The Plattsmouth journal. (Plattsmouth, Nebraska) 1901-current, December 27, 1917, Image 1

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page. It is also available as plain text as well as XML.

    I
3
vr
ADtOM
Nel Stato Historical Boo
VOL. XXXV.
PLATTSMOUTH, NEBRASKA, THURSDAY, DECEMEER 27, 1917.
No. 54.
(
v
4
CHRISTMAS DOWN
AT FUNSTON FINDS
BOYS PREPARED
NATIONAL ARMY MEN LAY THE
PLANS FOR HOLIDAY
FESTIVITIES.
Lonesome Lads in Big War School
Will Sing, Feast and Play
in the Barracks.!
Camp Funston, Kas., Dec. 23.
Christmas in a cantonment camp-
Christmus in the midst of prepara
tions for war. Long lines of bleak
looking barracks, the w hite . of the
new wood, gradually yellowing into
even shades, colorless, monotonous
tremendous in its sameness and its
size. Camp Funston is the center of
a million thoughts each hour of the
holidays.
The lack of color, of brightness
and warmth-giving Christmas sug
gestions is the most noticeable thing
to the men who for the past few
weeks have had enough time to lc-t
thoughts go too far into the part.
Christmas above all other times is
when a man and almost without 'ex
ception, that includes the national
army man, would most like to be at
home. Christmas, the day, the idea,
and the season, all mean that the
newly making soldier is going thru
his first real hardship of ar, facing
his first sacrifice of the kind of
which many may follow.
Thoughts of Home
Thousands of Omaha and Nebras
ka men will hear the morning whis
tle Tuesday morning and jump shiv
ering into their clothes with the rea
lization that their Christmas is to
be mostly in their thoughts and con
scious that many others" Christmas
will be partly with them in mind.
There will be among them, too, boys
from Plattsmouth and Cass county.
They, will see again familiar scenes
of the old town and will imagine
fireplaces and home comfort in the
far corner of the dusky barracks,
where there is only an empty bunk.
Truly, imagination is not without
charms.
More still, perhaps, will picture
the postoffice oa the corner instead
of the barracks across the way, and
can imagine that the brown Kansas
hills are snow covered fields seen
from friendly windows. For Christ
mas in Funston. and probably in
every other camp in the nation, will
be spent in fact with all the machin
ery of war at hand, but in spirit in
the homes and with the families of
the men.
But relatives, friends and govern
ment have done and "are doing their
utmost to make the holiday as much
of a real holiday as they can. With
the men, they realize that it is im
possible for all to be at their homes,
and with them they know deep in
their hearts that it is perhaps better
that only a very few of them or none
at all go. Streets in Nebraska towns
may be sprinkled to some extent with
khaki, but Camp Funston streets
will be colored with civilian colors,
awith Christmas visitors. '
Mail is Heavy
The package mail, always volumi
nous, has increasd by great jumps in
the past few weeks and even more
in the past few days. Extra forces in
th regimental and battalion mail
rooms have been needed for assort
ing the packages and innumerable
cards and letters, and every barrack
is piled high twice daily with pack
ages from home. Some of this, per
haps a good portion of it, is being
saved for the Christmas feast or the
New Year's celebration and Platts
mouth troops have fared well in that
respect.
Two weeks before Christmas was
close at hand real winter swept over
Kansas, including in its folds Camp
Funston. For days the new heating
paint was working at capacity. For
the first time the men found out the
rigors of winter in war camps and
got som idea of the things they
would be schooled to meet in the
future. Winter seemed very long arid
to many very unwelcome. And then
a week before Christmas cam warm
almost spring-like days and ool,
comfortable nights.
