NEWS: Osterburg Picnic, August, 1918, Bedford County, PA

Contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives by Judy Banja and Donna Thomas

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OSTERBURG PICNIC IS GREAT SUCCESS
Distinguished Visitors and Fine Music Are Features.  The Crowds Are Large.

  The Osterburg picnic, which was held at Osterburg last week, was a great 
success.  About two thousand people were in attendance on Thursday and nearly 
twice at many on Friday.
  On Wednesday evening Dr. I. A. Bossett, Belgian surgeon and refugee, gave a 
message that thrilled his large audience with the brutality of the Hun 
soldiers.  Dr. Bossett, who is 29 years old, came here direct from 
headquarters.  He entered the war in August, 1916, and was in British 
hospital service until having been severely gassed, it was necessary for him 
to come to America to recuperate.  His father was a member of the Van Wyk 
Brothers Co., of Leiden and Vaviers, makers of blankets.  The blanket mills 
covered thirty-three acres of ground and had nineteen thousand employes.  On 
the eleventh day of the German invasion of Belgium General von Bissing, with 
some of his men entered the office of the mills and said that they were to be 
used for a German hospital and that every person should leave.  Dr. Bossett's 
father fell over dead.  Eighty of the employes who rebelled against leaving 
were taken out and shot as an example to the rest to obey.  Dr. Bossett 
escaped.  His mother has been in a sanatorium ever since, very seriously ill.  
All their money, about twelve million dollars, was lost.  Dr. Bossett is 
intensely interesting and an instructive speaker.
  Another interesting feature was the explanation of a shrapnel such as the 
Westinghouse is building for the British, by Mr. Hengst, an airbrake engineer 
in the Westinghouse service.
  Hon. George E. Lloyd, head of the public defense, gave an interesting talk 
on Thursday which was enjoyed.
  Excellent music was furnished during the three days by the Osterburg band.  
Mr. Stambaugh, leader of the band, is a composer of some note.
  Over $100 was collected for Red Cross and army and navy emergency work 
during the three days.

Altoona Tribune, Monday, August 26, 1918, page 5