Celebrating History: More war news

By Emily Mayer

This week’s war news included another article regarding food conservation and that the state fair may be a food-training camp meant to increase food production and reduce food waste. In last week’s column, it was mentioned that there would be a wheat shortage. This week, predictions were that there was going to be a 25 percent increase in overall grain crops in Montana. Efforts were planned to ensure the health of both farmers and railroaders during the war effort to make sure that grains and food were harvested and means of transportation possible. Homes and businesses were encouraged to buy coal soon due to the war effort. The Havre Plaindealer’s May 19, 1917, issue also reported a large number of voluntary recruits flocking to Helena to sign up to serve the United States in the Great War.

As a result, Havre was getting its own recruiting office:

RECRUITING OFFICE TO BE OPENED HERE

Officer Will Arrive Soon From Spokane This Afternoon

Postmaster E. J. Pepin yesterday received telegraphic advices from Spokane to the effect that a recruiting officer would start from division headquarters to this city Friday evening, on No. 4, and the understanding is that he will immediately open a recruiting office in this city.

For the past two weeks the recruiting work has been performed by Mr. Pepin, but because of his inability to swear applicants the work was made difficult. The postmaster cited these facts to the department, with the result that it was decided to send an officer to Havre to take charge of the recruiting work at this point. The officer will be located in the post office and will be only too glad to take care of the applications of those who wish to offer their services to Uncle Sam in the present war with Germany.

There are a number of young men in Havre and vicinity who are desirous of enlisting in the service of the United States, and opportunity will be offered them when the recruiting opens which will probably be on Monday morning.

The Red Cross was also getting local support:

WILL DEVISE MEANS HELPING RED CROSS

At the meeting of the directors of the Havre Chamber of Commerce, on Tuesday afternoon, a committee made up of Secretary McCroskey, Rev. L. J. Christler, Rev. Fr. McAstocker and H. A. Miller, president of the local trades and labor council, was named to devise a suitable method whereby Havre and Hill county may raise a sum of money to be devoted to the American Red Cross. Practically every community in the state is devoting a large sum of money to this body, and this section will not be among the “slackers”. The committee will meet within the next few days and formulate a plan of action.

Local news included an article that officers were named for the new local flax company and another bank was coming to Havre.

SEEKING TO CHARTER ANOTHER BANK HERE

Capital Stock of Proposed Institution Is Twenty Thousand

Application has been made to the authorities at Washington for a charter for another national bank to be located in Havre. In the application the capital stock is placed at twenty thousand dollars. Among the incorporators are Judge F. N. Utter, A. J. Broadwater, L. E. Sprinkle, of Chinook, and others. It is expected that action upon the application will be announced within a few weeks.

In the Society column, three weddings were announced: Mr. Harold Townsend and Miss Ruth Averill, H. E. Bertrand and Miss Annie Weich, and A. M. McCormick and Mrs. Nina McCulloh. Other than announcing that several socially prominent ladies in Havre were out of town visiting relatives or friends, Amron, the keeper of the Society column, wrote:

After two days spent in search of news concerning society happenings in Havre for the past week one is reluctantly forced to the conclusion of the Arkansas farmer who, after spending a half hour watching a circus giraffe, turned away with the statement that “H—l they aint so sech thing.” The only difference is that the farmer had some material evidence whereas the society scout finds no trace. The only plausible explanation is that Havre housewives are in the midst of that season when they picket their red-headed hopefuls in the yard and attack dust of the winter months that has accumulated around the premises, with the result that milady is entirely too much occupied to think on things social. Aside from a few informal affairs there has been little doing socially for the past two weeks, and this condition gives promise of continuing throughout the spring cleaning period.