Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1915-09-19

Two one-horse trucks had been as
signed to the Kobenzl district. but
before the last batch of juicy vege-
table matter disappeared those two
wagons had made flve trips.
Not satisfied with their efforts in this
line. the children now have obtained
permission to garden certain spots
near the cities and are preparing the
are not to be had for this service, 80
the youngsters. willing to make the
best of adverse conditions. have adopt
ed various expedients to pillow the soil
and remove the rocks. One of the
most common plans is to tie long
rope to rake and permit one for-
tunate lad to sit astride the rake.
while from eight to twelve others drag
been turned with spades and hatchets.
1t is like a great game for them. To
hear them shouting and laughing dur
ing the progress OF the work. one
would be led to believe that they are
playing; but when he watches them
for an hour or so he realizes that
something definite. something very
tangibly useful. is being accomplished.
AS the newly trained soldiers leave
for the front. their exhausted COM
rades are brought back to the cities
for recuperation. Here again the chill
dren are called upon for their serv-
ices. AS the great columns swing
along they are surrounded by hordes
of hapy boys and girls with buckets
of water and sandwiches. who dart IN
and out, where required, distributing
refreshment and drink.
Sometimes pathetic scenes are enact
ed when son administers to his faith
er. whom he has not seen for months,
without recognizing him. But the
fathers memory is better and the
urchin is welcomed with hungry kisses
that particular lad to a plane above
his less fortunate companions. And
they all work cheerfully on, perhaps
in the hope that the next grizzled man
who calls for water will be their father
or brother.
The Emperor Of Austria hesitated q
long time before he made his latest
request for assistance. The task would
not be pleasant one. even to those
optimistic young patriots. But some
thing had to be done. and at last tho
call went out In the form of ques-
ton. which. in substance, was as fol-
lows:
"rhe grain supply at present is in
sufficient to feed the horses of our
soldiers as we'll the horses that arc
not at the front. Our brave cavalry
men must have the best mounts OBJ
tainable. as much of their success de-
ponds upon the quality and strength
of their horses. Therefore, We will
feed our best grain to the horses at
content with less.
at has been determined. by expert
ment, that a palatable food for horses
can be obtained by drying and treating
ordinary kitchen refuse. such as potato
Feelings. unused vegetables, scraps OF
meat. etc. and our women are request
ed henceforth carefully to preserve
these bits of unused food.
**
ar 1, t.
strenuous and difficult task. requiring
great energy and many hands. Our
children have responded SO nobly In
the past that we hesitate to call upon
them again. but as each child SO oc-
cupied means that one additional man
may join his regiment. 1t has been de-
cided to ask our boys and girls whether
or not they care to undertake this most
arduouS of tasks.
The response was almost instantan-
eous Parents read the news to their
children and the deed was done.
"Why hesitate to ask u.s." they cried.
I'VE are ready to do our work, whether
it be agreeable or disaRreeabler'
A thousand appealing letters went to
the newspapers in the next mail. Some
of them were published; all of them
went to Emperor Franz Josef. 1t Is
said that he wept when the contents OF
a few were read to hila.
This newest lapof required some su-
pervision. Slightly wounded soldiers
were given trucks and any number OF
assistants. and the cities were canvass
ed in much the same manner as when
copper was collected. 1t was disagree
able work, but the test was met fairly
and the volunteers far outnumbered the
vacancies. Women now conserve their
kitchen refuse for the children, who
gather 1t in tin buckets and empty 1t
in the trucks. which are then driven
into the country, where the collections
are spread upon the sod to dry.
After three days drying, the refuse Is
gathered and treated chemically and
then distributed, for a nominal charge.
to owners of horses.
This plan Of feeding non-combating
horses is still in operation, and the
eager children, having made 1t a sue
cess and placed 1t upon a firm basis.
are now looking about them to find
other means to aid their country.