Interest, lagging, for awhile in
Christmas plans, when all that was
needing attention was the desire to
keep warm, began anew, and a pro
gram in every company, every troop
every battery, was planned to help
give amusement that day. Christmas
eve, the one night in the year when
to some extent every man, soldier or
civilian, is anxious to go back and
be a boy, will find music, games and
gayety and some kind of entertain
ment in mess halls, squad rooms or
hallways. Decorations that did not
endanger the buildings from fire are
found in every building- and the men
have done all possible to bring some
color, some of the real Christmas
spirit and Christmas thoughts to
make the barracks different tor that
day.
Christmas Program.
Christmas day there are to be
games, races, exhibition displays of
riding and roping, sports and tests
from every part of the half of the
United States that is represented
here. Christmas, so far as the men.
their families and their government
can make it, will be a real Christ-
t
mas.
In barracks occupied b Cass coun
ty boys, thoughts or machine guns,
artillery or stretchers will ba put
out of mine for the time and room
made for the reception of thoughts
of a good time. Pianos, found in al
most every company and building,
will be used as they are seldom used
and will be welcomed as they have
perhaps never been welcomed be
fore. Ragtime and camp songs, real
songs, and Christmas songs will all
be heard in almost every corner of
camp.
The rata-tat-tat of the machine
gun will be forgotten in the bustle
of the festivities, making holidny in
Camp Funston. It may be lonesome
for Nebraska people who have those
here who never before have been
away at this time, and it is hard for
the thousands here who until low
have never been away, but to the
ast man of them they are making
the best of it and for one day tit j
least the long rows - of bleak bar-
racks will be gay within, if not i
without, with Christmas. i
LOOSES A FOOT YESTERDAY.
From Wednesday's Dally.
Yesterday morning while engaged
n working about an elevator, J. D.
Gravett, father of Wm. Gravett of
this city, who is 79 years of age and
very hard of hearing, had the mis
fortune to have one of his feet cut
off by an engine of the Chicago &
Great Western Railway in Council
Bluffs, Iowa. It seems Mr. Gravett,
who was employed about the eleva
tor, had just stepped out of the door
when the engine passed catching him
and dragging him for seVenty feet.
The crew of the engine did not know
of the accident, and Mr. Gravett laid
beside the track calling for help un
til a farmer happened to drive past
and his attention was attracted, when
he came to the assistance of the fn-
ured man. Mr. Gravett was then
immediately picked up and taken to
the Mercy hospital, and Wm. Gravett
of this city was sent for.' When he
had reached the hospital an opera
tion was being performed, amputat
ing the part of the leg which the
passing wheels had left in a man
gled condition, and dressing the
wounds sustained. The chances for
his life seemed very slender, but this
morning when Mr. Gravett returned
to the hospital, his father showed
some improvement, and seems some
better although there is but little
hope entertained for his recovery.
FINE BOX SUPPER PROGRAM.
From Wednesday's Daily.
Saturday evening, Dec. 22nd, Miss
Vera Moore and pupils of the Keno
sha school. District No. 8, gave a
Box supper at the Lewiston church
southeast of Murray.
A very amusing program was given
by the pupils which was immensely
enjoyed by those present.
After the program Mr. Rex Young
took charge of the boxes and his
great interest that he took in them
was highly appreciated by Miss
Moore and her pupils as he made a
nice sum of $50 which will be used
for school supplies.
Among the young ladies Miss Vera
was the most popular and was pre
sented with a large box of fancy
stationery. At a late hour everybody
departed for their homes, hoping to
he able. to. en joy themselves aB well
once again.
"Dennison's crepe paper at the
Journal office.
LETTER FROM
CYRIL JANDA IN
THE U.S. NAVY
TELLS OF TRIP FROM FRISCO TO
NEW YORK THROUGH
THE CANAL.
Were Ordered to Sail for England,
but When Ready Different
Orders Given Them.
From Wednesday's Dallv.
New York, Dec. 11, 1917.
Dear Brother and Family:
Received your letter this noon and
was sure glad to hear from you. I
am O. K. and hope you are the same.
