La Grange Journal. (La Grange, Tex.), Vol. 40, No. 19, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 8, 1919 Page: 1 of 8
eight pages: ill. ; page 20 x 13 in. Digitized from 35 mm microfilm.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
ffBMfPS??,**
1
Opposite Masonic Building. Published Every Thursday Morning and Entered at the Post Office fcs Second-Class Matter.
Democratic in Principle and a Worker For LaGrange and Fayette County
LaGrange, Fayette County, Texas, Thursday, May 8, 1919
$1.50 Per Year
Number 19
As the Boys Come Home
These after the war stories which one gets
out of the press nowadays are more humorous
than sensational. I refer not to the harrowing
stories which are penned as the result of study
of conditions over in Belgium, or over in
France, or even in Germany, but what occurs
in this, our great state, after the war. Not
long since I was a listener to a conversation
which occurred at one of the leading former
saloons, and heard an elderly man say that
bootlegging had assumed a peculiar form. One
of the boys just discharged, was walking with
a companion in San Antonio, and incidentally
remarked that he could enjoy a drink of
whiskey. To this the companion assented, and
they concluded that it would not be unwise to
ask a party just coming their way if he could
not direct them to where the whiskey could
be purchased. Sure, he knew where it could
be gotte,n, but as it was still daylight, it would
not be in good form if they followed him, so
he agreed to meet them in an alley. And to
the alley the ex-soldiers meandered.
As the boys reached the upper end, a man
entered the lower end, and the latter proved
to be their “friend.” As they met, the man
extracted from his pocket a large, familiar
looking object and told the boys they could
have the liquor for five dollars. The five came
forth. But there was a doubt, and, merely a
suggestion, the party selling the whiskey (?)
was asked to take a drink. Some folks can
drink anything. So, up went the bottle to the
lips and the guggle, guggle was heard plainly.
The bottle changed hands. Just at that mo-
ment someone passed the alley very slowly
and the bootlegger suggested that they wait
a minute while he tried to find out who the
passerby might be. And the chumps waited.
Had it not been for their thirst they might
have been waiting still. But they wanted a
drink; out came the cork again, and down went
—pure vinegar—into the throat of the one.
Coughing and spitting didn’t do any good; it
didn’t bring back the five dollars nor did it
fetch the culprit who had found another pair
of suckers. And thus the crime continues.
Some of these days, as soon as I can get the
correct d<5fce, I am going to tell you a real and
genuine—that’s putting it double—whiskey
story that will set you all to shouting. But
I haven’t got all the dope yet.
Those after the war stories, that’s what I
started out to chat with you about. Well, a
good one comes from Dallas, and I am almost
inclined to think that some of the busy re-
porters invented the story to fill space. Ypt
this may be only supposition on my part. As
I got it, there were two doughboys—maybe
you don’t know why they call them doughboys;
no? Well, it’s because they have a Baker for
secretary—loved the same girl. One came from
North Texas and one from South Texas. The
girl resided in Dallas, and is reported to have
been a real good looker. In the race for'the
grace of her affections, the lad from South
Texas won out, and when he was getting the
togs all ready for the wedding Thursday, his
rival—who claimed to be his friend and chum—
had him arrested for forgery, and then went
up to where the girl was waiting—not at the
church, but at home—and cooly told her that
her husband-to-be had hoofed it out of Dallas,
ran away, deserted her, and that the best thing
she could do under the circumstances was to
tie up with him. And bless your soul, she did
as he suggested.
While peering through the space between
the bars at the county jail, the' chap who was
cheated out of a false wife, built a bridge of
thought and after its completion, told the
jailer to inform the police that the successful
husband was a bigamist, in fact he had a wife
in South Texas, and another in North Texas,
and was now married to a third. That was
enough for the alert police of Dallas. In less
than the usual time, the new hubby was be-
hind the bars awaiting the result of the fur-
ther investigations of the police. Now, all
this happened in less than two hours. And
while the two were choking hours in the county
bastile—sounds big, doesn’t it?—the bride was
using a flimsy, soft goods handkerchief to re-
move the moisture from her optics. It occurs
to me that somebody has made a poor move,
a very poor move. When playing checkers
it is necessary to move in order to save the
game, but in this instance the move was a bad
one, and the result—the police jumped both.
