Once again, I feel so thankful that we have newspapers and that they have been preserved from the past.
For instance, the Oct. 16, 1918 edition of the Union County Register has a story on the WAR TROPHY TRAIN that stopped in Mount Gilead where “thousands saw relics brought from war fronts.”
“The War Trophy Train was decorated with flags of Allied Nations, and stopped in Mount Gilead according to schedule and thousands of persons were at the Ohio Central Depot to welcome it.”
The story says there was great enthusiasm and those who traveled with the party for the purpose of giving addresses for the purpose of appealing to the people to invest in Liberty Bonds. Speakers introduced by Morrow County’s Dr. W. B. Robinson, described the German offense in Europe and the need to purchase bonds to help this nation’s fight to win the war.
The appeal brought a total of $16,850 in bonds from those present, most of which were in $50 and $100 bill denominations. Traveling on the train were several Ohio “heroes” who had completed service in the war.
My own question is where is the Central Depot?
This same edition of the paper notes the spread of the influenza and noting health authorities ordered the closing of all places where people gather such as churches, schools, theatres, places of entertainment and saloons.
Morrow County obeyed the orders strictly with no church services and schools closed and not to reopen until the time health officials deem that danger is past.
This same edition lists the question on different topics that a person who wished to teach school had to answer correctly.
Subjects varied, but I am listing a few that were on the test: Under Theory and Practice: “What are the 1918-19 Reading Circle Books?” “What is meant by the Motivation of school work?” “How would you help a boy who used chewing tobacco with his parent’s consent?” “How can a teacher get the confidence of those with whom she works?”
There were 10 questions on many other topics that had to be answered if one wanted to be a school teacher in 1918!
Looking back
70 years ago: Mayor C. R. Mateer and village council President, C. M. Poorman, suffered injuries on the same day. Mateer fractured his leg when a stone step he was leveling fell on it and Poorman sustained a slight head injury while unloading coal from a railroad car.
Two nights later the Cardington village council meeting was held in Mateer’s home.
60 yeas ago: Albert Yeoman won two ribbons at the Ohio State Fair for beef judging.
40 years ago: Cecil Maxwell was named mayor of Cardington to succeed Ronald Weidner who had suddenly resigned.
First day enrollment in the Cardington-Lincoln School District was 1,129.