I suppose you know we are at New
York. This is sure some city. I
wish you could be here to take in
the sights with me. I took in all
the main part of the city already
and like it fine, but the price of
things is so high. Coffee costs ten
cents a cup and you have to buy the
sugar extra three small lumps for
a nickel. Everything is way up, but
the people here realize what the war
Is and they treat us fine.
I got off Saturday and Sunday, so
I had quite a time. I spent Saturday
afternoon at Madison Square Garden
and that is sure a fine place. Every
thing is free there for the sailors
only.
We sure got disappointed last week
when we first came here from the
west coast. We got orders to leave
for England in three days and re
turn before Christmas, so we took on
3300 tons of coal and a lot of stores
ready for a long trip. Then we got
orders not to go, and that sure made
us mad as we were all anxious to
go across. Last week we got orders
to go to Boston and wait there for
further orders and that same after
noon we got word to stay in New
York, so they had us all excited. Now
I hear we are going to stay here un
til after New Years.
It is sure cold here. The ground
is white with snow. It was snowing
all day Saturday and Sunday. I
bought about $50 worth of winter
clothes since I came here, but we
sure need them.
You ought to hear the people here
talk. They talk and act so funny
real English and every man you
meet has a cane, a swallow-tail coat
and a two gallon hat. The women
even pull dogs around in little carts.
I could write 100 pages about things
I see here every day, but I have to
quit and write about something else.
I'll tell you a little about our trip.
We left Frisco November 19th and
arrived here December 3rd. We stop
ped at Mexico, the Panama Canal,
Panama City, Colon, Cuba, Pennsyl
vania and New Jersey. The trip thru
the canal was a sight. It took us
from 5:30 a. m. till 6:00 p. m. to
get through. It was sure a hard
life between Mexico and Colon. In
five days there were over 53 firemen
that were overtaken by heat and
couldn't work, so we seamen had to
go down and shovel .coal. I shoveled
for four days and I couldn't stand it
any longer, so I gave in too. As soon
as we passed the Panama canal, it
got cooler and all the firemen were
all right again.
Off of the coast of Cuba we cross
ed a gulf by the name of Hanipeck.
They call it the grave yard of the
Atlantic as more ships have been
sunk there than anywhere in the
Atlantic ocean, and, believe me, we
thought it was sure going to be our
grave yard, too. It took us three days
to cross this gulf. For two days we
couldn't come up on' top deck at all
nor were we able to eat a meal off
of the tables. The ship rocked so
much that a table would slide from
one end of the ship to . the other.
Then for two days we had to sit on
the deck all day long. You couldn't
stand up unless you had ahold of
something. We were under water
half of the time.
' The yard workmen are sure busy
working on our ship. They put on
ten more guns and built a chaple. I
also have to tell you that we have a
Catholic priest aboard. He has mass
every morning at 6 o'clock and every
Sunday at 10:30. He is about 45
years old and sure is a fine fellow.
He holds confessions very morning
before 'mass!
I -was sure glad to get the clip
pings you sent and also glad to
get Clement's letter. He sure wrote
a fine piece.
I am sending you a book of New
York views and a pillow top of the
ship's crew. Well it is getting late
.so I will close, hoping to hear from
you soon. The name of our ship has
been changed, so hereafter address
my mail, U. S. S. Rochester, care of
Postmaster, New York City, N. Y-
.A Merry Christmas and a Happy
New Year to you all, from
Your Brother,
CYRIL JANDA.
PLATTSMOUTH'S XMAS PRESENT.
For a Christmas present the City
of Plattsmouth drew another fam
ily for a resident, they coming from
Hamburg, Iowa. This, is just in the
closing of the year, hut still the city
is making gains in its inhabitants,
and all the time adding to .its ma
terial welfare. The ones to come to
this city , this time is the family of
Elmer Durham, and with them
comes the father of Mrs. Durham,
Mr. Wall, who will also make his
home here.
ANOTHER RED CROSS
LIE IS NAILED
From Wednesday's Daily.
