Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-05-11
WITH FRISCO REFUGEES
Strange and Picturesque Scenes
on a College Campus.
GIRL STUDENTS IN RELIEF WORK


Duty-Incident ON the Picket Line.
Can do anything to help you?" po-
litely asked lad In the Berkeley ca
Diet uniform of me on the afternoon Of
the fourth day after San Franciseo's
terrible earthquake. writes the Berke-
ley (CaL) correspondent of the New
York Post under date of April %.
1 was standing at the station In Ber-
kelley, where the University of Catifor-
mia is situated, anxiously scanning the
crowds, seeking missing friends.
Where do you register refugees?"
This way, madam, please" and the
cadet piloted me across the way,
through groups of men wearing badges
of relief committees to an inner wall
where We're posted printed sheets or
names and addresses.
IF you do not find your friends
names here said he, these gentle
men will start inquiries for you at
once"
In the group he indicated / recog-
niZed some members Of the college fac
ulty, while others of that body came
and went each wearing relief badge
and one a Red Cross band. The little
plot around the Southern Pacific sta
ton was roped in and piled with bun
dies, cots, bedding and loose clothing.
Citizens and refugees crowded the
sidewalks; Red Cross nurses ran hither
and yon: boys We're calling the latest
extras; excited Chinese gabbled and
gesticulated to special police in khaki.
AS 1 walked up Centre street and
turned in at the gateway nearest the
LIE Conte oak I passed groups of men
instantly recognizable as "Barbary
Coasters" knots of wild looking Polish
Jews, children plainly of tenement
house experience, Italians, Portuguese
sailors and other types ordinarily not
seen in Berkeley. Under the oak was
a group of Germans. looking like a
section of a Socialistic meeting, and
when / reached the Football statue
on the campus heard the unmistak-
able south O. Market" factory girls
twang:
''Are youse out alive too?" said
thin voice.
swat! Betcher life! An jest get
wise to the waist I've got on! Got 1t
up to a church, yisteday. They GIN
me this skirt, too; amt 1t beaut? My,
but you look lovely! Did you git out o
town in them clothes?"
Nope. They gimme everything
got on, most. Look at this hat! Don't
It match me skirt?'
where We eatin'f' Right mere, ut
the free lunch''-pointing to the board
tables beneath the oaks. where girl stu
dents We're quietly serving all who pre-
scented tickets. "God knows what'il be
next; we can't bum forever, but meals
is sure now. and we're sleepin' In the
tents; SO we're just waitin'. We amt
saved thing"
Student cadets were patrolling the
walks, and on the fence of the foot
bail grounds were posted notices to the
effect that every effort would be made
to supply the wants of the refugees,
the only conditions being that sanitary
rules should be observed. One sign
read:
Letters will be written; stamps and
paper furnished to those who apply"
The students relief headquarters
are in Stiles hall, and here bright
faced, light footed women students
were running about or chatting, as they
are wont to do when arranging a class
reception. The halls and steps now,
however, bore a motley array of bales,
piles and bundles of bedding and. cloth
ing, and at the side of the steps a
serious faced girl was searching in a
pile for clothing to fit a SCARED and
grimy old man who looked like q dock
laborer or factory helper
A young woman paused q moment in
her work TO answer my remark about
the, perfect organization which ap-
peared everywhere.
Yes" she said, 1.-The women stu
dents. under Mrs. Wheeier's direction,
are beautifully organized for work.
Each committee reports, morning and
night. here, and no time or labor Is
permitted to be lost. Up to now we
have had on the campus chiefly the
poorer foreign element, what some
people call riffra1f. One great need has
been for interpreters. The main body
of men students has been detailed for
duty in Sen Francisco, SO in some In
stanceswe have had to ask young girls
to try. to. KpAainJ sanitary regulations
and such things. For the last twenty
four hours the campus has been under
martial law, and we are making every
effort TO have the whole town under
that rule, as otherwise these people
will have brought an epidemic upon us,
we fear. We have almost every known
disease now in the improvised hos
pitals"
Just then a girl came up jingiing
coin and saying, mfr. Blank just gave
so to the maternity fund.- YES"
said my informant, I'VE have several
cases In our Maternity hospital al
ready"
On the sidewalk before Stiles hall as
left it was an old German woman
with huge dishpan filed
with small kitchenware let me help |
you, madam" said n delicate girl,
out a slender hand and
STOPPING to share the burden.