The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1898-11-04
SOLACE FOR JACK TARS.

Jack Tar mas a good friend in Mrs.
E. A. Gardner, mother Of Rev. w. A.
A. Gardner, pastor of the Church of the
Holy Comforter, down in New York. All
the sailors are her boys" and she feels
a personal interest just now in those
who are going off to do battle for their
country. And that interest has taken a
substantial form.
Mrs. Gardner is busy at work supply
ing the gallant lads in blue with what
she calls comfort bags" A comfort
bag, you must know, is a handy thing
to lave about. OF course, the sailor
boys can't take their mothers or their
wives to sea with them, so the next best
thing is to take a comfort bag. So ar
cues Mrs. Gardner, and proceeding on
hat basis she has started in upon her
work.
But first I must tell you what a COM
fort bag is. 1t is a plain bag made of
drilling cloth, duck or cretonne, or any
heavy material of durable structure. In
it are placed various small articles
which Jack will undoubtedly find han
w, such as needle and thread. but
tons and the like, and there you are.
Under the circumstances it is but nat
ural. perhaps, that Mrs. Gardeners first
thoughts should be for the comfort Of
those Of "her boys who are in the
naval service. Her original intention
was to supply a thousand of the bags,
and about 400 We're sent to the navy
yard. There is no reason why the
movement should not become broader
and more general, and there is no
reason why every sailor in the navy
should not haVe his own comfort bag.
Mrs. Gardner at the start was sue
cessful in interesting quite a number of
charitable persons in her work. and she
has received donations in money, sup
plies and in bags already filled. I ask
ed her how much each bag and it's con-
tents would cost. and she estimated it
at about 60 cents.
I opened one of the bags which had
been filled and made an inventory. This
is what l found One pair of scissors,
a bottle of vaseline, a paper Of pins, a
paper of needles, a box Of safety pins,
a couple of handkerchiefs, a string Of
assorted buttons (Which. it is to be hop
ed, will not be converted into poker
chips), a comb, a piece of wax, a couple
Of spools of thread, darning cotton, a
roll Of absorbent cotton, some writing
paper and envelopes, a lead pencil and
a small Testament.
And down in the bottom was an en-
velope containing a letter of good cheer
written by the Rev. Mr.. Gardner; not
too goody good in it's tone, but just a
straightforward, manly message which
no tar could fail to appreciate.
Inside Of each bag is seWed a little
tag, on which is printed, From the
Sewing School, Protestant Episcopal
Church Missionary Society for seamen.
Church of the Holy Comforter. No. 341
West Houston street, New York"
Mrs. Gardner told me she was anx
ious to secure, among other donations
to help along the work, as much old
linen as possible, sue as castoff table
cloths. This the little girls tear into
strips and a roll will hereafter be placed
in each bag, to be used for bandaging
purposes.
t 1t is really wonderful how such small
l bags can hold so much. None of them
that is, those meant for the seamen-
, measures more thar eight by ten inches.
Jack Tar, you know, must carry his
: belongings in as compact a form as pos
sible. They are gathered at the top
2 with tape and tied when closed.
!, Mrs. Gardner also showed me a SAM
pie Of the officers bags, and I found
these to be much more elaborate. They
, had compartments within, made Of tape
to hold the various articles in place,
and were designed to be rolled UP
: When open he bag could be hung up
by a loop, n there was a complete
toilet and mending outfit.
Mrs. Gardner is anxious to enlist the
aid of all who are in sympathy with
the work. There are many who sigh
because they AVE no opportunity to
do anything for their country in the
present crisis. They should go down
to the little rectOry in West Houston
street and get a glimpse of the kindly
old lady surrounded by her happy little
} sewing girls. Perhaps they could get
an inspiration.