New-York tribune., 1903-05-28
COMFORT BAGS FOR SAILORS.
Distribution at Brooklyn Navy Yard by Miss
Alexander.

Once, when 1 visiting sick boy the
Texas asked one of the boys what he'd like best
# he could get it." said Miss Emma Alexander. the
State superintendent of work among the seamen
for the Womans Christian Temperance Union, as
she picked her way over railroad sleepers and beds
of cinders in the Brooklyn Navy Yard yesterday.
o" Youths Companions and fried chicken. was
the answer So 1 scared up all The Youths Com
panions' I could and friend him lot of chicken,
But to-day it's comfort bags we're going to dis
tribute-354 OF them to the marines and sailors of
the Baltimore"
The Baltimore lay patiently httched up to dock
in the furthermost ends Of the navy yard From
stem TO stern she was dull gray. BY her after
gangplank stood Captain John B. Briggs to wei
come the party Of pilgrims, headed by Miss Alex
ander, Mrs. z. P. Elliott. Mrs. A. H. Campbell
Miss EsteIe Meyers, Miss Margaret Ha wthorne.
Miss Mabel Pickop, Miss Alice Henes. Miss Flor
ence Boole. Mrs. L. G. Smith. Of Mortclair. N J..
and Mrs. E J. Cook of Buffalo
The colored bugler. his white jacket open TO show
the bronze column Of his neck. his shining bugle
in his hand. took Up his position hatch, and
placing his bugle to his lips, blew Forward there
moving wf1iteness. Swinging down the
deck in divisions the sailors. and punched
themselves fore Of the cabin. in front of Captain
Briggs and Miss Alexander Three hundred young
men. the most Of them boys, and the stamp OF
home and mother still on their brows, covered Miss
Alexander with their eagle eyes as Captain Briggs
mace a little speech. SAVING that MISS AleXahaeI
had come to present comfort bags to them all. and
they must not forget to express their thanks.
whif Of hot tar came over the ships side On
the drill ground q white blur showed where the
men from the Columbia were going through their
setting up exercises. donkey engine chug-
chugged the dock below. A windlass creaked
and chain ratified somewhere, then clashed
against an iron pin. On every hand the med
ley Of machine shops, barges, docks, wooden offices
grassy yards. waterways and battleships that
make up the Brooklyn Navy Yard. over IL all was
the glamour Of the great ships, Of foreign parts
and the wide seas, and the high romance OF battle
murder and sudden death.
The presentation proceeded merrily. It took ex-
aCtly four minutes and thtrty-seven seconds to
empty the first sack AS fast as they could do it
three Jackies plUcked the contents out Of the
sack. and handed gay little budgets TO Miss
boys fling past For the next twenty minutes
they We're busy opening their gifts. in each of
which found needles, pins, a comb, court
plaster, scissors, tape, darning cotton, buttons.
New Testament, a temperance pledge card and
most valued of ALA letter
Each woman who makes q comfort bag writes
q letter 70 go with it, explained Miss Alexander.
What do the letters say? Oh they're Christian
letters. They contain good advice, and the sort
Of thing a mother would write TO her boy. Some
times the boys answer them. and the woman an
swers the answer and permanent friendship
springs up. We discourage young girls from writ
Wornan's Christian Temperance Union members
all over the country I am very particular about
the letters"
One Of the last to file by the colored buser.
''Brown-Iny name is Brown he said in reply to
some Of the women The comfort bag that the
colored bugIer carried away was of yellow brocade
with q lining of pink