The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1916-01-01
FOUR THOUSAND
SOLDIERS dine AT
VICTORIA STATION
Vast Railroad Terminal Has
Buffet That Does Vast
Business Daily.

London. Jan. THE history of the
soldiers, refreshment buffet, in Victoria
Station, London. is in a small way the
history of British effort in the war.
The buffet began in a loose and unor-
ganized fashion, more or less helpless
from lack of precedent, and gradual
sly developed until it now represents
high efficiency backed by a steady de-
end.
All the early organizations have
concentrated their efforts in a single
management which dispenses $3.50
worth sof tea, coffee, cocoa, sand
wiches, bread and butter and cake
weekly all supplied by private dona-
TONS Branch buffets are maintain
ed att he stations of less military i'm
portance, at an additional expense and
the whole machinery runs like clock
work. 1t is the same sort Of trans
formation that has gone on in every
department OF the British govern
ment, from. the raising of recruits to
the making of munitions
4 Victoria station is a great barnlike
railway terminal in the center of the
metropolitan area Its lines feed
many important southern and south-
western ports, such as Portsm outh,
Southamp ton, Brighton, Folkstone and
Dover. Ih6rS the troop trains ar
rive at night with their loads of men
on furlough from the trenches, and
there the returning trains leave every
morning to carry back those whose
week of home and liberty has expir-
ed. Between times. there is a. con-
slant stream of soldiers arriving from
or returning to, the great training
camps at A1dershot and other points.
An average of about 1000 soldiers
daily are fed at Victoria station Eigh-
ty women volunteer workers under the
direction of Mrs. Kenward Matthews
stand six-hour5 shifts day and night.
for it is in the early morning period
that hot refreshments are, most need
ed and most appreciated by the sol
diers
The most exciting time of the day
at Victoria. is the hour of the troop
trains. Their arrival is proceeded by
a number of kilograms. The first
message approximates the time of ar
rival on news Of the sailing of the
channel boat. This is corrected when
the boat arrives in the English port,
again when the train starts on it's
Journey and finally when on the, last
lap to London on a, clear track. Often
there are hours Of difference between
the first and last kilograms. and a
train due to arrive at 5 p. n-ewil pull
In nearer o O'Clock.
of the troops is the gathering of the
home guards A detail of 6esof these
men, most Of them quite old and all
ineligible for the army, gather at the
station at Al he afternoon. The
Guards are distinguished from the SOL
diers by green uniforms and red arm
lets They make themselves useful by
answering questions, putting the sol
diers on the right buses and in pro-
tecting them from outsiders who in
vest the platform. Omcial money
changers who give the men the benefit
Of the best rate of exchanges, open up
their booths. Friends, relatives and
idleTs also begin to collect outside the
gates to watch the troops pass by.
When the time for the arrival Of
the first section Is accurately known.
Mrs. Matthew'S, or her quartermasters
Miss Perry, have tables set up on the
platform. There are three OF these
long tables, each covered with strip of
oilcloth Dishpans filled with sand
wiches and cake are placed on the
tables and great urns full of tea
Vases of flowers also grace the tables.
Tt is curious what a home touch q few
flowers give. They show, further
more, that there Is q. real welcome in
the pans and urns
Il One who thinks of the British Tom
my as he was before the war, might
paigner for a Serbian or some other
kind OF picturesque fighting man. Off
hand he looks rather like Robinson
Crusoe. Life in the trenches and sue
cessive coats of trench clay give his
clothes a new individuality. The
srnartness of the tailor is lost The
soft. cap with it's ear-ta5s and neck
protector or wiIted Scotch bonnet.
the overcoat, plastered with mud and
standing out over a sheepskin Jacket
as if the wearer was swathed in pads,
the mud covered boots and puttees
and the assortme emit of packs. bags and
other paraphernalia of the same color
on his back have nothing in common
with the parade ground. Often the
tartan pattern of a kilt shows itself
under the bottom of an overcoat.
A quiet lot of men they are. alto
gether different from the singing,
whist1ing troops that march off so
gai1y for the front. They are cam
paigners, now. They went away boys,
lots of them. and come back men,