The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-04-09
WOMEN IN THE WAR
How the Colonial Danes Worked
Much and Said Nothing.

Kew York April SIN the Evening Post,
Katherine Prence says: By virtue of reso-
buttons adopted at its biennial council,
April %. 1885, the National Society Of
Colonial Danes earned the distinction of
being the first body to organize for relief
work during the late war. How energetic
ally and judiciously that work was ana
still is carried on, and how great an
amount of good it has effected, few out
siders suspect; for none of the Societv's
strength has been expended in the blowing
of trumpets. and no adequate account Of
its doings has ever appeared in print
1t would be pleasant to give some de-
scriDtion of the contributions of the state
branches-of Rhode Islands gifts TO the
Solace, of New Hampshire's care of her
own volunteers, of Illinois thousand bot
ties of ginger ale fanked by round sum
of money and a stock of general supplies
But the list is too long and too varied.
Yet one special feature must not be ig-
nored-the work of a Georgia woman, the
president. of the Georgia Colonial Danes
Since the outbreak of the war her per-
sonal exertions toward the soldiers relief
have been as diverse as the opportunities
brought within her reach, and some idea
of the energy thrown into them may be
gathered from the following tale,
One day toward the end of August.
CHANGING TO enter the railway station at
Savannah just as a northbound train car
rying sick soldiers OF the One Hundred
and Fifty-seventh Indiana regiment drew
glimpse at the situation. The men proved
to be in terrible need. without doctor,
nurses or proper supplies of any kind,
many of them desperately III. and not
few in the last stages of exhaustion. On
the spur of the moment. the Georgia wom-
an appointed herself nurse to continue the
journey with the transport cars as long
as her presence could be useful. Her first
step was TO induce the civilian passengers
in other parts of the train to surrender
their comfortable places to those who so
greatly needed them. Then she confscated
the Pullman buffets entire stock of milk.
ice and brandy BY her single efforts sew
eral lives were saved that day. and when
one poor lad died despite her best endeav-
ors, she sent his body to her own home,
telegraphing SUCH directions for its recep-
ton as would have been issued had the
dead man been her personal friend.
In the early part OF the summer. as the
horrors OF the times developed. the presi-
dent of the Gorgia branch. backed by the
treasurer OF the National Relief associa-
ton Of the National Society of Colonial
DANES. went to her husbands camp in
Georgia. seized upon a conveniently sit
uated barn. for lack Of a better place. fur
nished it with cots and filled the cots with
miserably sick soldiers Aided by her
daughter. she not only nursed these men
eighty-six of them. first and last-weT in
to convalescence. but also. in a rough little
kitchen extemporized al the back Of the
building, did with her own hands all the
cooking that the inyahds required.
Such deeds as these have value-Tar be
yond the scope OF the moment; and ;he
thought OF their softeEins. widening. hu-
maniZing iuuence is one OF the few bright
features IN the record Of our recent his
tory. At least one instance 81 gratitude
is worth recording Among the patients
harbored last autumn in n convalescenr
who, earlier in the year had been in the
little Georgia harm.
And you know" said the man. finish
ing broken tale If the kind offices Of his
benefactress. she Is a lady. ard ricH
lady, and the wife OF a general Yet saa
and her dauEhter couldu't have treated
Us whiter-us common soldters-st urs's
bsen their own people. The place was
rough, and we vas Tougher. and dirty ana
sick and weak As hsbies ard those two
ladies waited on Us hand and feet as we
was clean ashamed to have err do Train
ed nurses kick sometimes bur those tx,
they never kicked at nothing I-H tel
YOU something straight, used - aate she
rich. and believed the rich despise,i the
poor. I read socialism and talked socia.- (
ism, and vent 10 sOciaiisc meetings sut
I've nc further Use fer e."