What was it Juliet said just before she took
the poison at the tomb
SOME WAR STORIES
By Marie Barnett
Whether the criticism by the press, his
political enemies, or the resolutions passed by
Now the panting ships returning,
Filled with love and hope and yearning,
Leap along the foam,
Laden deep from keel to gunnel,
Breathing cheer from every funnel,
As the boys come home.
Welcome rings from hut and hall!
Welcome one and welcome all!
Dick and Tom and Harry!
Welcome Jack and welcome Joe!
Welcome hero-lads! but oh!
Some there are who tarry.
Some who should be of your band
Linger in that gallant land
Which they have sought to save.
Holding there the final trench, /
Legioned with their comrade-French,
Bivouacked in the grave.
Welcome to you, gentlemen!
Welrome to you yet again,
Though these words remnd you
There’s a prayer with every cheer;
Every kiss conveys a tear
For the boys behind you!
—Edmund Vance Cooke.
the war veterans and their refusal to ride in
parade with the governor is responsible, it is
your privilege to determine, but certain is it
that the legislature has been called to meet
in extraordinary session and pass a bill and
make a law‘that will permit the discharged
soldiers to vote at the amendment election,
which is to be held in Texas, Saturday, May 24.
As each year brings forth a new candidate,
and we hear new issues offered and discussed,
there has not yet been a candidate for govern-
or, who has not offered to save the people’s
money. And there has not been a man elect-
ed to tbe governor’s office who has not found
himself face to face with conditions—over
which he had no control—which did not compel
him to sacrifice the money just as much as
his predecessors. So far this proposed meas-
ure is concerned, the legislature could have
passed a law then which would have stood
the test, but they didn’t, and we have this
extra session to contend with.
Legal opinions have been given freely,
which, in substance are that the discharged
soldiers can vote at the May election, and in
some of the opinions there has been just a
little harsh criticism. It matters little to me
which way the question is viewed, my opinion
remains, the boys should have the same right
to vote, being prevented from paying the poll
tax by the strong arm of necessity, backed up
by the government, and doing their bit to win
the war, at this May electiorf, as were the wo-
men to vote at the July primaries last year.
I am not antagonizing the gentler sex, I am
giving an airing to a view I believe to be right.
It remains to be seen whether other measures
shall come up for consideration at this special
session which convened Monday, but we are
going to have the boys who wore the khaki,
vote at the May election. Ye have all along
contended that there was nothing too good for
the boys who stopped the war, and then they
came home and found themselves disfranch-
ised! Pass that measure, gentlemen. ,
-o-
When the first reports came in, the public
was inclined to believe that the subscribers to
the Victory I.oan were so pumerous and came
forward so willingly that they would soon com-
plete the work and announce that the billions
asked for had been subscribed. Now, there
seems to be a lag in nearly every county in
Texas and the speakers’ bureau is busy getting
the boys and urging tljem to do the work. In
this connection, according to the notices tj&fe
ed to the bulletin board, Fayette County
is not an exception. LaGrange and several
other school communities did not wait to be
urged, but right there went over the top, and
considerably so, and in consequence we all be-
lieved that Fayette would go right over. As
this is written, Saturday morning, we are lag-
ging considerably behind, and some of the
towns where I had encouraged the idea they
would finish the job in a whoop, are doing
things mighty slowly. Our chairman has an-
nounced that the boys should not lay down
In a little white cottage surrounded by a
flower dotted lawn where the air is filled with
the perfume of locust and honeysuckle, there
lives, between Dallas and Fort Worth, a little
war wdiow and her baby whose story is per-
haps the strangest, the tenderest and the sad-
dest in all Texas. For, in less than a year,
a man and womah met, wedded and parted for-
ever, bringing into the world, as a result of
the union, a little one who will never know a
father save through tradition that is painted
with glory. The mother is Mrs. Jeannette
Wisdom, until recently of Houston; the father
was Pierce Wisdom of Texarkana; and the
baby is Pierce Jr.
