynch.
Carroll County - Bernice Leo McLaughlin, Joseph M. Stuker,
William Edward Reiling, John Hugebuck, John William Knebbe, Anton
Henry Wernimont, Albert Patrick Doran, Alois Loeffler.
[transcribed by S.F., November 2009]