The following communication has
been received in Plattsmouth by Mr.
Fred Wagner from Mr. Andrew
Sturm, of Nehawaka, will explain
itself and at the same time nip
another Red Cross falsehood early in
the game:
Nehawka. Nebr.. Dec. 22. 1917.
Mr. Wagner,
Plattsmouth, Nebr.
Dear sir: It was told in my office
today that you contributed a check
for $50 toward the Red Cross. That
a little later the Red Cress Ladies
held a banquet at .your hotel and
tendered yoi in part payment the
aforesaid chock. Now I believe this
to be one cf the many means used
to discredit the Re4, Crpss If the
above is untrue, will 3-oa kindly
hand this to the Plattsmouth Jour
nal, together with your statement of
the affair and thus render a service
to that noble organization and nail
a black lie aimed at its efficiency?
A. F. STURM.
Here is what Mr. Wagner has to
ay in reply to Mr. Sturm's letter:
The above is absolutely false. In
the first place I never gave the Red
Cross $50, and in the second place,
when the ladies gave their banquet
at my place, every. person attending
the said banquet paid their individ
ual account. If the people who cir
culate such stories as the above
would exert one-half the energy in
behalf of the Red Cross as they do in
circulating such lies, they would
prove themselves worthy of being
called American citizens, such as
they surely should be. The Red
Cross may call upon me at any time
and they will be granted every as
sistance within my power.
FRED WAGNER.
Mgr. Wagner Hotel.
MARRIED AT NEERASKA CITY.
Prom "Wednesday Dattv.
Last Monday, Dewey Duffield, dep
uty sheriff for Douglas county, pass
ed down the Missouri Pacific, from
Omaha to Nebraska City and was
met at the Missouri Pacific station
in this city by Miss Gladys Cotner,
going to Nebraska City. There they
were united in marriage by county
Judge Bishop. Monday evening they
returned to Plattsmouth and sur
prised their friends here, and espec
ially the parent's of the bride.
They departed yesterday for their
new home in Omaha, taking with
them, the good wishes of the num
erous friends in this city, for a long
and happy life. They are both well
and favorably known here. The
bride is the winsome daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. S. L. Cotner, while Mr.
Duffield formerly lived at Weeping
WTater, and has for some time been
making his home at Omaha. .
Old Soldier Gives -Recommendation.
Gustav Wangelin. Commander of
G. A. R. Post, Pinckneyville. Illinois,
writes: "I highly recommend Foley
Kidney Pills, which I prefer to all
others I have used." Foley Kidney
Pills give quick relief from backache,
rheumatic pains, stiff, swollen joints.
lanjruidnese, kidney trouble and sleep
disturbing bladder ailments. Sold
everywhere.
Office Supplies at ; the JournaL
CATCH CLEVEREST
SPY IN AMERICA
A FEW DAYS AGO
FEDERAL OFFICIALS SAY SCHU
LENBERG BOUGHT TON OF
DYNAMITE IN SEATTLE.
Mission Was to Elow Up Docks
Thrilling Career In Ger
man Plots.
San Francisco. Cal., Dec. 25.
Federal officials announced last night
the arrest on a presidential warrant
of Franz Schulenberg. alleged to be
oen of the cleverest and most dang
erous German spies operating on the
Pacific coast. According to federal
officers, he planned to destroy gov
ernment docks and shipping in
most of the big coast ports.
Military authorities said Schulen
berg, under instruction from Lieu
tenant Wilhelm von Brincken, for
merly military attache at the local
German consulate, purchased a ton
of dynamite in Seattle at about the
time of the explosion of a barge
loaded with munitions in Puget
Sound. There is evidence, it was
stated, of close association letvs;e:i
Schulenberg and Franz von Pa pen,
former head of the German secret
service and with Ram Chandra, who
is on trial in the federal court on a
chargo of violating the neutrality of
the United States.