Eearly in the war Pierce Wisdom, although
thirty-five, which you remember, was at that
time beyond draft age, volunteered as a
private and went to Houston to enter a train-
ing camp. His sister
tablished an acquaint-
ance which in the next
three months develop-
ed into love. They
had a close * friend,
Jeannette Sander, who
was living at Houston
Heights. In October,
1917, upon his sister’s
request, he hunted up
the friend whom he
had never seen and es-
were married in February. In May the hus-
band went to France. In November he made
the great sacrifice in the battle of Argonne,
and in January little Pierce was born.
“The family didn’t let me know when the
news of his death came,” Mrs. Wisdom says.
“But now, looking back, I can recall so vividly
the night they got the official notice. I was in
the pantry when the door bell rang, a little
sharply. I started to answer, but—isn’t it
strange what trivial things, at supreme mo-
ments, sometimes change one’s actions!—I
stopped to stir some soup that was cooking on
the stove. I even remember distinctly how
firmly I grasped the spoon.
“By the time I was through the messenger
was gone. When I asked my family who it
was they evaded the question, and I forgot the
incident.
“But I noticed that I was the only one who
ate any supper that night. I was a little
worried because they all sat about so strangely
silent and depressed. But mother said she
wasn’t feeling well, and sister had a headache,
and father said he was too tired to eat. And
so I, who was the center of the tragedy, all
unknowing, enjoyed the meal while the rest
of them grieved for my sake.
“I didn’t notice, during the next few days,
how carefully they guarded the mail and
papers so that I wouldn’t learn the truth. But
somehow I think our loved ones in the other
world are nearer to us than we realize.
“For, when, the baby came, before the ether
had worn off, I turned my eyes toward the
little French window in the room, and saw,
not the narrow panes, but a battle scene with
a man—rny husband—as the cantral figure.
“He had a gash across his forehead and
blood streaming down his cheek, and he was
always stumbling—stumbling and falling.
“When I became conscious again I kept
wondering if it were a dream or'a reality. The
nights were horrible. But in the daytime,
when the sun was out, I still had hope. It was
a week before I knew.”
Mrs. Wisdom was small. “I came just to
the shoulder of my husband,”' she says. Her
eyes are big and gray and just a little wistful
Her hair and cheeks were fair.
“Pm glad to know I’ve been a part, how-
ever small, in this great war, even thought it
brought sorrow to me, and sorrow to my hui
band. Sacrifice exalts. And my baby, my lit-
tle Pierce, can always be proud to know the
story of his father. That is why I’m glad
that he’s a boy, for these things mean more
to men than women."
Mrs. Wisdom, in spite of what she has
already given to the war, is still a patriot, and
is trying to continue the work her husband
so nobly began. For, with the money shq has
so far received in insurance because of his
death, she is buying Victory Bonds for their
little son.
What are you doing reader? Are you
helping to-finish the job? ,
now, but keep up the work and send Fayette
over the top. I believe that the boys will do
this, but at this hour it does not look so very
encouraging. V
LAGRANGE MEETING
By Mrs. Fred B. Robinson
The ladies of LaGrange welcomed the del-
egation of club women who attended the
eighteenth annual convention of the Fourth
District of Federated Women’s Clubs the past
week, April 22 and 23, by placing large baskets
and bowls of blue bonnets on their front porch-
es and often on the gate posts, so that when
driving about the city the blue bonnets seemed
to echo “welcome, welcome!” from the hearts
of these hospitable people.
