The Oskaloosa herald., 1917-12-06
GOOD WORK BEING DONE BY
THE ARMY Y. NJ. C. A.
FINE LETTER FROM W. |. KELSEY
Gives Insight Into Actual Conditions
Prevailing In the Army Camps
Story of One Evangelstic
Effort.

sends the Herald a splendid letter,
giving graphic account of some of
the many things the Y. M. c. A. is
doing for the soldier boys. The let
ter will be read with the utmost in
terest by many who have sons in the
service:
I Headquarters American Y. M. c..
A., On Active Service with the Amer
lean EXpeditionary Force, Nov. 13,
1917.
To the Oskaloosa Herald take
this means of sending a message to
my many friends in Oskaloosa. A
good many people asked me to write
to them personally, but l really do
not have the time to do it.
After few days in Paris, Mrs.
Kelsey and l separated to go in OPP
pcsite directions. We are about as
far from each other as we can be in
France, and may not see each other
again until we are ready to start for
home. This is ON account of military
regulations. l have had one letter
from her, which was so cut up by the
censor that it resembled a sheet out
of which paper dolls had been cut.
Worst of all, it had been written on
both sides. The very fact that all
her letters have to be read by some
other man first is not very pleasant.
| presume that you are in the mid
die of q big money-raising campaign
for this Y. M. c. A. work and would
like to know something about how
your money is being spent. l have
been here a little over a week and
will give you sample of a days
work.
Sample of Days Work.
After breakfast we had our weekly
secretaries conference for an hour.
Several of the secretaries and can
teen ladies were leaving and there
had to be Redistribution of forces.
In the house where l am located all
the old force moved and l was left
alone for a few hours with French
boy and a Greek and the kitchen
help.
Our canteen opens at ten a. m,
and closes at nine p. m. l was be-
hind the counter from ten till six,
even taking my lunch of glass of
milk and couple of sandwiches
there. 1t was a light day compared
to some, but several hundred men
are served even on light days. My
Oskaloosa friends might not recog
niZe me in my uniform behind the
counter, dealing out Bull Durham,
Prince Albert, Navy Brand, besides
cigars and cigarettes. l did not like
the idea at first myself, but when
found that General Pershing had
turned over to the Y. M. c. A. all the
work of the post exchanges, l saw
it in different light. If we did not
do this the Government would have
to do it, and these exchanges would
be competing social centers with the
Y. NJ. c. A.
Handling Money.
One of the big services rendered is
the exchange of American for French
money. One day we did over $4,'
10000 worth of business, and in al
most every case it was for less than
$500. The following is a typical
example of the need of such service.
The other evening a colored soldier
boy stretched out his hand to me over
the counter showing a few coppers.
"Say, boss," he says, "how much
change have got there?" On tell
ing him that he only had about four
cents of our money in his French
change, he told me that he had bought
- &C he
streets, and that was all the change
he had received from a two-dollar
American bill.
Penn Men Here.
One of the pleasant events of the
day was to shake hands over the
counter with Ben Lindley of the Penn
College class of 1917. 1t was a
complete surprise for both of us, and
/ hardly recognized him at first in his
khaki uniform. Ben ought to be a
first class baker when he gets home
as he is having lot of experience
along that line. A week ago Sun
day / also had the pleasure of shak-
ing hands with Williams Of the
class of 1912, / believe cannot re-
call MS gwen name just now, Out MS
parents live in Oskaoosa and his sis
ter Grace also graduated at Penn.
Reaching For Men.
After supper / went to one of our
big huts for religious meeting. DR..
Whitmore. our evangelist, who came
over on the boat with us, was to
speak, and he certainly knows how
to talk to bunch of men. Did ! say
religious meeting? Well, here
again there were some innovations.
When we arrived about seven, one of
the regimental bands was playing.
The long hall of the Y. M. G., A. hut
was packed to the limit. The benches
were all full, the side aisle and the
back of the room we're full OF men
A. I'll $3.50