Information in the hands of mili
tary authorities is said to cover al
leged unneutral acts on Schulen-berg's-part
as follows:
In December. 1914. Schulenberg
reported to von Brincken at the Ger
man consulate in San Francisco and
volunteered for service of any kind.
He was sent to see Ram Chandra
and was furnished money to go to
Seattle.
Ton of Dynamite.
Schulenberg was instructed lo re
port to the German consul in Seattle
and draw enough money to buy one
ton of dynamite, fifty Maxim silenc
ers and fifty high-powered rifles,
with ample ammunition. He was
told to take his supplies to Sumas,
Washington, near the Canadian
border.
Von Papen himself traveled to
Seattle incignito to meet Schulen
berg and give him $4,500. The Ger
man agent posed as Frank Winzewski
a Russian, and secured a Russian
passport to facilitate his trips to
Canada. With German money Schul
enberg, it is alleged, bought the
dynamite, guns and ammunition.
In October. 1915, von Brincken is
said to have sent Schulenberg to
New York to report to von Papen.
Von Papen told him he had nothing
for him and advised him to go to
his hotel in Hoboken, N. J. That
night three men in the employ of
von Papen entered Schulenberg's
room, searched him, took away his
papers and bundled him on a train,
first giving him a ticket to San Fran
cisco. In January, 1917, Schulenberg
and another agent were said to be in
Los Angeles awaiting instructions
from German agents in Washington
to carry supplies for wireless sta- j
tions across the border to the west
coast of Mexico. Supplies valued at
$35,000 were contracted for but the
money to pay for them did not arrive.
Reported In Germany.
.Shortly after this Schulenberg
under his old Russian passport went
to Germany, it is said, and reported
t othe head of the German secret
service in Wilhemstrasse. Returning
after three weeks, he landed in Gal
vestion and made his way across
country to southern California. He
was arrested December 5, near Santa
Cruz.
In an automobile in which Schul
enberg was caught the authoirties
found a German Luger pistol and a
high powered rifle, both loaded. Fur
ther investigation disclosed a cache
containing forty-six pounds of dynar
mite, three alarm clocks and attach
ments for detonating explosives said
to be the property of the prisoner".
Schulenberg deserted :from , the
German army in 1904. - He. was ar
rested in Sydney and turned over to
the German naval attache there. He
was enlisted in the navy and deserts
ed six weeks later" in Shanghai. He
is a cabinet maker by trade.
INCOME TAX OFFICER COMING.
From Wednesdays Dally.
In a communication received by
this paper, Collector of Internal
Revenue, Geo. L. Loomis, announces
that a federal income tax officer will
be sent into this county on January
28th and will be here until Feb. 13.
He will be in Weeping Water Jan.
2Sth to February 2nd, and have his
office in a bank. He will be in
Plattsmouth February 4th to Feb
ruary 13th, and will have his office
in the Court House and will be there
every day ready and willing to help
persons subject to the income tax
make out their returns without any
cost to them for services.
How many income-taxpayers will
there be in Cass County? If you
can guess how . many married per
sons living with wife or husband will
have net incomes of $2,000 or over
and how many unmarried persons
will have net incomes of $1,000 or
over this j'ear, then you know. The
Collector of Internal Revenue esti
mates that there will be fiOO taxpay
ers in this countv.
Returns of income for the year
1917 must be made on Forms provid
ed for the purpose before March 1,
ISIS. Because a good many people
don't understand the law and won't
know how to make out their returns.
the government is sending in this ex
pert to do it for them. But the duty
is on the taxpayer to make himself
known to the ogvernment. If he
doesn't make return as required be
fore March 1 he may have to pay a
penalty ranging from $20 to $1,000,
pay a fine or go to jail. So if you
don't want to take chances on going
to jail, you better call t on the in
come tax man. If you are not sure
about being subject to the tax. better
ask him and make sure. Whether
you see the income tax man or not.
you must make return if subject to
tax.
