Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-30
WORK OF THE WOMEN.
Refreshments for misunderstanding
the Flowers.

For many years the veterans marched
most of the way from Washington to Ar
In1ton and deemed it no hardship but the
way grew longer and more difficult with
each succeeding year. till at last tie
marches came to an end, even the few
blocks of parade on the smooth streets of
Washington being woarisome to many.
There are no facilities for obtaining re-
rTeshments of any kind at Arlington. either,
aad it was not unusual thing for vet
Grams to fall out of the ranks from exhauS-
ton and lack of food. the custom has
grown up of serving lunch to the wearers
OF the veteran badges by the various pa
tri1tic organizations of women 1t is not
an elaborate affair. but of the best quality
nn1 appetizing- All the preparation and all
the expense attached is borne by the wo-
Msn of the department, and they serve 1t
personally.
Today at Arlington there was no dearth
of good cheer of this character. The Wo-
mans Relief Corps. auxiliary to the Grand
Army Of the Republic. has for ten years or
more served from 1890 to 1000 lunches to
TIL veterans at Arlington. The basement of
the historic old mansion at Arlington is
utilized for lunch room and to prepare
the coffee. All the rest is prepared on the
day before. a corps of some fifty women
of the w. R G. assisted the chairman of
the executive board and her committee in
preparing this entertainment. The big hall
where the preparations are made looks like
the kitchen to some immense hotel with the
bread piled up like cordwood and meat
enough 10 start a butcher shop. 1t is a big
undertaking, but the W. K. c. carry it
through. year after year At Arlington to-
day they served lunch from II o'clock to g.
under the supervision of Mrs Julia Roberts
chairman OF the department executive
board. who was assisted by the members
ot tHv executive board and many others.
Excepting the tomb of the unknown the
business of decorating the graves at Ar
HnEton Is given over entirely to the pa
If.ff fZa Fff.ras, Of
mans Relief Corps. being the largest or
ganization in point of membership has the
major portion of the decorating. There are
I'm Arlington some 1000 graves and the
WOman's Relief Corps usually strews flow
ers Upon 1000 of these. The other sections
are divided UP proportionately among the
Legion of Loyal Women. Ladies of the G.
A r., the Auxiliary to. the U. V. u. the u.
" l.. and the Ladies' Aid to the Sons of
Veterans.
This year there are several hundred new
graves. where the dead of the Spanish war
He. and ladies Of The various Spanish war
auxiliaries have charge of that section.
The ladies begin their work of strewing
flowers by O'Clock and seldom get through
till l or o'clock. Only a blossom, often
only a few rose leaves can be placed upon
the leveIed mounds for TO decorate 1900
graves requires an enormous lot of flowers
Arlington. IS however. only one of eight
national cemeteries within the District
where tiny flags, marking graves of Union
dead. futter In the breezes on Memorial
DAY. and the flowers gathered in the Dis
trict are distributed among the eight
Cemeteries
The flowers were fresher and fairer than
usual this year. The pansies and roses be-
Ing especially fine. over 1900 ''pansies for
thoughts were furnished by the propogat-
Ing gardens of the Agricultural Depart
rnent. Ii was remarked many times during
the distribution of the flowers that they
had never before been In such perfect con-
ditior.
Auxiliary Floral Committee.
Mrs. Ida A Oldroyd, president OF the
Department of the Potomac. was chairman
OF the auxiliary floral commit tee. Her spe-
cal aids were Mrs. Francis D. Bingham,
Mrs Julia W. Hamilton. Mrs. Mary F..
Griffin. Miss Maria J.. Jordan. Mrs Mary
g. Shaw. Mrs. Z. Fl. Thomas, Mrs. Joseph