The Casino was used for the meeting of
the convention and was appropriately decor-
ated with the national colors, flags and flowers,
moss being freely used as a fringe to ‘railings
and stage; the Fayette county service flag hung
on one side, and there were fourteen gold stars
in the center. A large Texas star made out
of blue bonnets was a fitting background—
and with the flags extending down both sides .
of the hall gave the patriotic enthusiasm which
permeated throughout all the speeches made
on president’s evening, as well as during the
day sessions.
Mrs. O. L. Clarke of Galveston, the presi-
dent of the Fourth District, presided with dig-
nity and fairness, as well as with expediency.
Owing to the strenuous tinges in which Mrs.
Clarke was called up to serve the district, her
rulings were simple and given with consider-
ation and wisdom. There were present a fair
average of the clubs of the district, while
from the state came Mrs. C. W. Connery of
Fort Worth, state president; Mrs. R. B. Rob-
bins of Cleburne and Mrs. Maggie Barry of
Sherman, both having special committee work
in the State federation. The reports of those
clubs present proved that all are doing good
work along all lines of civic, philanthropic and
literary pursuits. Miss Annie Webb Blanton,
state superintendent of education, was pres-
ent and delivered an address.
The addresses of welcome were made by
Honorable John T. Duncan, Miss Gertrude
Alexander for the Etaerio club, the hostess for
the federation, and for the Mothers’ clubs Mrs.
W. H. Thomas responded. For the district,
Mrs. H. B. Fall of Houston responded. In
speaking of LaGrange Mr. Duncan told of hon-
oring Lafayette, the friend of America in
Revolutionary days, by naming the county
Fayette, and the county seat LaGrange, which,
in French, means the farm, and as we drove
over thd city later we thought it was rightly
named, for the garden spots abound, and the
flowers and the wonderful trees—we could go
into ecstacies over the beauties of the beauti-
ful home sites. The Etaerio club has a club
house at one comer of a large yard, which is
kept in trim for lawn parties and upon our so-
journ there we had a garden party which was
delightful. Within the club house, which is a
small cottage, but owned by the club, there is
a well suplied library and an upright piano,
with tables for writing and comfortable chairs,
while a small cooking arrangement gives op-
portunity for the cup of social tea. Another
evening we were taken to the Monument
hill, on the bluffs of the Colorado, about one
mile from the city. Here reposes the bones
of two sets of heroes of the early days of Texas
—the seventeen victims of the Mier expedition
into Mexico about 1842, and the eighty-three
gallant citizens of LaGrange who saddled
their horses upon the receipt of a letter telling
about the need of help from a colonel with the
American forces near San Antonio, and under
a large tree which is at one comer of the court
house square, and well preserved, these men
rode off, only to be ambushed a short distance
from home and massacred. The monument is
a cement flat vault resting at the crest of the
bluff, and as we stood there and viewed the
scenery, the winding Colorado, the fertile val-
leys now in full planting of grain, of different
kinds, the town nestling among the trees, we
longed for the touch of an artist and the brush
which had been dipped within the inkwell of
the rainbow that we might bring to you the
wonders and beauties of the pictures as we
saw jt.
The committee of club women who gave
of their time and energy to make this a memo-
rable meeting were General Chairman Mrs.
George Willrich, assisted by MesdamSs Orville
Watson, Leo Frede, J. B. Garrard, W. H.
Thomas, 0. E. Stolz, L. V. Vanek, and the
Misses Essie, Jeannette and Gertrude Alex-
ander. Besides these ladies we met many hos-
pitable club women and women not members
of clubs—for all LaGrange took us in. And
here we saw the ideal club husband. They at-
tended not only the night sessions, but also
were present at some of the day sessions, and
I
• J
I
■f
Lin fa
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
La Grange Journal. (La Grange, Tex.), Vol. 40, No. 19, Ed. 1 Thursday, May 8, 1919, newspaper, May 8, 1919; La Grange, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth998384/m1/1/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Fayette Public Library, Museum and Archives.