Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-05-30
WOMAN'S WORK TODAY.
Prepared Luncheon for Weary
Veterans at Cemeteries.
DECORATED GRAVES ALSO
Children Assist in Part of the Me-
mortal Duty.
THE SPANISH WAR AUXILIARIES
All the Local Organizations Of Pa
triotic Women Combine in the
Preliminary Arrangements.
THE SPANISH WAR AUXILIARIEs


the willing hands and excellent executive
ability of our patriotic women" declared a
veteran to Star reporter this morning as
he watched the loading Of the various boxes
and baskets of lunch prepared for the use
of the veterans after the arduous duties in
cident to the march and the exercises of the
day should be over.
This is certainly true OF Memorial day OBJ
servance in Washington. Nearly all the
cemeteries lie in the suburbs OF the city,
and some even further away, and the vet
Grams find the duties incident to the memo
rial occasion rather more than their years
will warrant them in undertaking. Then,
too, the work Of decorating the graves and
the other ceremonies carry them far past
the lunch hour For many years the MEM
bers OF the women's various patriotic So
cieties have taken upon themselves all the
work of decorating the graves assisted by
such veterans as feel able to take part in
the task. For the far-away cemeteries
where the dead are numbered into the
thousands, these societies of women also
prepare bountiful luncheons of sandwiches.
cheese. salads, fruit and coffee, which are
served to the veterans of all wars without
stint. And veterans wearing the badge of
the Grand Army of the Republic or of the
United Spanish War Veterans are equally
welcome.
A Busy Scene.
Grand Army Hall was the scene of a reg
ular busy-bee party yesterday, under the
direction of Mrs. Mamie G. Davis, past
president of Lincoln Relief Corps and now
chairman of the executive board of the
Department of Potomac. w. r. c. Mrs
Davis was marshaling her forces for the
work at Airing ton, where some 22, 600 Union
dead are buried Mrs. Davis prepared
lunches for $500 veterans. That implied
that coffee was ground for 5000 generous
sized cups and that sandwiches were made
for 5000 persons, for your real old soldier
loves coffee good and strong and his appe-
tite for sandwiches Is unimpaired. Allow
ance is made for his taking two of each.
with the various trimmings which go
with an outdoor lunch.
Mrs. Davis told Star reporter that much
of the material for the lunches had been
contributed by the members of the Wo-
mans Relief Corps, and that money had
been appropriate ted from the department
fund to supply any deficiency. I'VE have
to work harder as the years go by she
declared, because our veterans can no
longer do the work of decorating, yet they
feel that they must go to Arlington and
TO the other cemeteries of the District, and
we have to be prepared for all emergencies.
Many of the veterans so exhausted by
the brief march that they must rest until
far into the afternoon, and we look after
them as we would after children, and are
prepared to render instant relief in case
of real suffering. Generally a cup of good
strong coffee and bit of lunch will put
them on their feet again.
Aided by the Children.
I'm the cemeteries we women do all the
decorating. assisted by the children who
may come We would be glad to have
Z Of bl obi 10
help US. for we believe that they will i'm
blbe much patriotism from association with
those who direct and carry on this great
work, and who could thus leave at these
gravesldes the lessons of self-sacrifice and
patriotism that will make of them good
citizens"
Among those who were assisting Mrs
Davis at Grand Army Hall were Mrs Mary
v Noerr, Mrs. Cromwell, Mrs. Ida A Old
royd, Mrs. Ida ]. Hart, Mrs. Emma c.
Littlejohn. Mrs. Vina NJ Calhoun, Mrs.
Jeanne Street, Mrs. Marian 3. Parker Mrs
Caroline B. Fisher, Mrs. Isabelle T. Bontz,
Mrs. Christine Butcher, Mrs Rose, Mrs.
Sarah Van Doren, Mrs Alice Burgess Mrs
Fannie B. Worden Mrs. Marian NJ. Lewis.
Mrs Susie r. Jacobs. Mrs Mary ]. Exley,
Mrs Helen e. Stone, Mrs. Chase, Mrs.
Philips. Mrs. Cora 3. Smith, Mrs. Marian
b. Gregory, Mrs. Willard, Mrs Wilkins.
Mrs. Jane Bridehan, Mrs. Mary Dow. Mrs.
Julia Roberts. Mrs. Kicker, Mrs. Holbrook,
Mrs. Hunter Myers, Mrs. Foster, Mrs. Belle
III. Gibson. Mrs. Alice Burgess. Mrs Isabel
Worrell Ball.
Early Morning Decorations.
AT Arlington this morning the members
of the Woman's Relief Corps had gathered
In force by o'clock and were scattering
flowers on the graves assigned to their
care by Col. Sweet. chairman of the Ar
that were being placed on the graves were
gathered very largely by the children of the
public schools yesterday and carried over
to Arlington last night, where they were
deposited in various sections of the eeme-
terry ready for distribution. Flowers from
the Agricultural grounds were also carried
over in wagon loads. There were about
l'Voo women DUSTY engaged in strewing the
fragrant blossoms over the % 600 graves
The old Arlington house had taken on an
air Of occupancy also, the basement being
devoted to the uses OF the Woman's RELIEF
corps IN when TO serve lunch, as has been
the case for eighteen years. Superintendent
Drum had everything about the basement
swept and garnished for the use of the re-
lief corps, fine range having been pro-
vioed Tor them on which TO make the hun
dreds of gallons of coffee necessary to SIM
ply the demand Strangers who visit AZ
lington often try to buy lunches but are
invariably refused. I'VE prepare these
iunchSS lUr OUT veterans, declared Mrs
Davis this morning land money could not
buy them. After the decorating of graves
was concluded, and the exercises at the
tomb of the unknown were over, the MEM
bers of the Womans Relief CORPS gathered
at the Arlington house basement and des1t
out the lunches to the veterans who Tor
nearly two hours crowded the lunch room
This year Grant Circle, Ladies of the q
A. r.. Joined with the relief corps In pre-
pairing for Memorial day.
Legion of Loyal Women.
The Legion of Loyal Women, Mrs. Nj. A.
Knapp. president, also does tremendous
amount of hard work at Arlington All
day yesterday they were working on
wreaths and bouquets and preparing
lunches for their friends at Arlington.
magnificent wreath was prepared by Mrs.
Helen Engle for the tomb of the unknown
at Arlington $50 set pieces OF large dlmen-
sion were made for the graves in the Of
ficers' section which are assigned to them
and 500 smaller bouquets We're made for
the graves of enlisted men. This morning
the Legion of Loyal Women had their tent
erected and handsomely decorated with
flags. and early began serving lunch to all
Corners. They had as their special guests
the fifty members of Takoma Park choir