Charles Ira Lindsey

              Crowder, Dr. David L. Oral History Project
Charles Ira Lindsey- Experiences of WWI
By Charles Ira Lindsey
December 12, 1973
Box 2 Folder 9
Oral Interview conducted by Kathy Ludlow
Transcribed by Kurt Hunsaker November 2004
Brigham Young University- Idaho
This is an Oral History report. I am Kathy Ludlow. Today is December 12, 1973. I am going to interview Charles Ira Lindsay. The general topic will be World War I.
KL: Mr. Lindsay, where were you born?
CL: Deweyville, Utah.
KL: How long have you lived in Deweyville?
CL: Eight Years.
KL: Where were your parents born?
CL: Dad was born in Kaysville, Utah. Mother was born in Deweyville, Utah.
KL: What was your occupation?
CL: I spent about four years in the phosphate mines and since then it’s been fa4rming.
KL: Were you farming when the war broke out?
CL: I was farming, working on a farm then and sta5rted farming for myself the year after.
KL: When the war did brake out, what was the general reaction of the people around here?
CL: Well, they didn’t think much of the Germans. That’s about all I can tell you.
KL: Were they excited that there was a war?
CL: Yes, and the war they had been at war for quite some time over in European countries before we were involved in it.
KL: Did they feel we really should be in the war?
CL: Yes, and I think the war was declared a, let’s see, in ’ 17 of April and the armistice was signed November of ’ 18. They was drafting pretty near everybody under thirty years of age. I, I was right close to going when it, the war, ended.
KL: How close were you to being drafted?
CL: Well, I would have been in the next call.
KL: Oh really. What was the general opinion of the people toward like Wilson?
CL: Huh? KL: What were the feelings of the people toward Wilson who promised to keepus out of the war, but then we got into it? What were their feelings?
CL: Well, I really don’t remember, dear.
KL: Okay, do you know if they increased farm productions during the wartime?
CL: Well.
KL: Like on the farm you were on?
CL: They were rationing some foods and wheat. In order to buy a sack of wheat flour, you had to buy a sack of something else that could be used like corn meal, rice, or something like that.
KL: Did thy have you growing certain crops on the farm, because of the war?
CL: No, we grew as we pleased; and a before the war, we were getting our, most of our beet seed from the Germans, but when war started, we had to produce it here in this country. I worked for the beet seed company during the war.
KL: What did you do with the beet seed company?
CL: Huh?
KL: What did you do with the beet seed company?
CL: Just farming.
KL: Just the farm work- producing it- uh huh. Did you have anything to do with the Liberty Bonds when hey were selling?
CL: What?
KL: The Liberty Bonds?
CL: No.
KL: Did you have anything to do with it?
CL: No.
KL: Okay. Do you remember anything about the Lusitania? The sinking of it?
CL: Well, not too much. KL: Uh huh. Was there a great fear of saboteurs in this area, like afraid the Germans would sneak in and destroy anything?
CL: Well, they watched the Germans pretty close, but, oh they didn’t have too much of a chance then to come in like they have now. They didn’t have the airplanes and all that. And most of their airplanes that was in the war was just oh, putting out gas such as that instead of bombs.
KL: Oh uh huh. Was there a home guard in this area?
CL: Huh?
KL: A home guard organization?
CL: Yes.
KL: Did it do much good, or did it function, or did it do anything?
CL: Not really.
KL: I see. So you know anything about the slackers?
CL: About what?
KL: The slackers. The ones that avoided the draft.
CL: No.
KL: Okay. You do remember about the flu epidemic, though, don’t you?
CL: You’ll have to talk louder.
KL: The flu epidemic?
CL: Oh, about the flu epidemic was worse than the war. There was more people that died form that old Asiatic flu than what was killed in World War I.
KL: Did they take any special precautions against it?
CL: Well yes. Thee was quite a while when most of the people stayed more isolated, and in town on the streets, the people was wearing sort of a gas mask.
KL: Really, I didn’t’ know that. About how long did the epidemic last?
CL: Oh, I don’t know. I think it was more than a year that it was bad. KL: Okay. Did it come about during the end of the war or after the war was over?
CL: More during the end of the war.
KL: During the end, I see, and what was the reaction around here to the Armistice?
CL: Well, ah, I know they had a big celebration, and it was quite a time.
KL: What did they do to celebrate?
CL: Most of them got drunk! ( laugh) That’s what I heard anyway.
KL: Did you do anything to celebrate it?
CL: Now, I didn’t.
KL: Didn’t do anything, huh. What was it like when they came back from the War?
CL: When what?
KL: When the soldiers came back from the war?
CL: Well, there was quite a rejoicing and a lot of sorrow, too.
KL: I’ll bet. Did any of your really close friends go? Were they drafted?
CL: Yes, I had several cousins and that, that went that never come back. That’s about all I guess.
KL: Is that about all you remember about it?
CL: That’s about all of it.
KL: Thanks so much for talking to me. This tape will be placed in the library at Ricks College for use by future researchers.