Of course, persons resident in
other counties may, if they want to.
come and see the income tax man
who will be at Weeping Water Jan.
28th to February 2nd, and Platts
mouth February 4th to February 13.
The Collector suggests that every
body start figuring up now his in
come and expenses so as to be ready
with the figures when the expert
arrives. Expenses, however, don't
mean family expenses, money used
to pay off the principal of a debt,
new machinery, buildings, or any
thing like that. They mean what
you spend in making your money.
interest, taxes paid, hired help,
amount paid for goods sold, seed,
stock bought for feeding, rent (ex
cept your dwelling), etc. Income in
cludes about every dollar you get.
Cut This Out It is Worth Money
DON'T MISS THIS. Cut out this
slip, enclose with 5c to Foley & Co..
2S35 Sheffield Ave.. Chicago, 111.,
writing your name and address clear
ly. You will receive in return a trial
package containing Foley's Honey
and Tar Compound for coughs, colds
and croup; Foley Kidney Pills and
Foley Cathartic Tablets. Sold every
where. Suhscrihe for the Journal.
How Does It
Business men believe in the Federal Reserve
System, but many of them know very little about
it or how it operates.
To tell our community how the system benefits
them and how the can contribute direcdy to its
support, we have prepared a short phamphlet.
u3hSYSTEM3
First Ka&Hal Kank
Send for Booklet, "How Does ft Benefit Me?"
TEUTONS RUSH
TROOPS WEST
FROM RUSSIA
B0LSHEVIKI INCENSED BECAUSE
KAISER BARS SOCIALISTS
FROM STOCKHOLM.
PEACE MEETING IS POSTPONED
Petrograd, Dec. 25. Ensign Kry-
lenko, commander in chief of the
army, , reported to the Bolsheviki
headquarters that the Germans were
transferring troops in verytlarge
numbers, and as quickly as possible
to the western front against the al
lies, and also, to the southwestern
Russian front.
Leon Trotzky, the Bolsheviki for
eign minister has called the atten
tion of the peace delegation to this
fact. A special dispatch from Brest
Litvosk announces the Germans were '
not ready jet to reply to the Russian
peace terms and consequently the
meeting of the peace delegates was
postponed until Monday afternoon.
It is reported that the refusal of
Germany to issue passports to the
German socialists Hasse, Ledebour,
and Kautsky, who desire to go to
Stockholm to acquaint themselves
with the Russian revolutionary con
ditions, has produced in Russia an
impression which may hamper peace
negotiations.
Trotzky Wires Delegates.
Minister Trotzky has sent a tele
gram to his delegates at Brest-Li-
tovsk, in this connection, declaring
that if the Germans refused their so
cialists passports, this would create
tuch a'bad impression at Petrograd
that it was deemed necessary that
the German official declaration which
is expected here Thursday, should
go to Stockholm instead.
Civil war seems to be spreading
over Russia.
The Bolsheviki commissioners
have issued a manifesto to all Rus
sian working men, declaring that as
the armistice probably will be trans
formed at an early date into a gen
eral democratic peace to all of the
European peoples, preparation of
military equipment is a waste of na
tional labor and funds, and that, con
sequently, the output must be stop
ped immediately and replaced by the
production of peace supplies, which
the country needs.
Bound for Petrograd.
The newspapers announce that a
delegation from the enemy powers
is coming to Petrograd to partici
pate in a conference presided over
by Trotzky, to discuss the political
aspects of an eventual peace confer
ence. Another enemy delegation will
participate in the commission meet
ing at Odessa to discuss technical
questions.
Can't look well, eat well, or feel
well with impure blood. Keep the
blood pure with Burdock Blood Bit
ters. Eat simply, take exercise, keep
clean, and good health is pretty sure
to follow. $1.25 a bottle.
Benefit You?
If you haven't seen it we will
be glad either to mail it to you
or give it to you if you will call.