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The 1947 Friendship Train in South Carolina
Dorothy R. Scheele
Many people say: “What is the Friendship Train? I never heard of it.” That’s an exciting question.
The Friendship
Train was the unique gift of $40,000,000 worth of food from the people of
the United States to the people in Europe, mainly France and Italy. Every state in the United States participated
in donating. The food was given by
the American people and was not in any way a connected to the government. The beginning pages of this web
site have a more complete history of this remarkable train.
Individuals took
it upon themselves to promote the Train.
Harold E. Norhelm from Brooklyn rode his
bicycle from New York to California.
During the entire journey, there was a sign on his bike encouraging
people to donate. Another individual
promoting the Train was Nicola Giulii who was an
Italian-American living in Los Angeles.
At his own expense he traveled through Italy informing the
citizenry about the Friendship Train coming from America.
Every aspect of
the Friendship Train was gratis.
Crops were from the farmers’ fields; no price tag was attached. The Friendship Train workers worked free
as did the ships’ employees. The cargo
of the first freighter, The Leader, weighed 8,000,000. Its destination was Le Have, France.
Broadus
Bailey, general chairman, was the key figure in the South Carolina campaign
for collecting food for the Friendship Train. All contributions were to be either of
cash or imperishable foods. J. C.
Hopkins, executive vice-president of the People’s National Bank, was the
treasurer. Residents were instructed
to send their monetary donations to him.
Greenville
was the leading South Carolina city in donating. Information about the Friendship Train was
published daily in The Greenville
News. There was often an update
of the status of the dollars raised thus far towards their $8,700 goal. Banners ran across pages: “Every Dollar Given Friendship Train May
Help to Save a Child’s Life” and “Please Go to Church Today AND Contribute
to Friendship Train”.
In
Greenville, flour and condensed milk were foods to be sent. The clergy in the area agreed to ask
their congregations to require every Sunday school class to donate. W. D. Buffalo, chairman of the procurement
committee, estimated that a carload of would milk cost $4,500 and one of
flour $4,200. Residents gave whole
heartedly. By December 3, the city
had raised $14,349.
Money
left over after purchasing milk and flour was sent to purchase more
food. New York was the destination for
everything collected throughout the nation.
At
the start of the campaign, contributions immediately began pouring in. Among the first to give to the Friendship
Train were Mrs. Sally A. Milford, 702 Augusta Street donating $25, and Greenville
Post No 3, American Legion and its auxiliary raising $281.75. The directors of Greenville County Farm
Bureau voted to donate $50.00. The
Greenville chapter of the Order of DeMolay sent over 2,000 postcards to the
population reminding people to give.
The Fountain Inn had collected several hundred dollars; the goal was
$1,000. Bushy Creek Grange
contributed $16. The Altrusa club donated $25. The American Cotton Manufacturers
Association generously donated 500,000 yards of cloth. L. P. Hollis, superintendent of Parker
School district, announced that the football team would play a game with the
Augusta team, the proceeds going to the Friendship Train. This game was
held on November 21, 1947.
The
November 21, 1947, Greenville News lists a full page of Greenville donors.
The
Greenville’s plans for the purchase and shipping were to buy one boxcar at
cost and to have the other join a section of the original Friendship Train
in Philadelphia, where it had dropped off a carload of grain to be milled.
W.
B. Garner, executive vice-president of the Waterman Steamship Corporation,
announced that the company would ship some of the food to Europe on the
ship Alawai which would depart
approximately December 2nd.
Other
cities participated in giving to Europeans via the Friendship Train. The New Era club in Pendleton was a
contributor. The Junior Chamber of
Commerce in Florence had planned to send a carload of corn. Drew Pearson had telegraphed Frank C.
Owens, the mayor of Columbia, in response to a question Owens had asked him
regarding the city’s donation being too late to connect with an earlier
train. Mr. Pearson informed Mr. Owens
that it might be able to get its contribution on a New Year’s Friendship
Train adding that further contributions were being
handled by the Council of Volunteer Agencies in New York.
The
history of the South Carolina’s contribution to the Friendship Train
continues with the arrival of the Merci Train. The Palmetto state, like every other
state in the nation, received a deeply heartfelt gratitude from France to
the men and women of the United States for their magnanimous unprecedented
generosity and their singular concern for their fellowman. The citizen of France expressed their
appreciation in what became known as the Merci Train.
The
Merci Train consisted of 49 boxcars, one for each state, and one to be
shared by Washington, D. C. and Hawaii (not yet a state). The organizers of the Merci Train asked
every French citizen to give something back as a ‘thank you’ gift to the
Americans. Although many of the
presents were not outstanding, such as, a comb, handkerchief, or a toy,
many were also truly remarkable and moving;
a stained glass window from a cathedral in France; a couple sent the
military uniform from a deceased son, a cast of dolls representing the
typical attire of every region in
France.
Every
railroad in the nation sent a representative to D.C. so that they could
co-ordinate the travel and direction of the boxcars. South Carolina’s boxcar arrived in
Greenville on February 9, 1949. The
car was greeted by local officials; Governor Strom Thurmond was the lead
speaker. The boxcar is located in
Columbia at American Legion Post 6.
The Friendship Train was the genesis
for the French Merci Train. The Website
www.mercitrain.org has extensive
information about that train. Copies of Mr. Earl R. Bennett's
Book The Merci Train, A Big Thank You From France is available
at ejbennett89@yahoo.com. The price is $25.00 per
copy, including postage.
Bibliography
“$14,349
Given Friendship Fund” The Greenville
News Dec 3, 1947: 3.
“$950 More
Reported Relief Campaign” The Greenville
News Nov. 14, 1947: 1.
“Altrusans To Conserve Food” The Greenville News Nov. 20, 1947: 2.
“American
Friend” The Greenville News Jan.
25, 1948: 4.
“Augusta
Beats Parker Midget” The Greenville
News Nov. 22, 1947: 7
“Belgian Native Endorses
Local Food Campaign” The Greenville
News November 8, 1947: 1.
“Cloth
Going To Europe’s Needy” The State
[Columbia, South Carolina] Nov. 3, 1947: 1.
“Columbia
Misses Friendship Train” The State
[Columbia, South Carolina] Nov. 26, 1947: 6.
“DeMolays
To Assist In Friendship Train” The
Greenville New Nov. 7, 1947: 1.
“Donations
Received For Food Aid Plan” The
Greenville News Nov. 5, 1947: 1.
“Farm
Bureau’s Annual Meeting Set Friday” The
Greenville News Nov. 7, 1947: 3.
“Fountain
Inn Adding Drove” The Greenville News
Nov. 18, 1947: 11.
“Friendship
Campaign End Is Slated Today” The
Greenville News Nov. 15, 1947: 1.
“Friendship
Train Food Shipment Sales for France”
Charleston News and Courier Dec. 8, 1947: 2.
“Jaycees
Plan Food Car For Friendship Train” Florence
Morning News Nov. 25, 1947: 1.
“Local
Group Heads Drive For $8,700 The
Greenville News Nov. 2, 1947: 1.
“Merci
Train Arrives Today At Greenville” The
Times and Democrat [Orangeburg, South Carolina] Feb. 9, 1947: 1.
“Ministers Endorse
County Food Plan” The Greenville News
Nov. 4, 1947: 1.
“Pendleton”
Anderson Independent Mail Nov 22,
1947: 5.
“Waterman
Will Transport Food To Europe Free” Charleston
News and Courier Nov. 25, 1947: 6.
“Women To Help
Food Drive” The Greenville News Nov.
6, 1947: 3.
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