Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1910-02-23
WOman's Relief Corps News
Edited by Cora E. Harris Evansville

lock fever was at its height. the 18TH
Illinois, commanded by ColoneI
Turchin. was mustered in and was
ordered to rendezvous at Camp Doug
las. a detachment Of the cake ana
pie brigade, as the rollicking fellows
called them, paid the regiment an
early visit, and We're received by the
men who were not under driH. en-
havelock As the sturdy fellows
emerged from their tents. all wear
ing the white nighteaps. as they had
irreverently christened the ugly head
dress. their appearance was so lu-
dierous that shout went up from OF
licers, soldiers, and the lady visitors.
They were worn in every imaginable
fashicn,-as nightcaps. turbans, sun
bonnets, bandages, sunshades,- and
the fate Of the havelock was sealed.
No moie time or money was wasted
in their useless manufacture.
Entirely unacquainted with the
requirements of war and the needs
Of the soldiers. it was inevitable that
the first movements OF women for
army relief should be misdireeted
They could not manifest more ignor-
ance, however. nor blunder more alb
surdly. than did the government IN
its early attempts to build up an er-
fcctive and disciplined army Botn
learned by laundering
THE decline oil The hayeloelx fever
was followed hy lintand-bandage
mania, which set in with great fury.
For time It was the all-ahsorbing
topic knowing now how insignin-
cant in value these items of reller
proved in the actual experience or
the waf. one cannot forbear a smile
when reading the sapient discussions
Of the time What is the hest ma
terial for Int By what means can
it be best gathered, in the largest
quantities These were the Ques-
tons Of the hour, discussed graveiy
by professional men And the New
York medical association for furnish
Ing hospital supplies actually held
meetings TO discuss the lint question.
and finally opened lint and bandaee
depot Thus stimulated. every house
hold gave its leisure time to scrap
/ ing lint and rolling baudages. till the
mighty Accommodations compelled the
ordering of q halt A little later. the
making OF lint hy machine relieved
women of any further effort in this
direction
/ 50 determined were the people
thal their citi1tn soldiers should be
we'll cared for hat relief societies
4 we're frequently organized in the in.
trest Of regiments, az soon as they
were mustered into the service Thee
proposed TO follow the volunteers OF
their neiahborhoods with their bene-
1 factors 10 provide them with home
comforts when Well ana with hos
i pital supplies ana nurses when
wounded OF sick. Il would have been
an admirable plan il IL could be ear
ried out bat numerous difllcuHes
ana 'ailmes soon brought these motn.
ods into dseepute The accuIdua-
I ton If periahable freight Tor the sol
dlers became fearful Il demanded
Instant transportation. and the man
ayers OF Ieight trains and expresses
were in despair
Women rined ther storerooms and
preserve closets OF canned fruits and
/ pots OF jam and marualade. which
they packed with clothing and blank.
cts, books and stationery. photo
graphs and comfortbaes baggage
cars were soon flooded with fermeut-
ing sweetmcats. and broken pots Or
Jelly Decaying FRAT and vegetables
pastry and cake in a demorahled
condition. badly canned meats ana
soups. whose fragrance was not that
of Araby the blest. were necessarily
thrown away en- route, And with
them went the clothing and station
cry saturated with the effervesclns
and putrefying compounds when
they EMBODIED Added TO this discour-
agement was the frequent loss Of the
packages. for the constant move
ments Of troops rendered It impossi-
BILE for express agents to forward
boxes 10 special regiments For a
time there was great waste of the
lavish outpourlng Of the people. II
did not. however check their liber-
ality. but compelled wiser methods.
/ For out Of this chaos of individual
bcnevolence and Astounding patriot
ism the Sanitary Commission finally
emerged. with its carefully elaborated
plans. and it's marvellous system"