The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-11-10

(By Anna steese Richardson of Tae
Vigilantes.)

Last week, friend, dressed In her
smartest fall raiment and armed with
the ubiquitous knitting bag. motored
to one of the cantonments where
our new army Is being trained, to
attend the opening OF n club house for
officers. IL was an extremely fash
ionable function. but my friend slip
ped away with a young non -comm,s-
stoned ofiicer to see the sights OF the
camp.
That night she knitted as she had
never knit before. because she could
not sleep for the memories which be.
set her. memories OF shiverinr f,ppras
echoes or hacking coughs. And the
next morning she was at II before he,
friends were out of bed, telephonin-
to them. impioring them to knit. knit.
knit. and stand between the men she
had seen and that grim enemy. pneu.
monia.
Another friend served as waitress
In a Red Cross tea room at a county
fair near one OF the northern car
tonments. When there were no M
irons to serve. the mattresses brough,
our their knitting. Three young sol.
diers from a western state. finding the
women thus occupied. asked in all
seriousness IL a class in knitting could
not be started among the men in the
camp. They could knit before taps.
an hour or so. and IL would be Jolly
To have sweaters. mufflers and wrist
lets.
1 listened skeptically to these tales.
The uniform was working its little
tricks on the emotionalism of women.
argued.
Then yesterday / saw the picture
with my own eyes. And l no longer
doubted.
i went to nearby encampment to
look up the son OF an old friend who
lives I'm a distant State. Wherever /
turned. saw half finished windows
through which the fall wind whistied
and shrieked bleakly. And all around
me were shivering men.
The half-flnished buildings are the |
barracks which contractors have NOT
completed as promised for our newly |
mobilized army. The shivering men
are your sons the sons OF your
friends. the boys from your town who |
rode forth cheerily to make the great
fight for democracy.
The boy / went to see was not
shivering. His mother. n woman of |
means, had sent him forth with more
than her prayers-warm underwear,
n heavy overcoat. knitted sweaters, |
muflers. wristlets and socks. Some
OF the things he still has The rest
ne has given TO his pals. re
saw men In shoddy overcoats
which were made to wear in crowded |
trolleys and subways-not i'm the
open, men in leather coats which |
they wore when riding motorcycles,
men I'm pea Jackets and slickers which |
had been loaned to them by kindly |
fishermen from nearby towns
Uniforms?
Nothing doing I'm that line The
contractors who are turning out uni |
forms. shirts. overcoats and shoes
have not begun to catch up with the
army which Is rallying to the colors. !
But winter is catching up with it
coming on hard and fast.
The boy traInping at my side ex-
planned the situation thus:
"You see. most OF these chaps come
from inside jobs. stores. factories. of
fees. where there's steem heat a
plenty I'm cold weather. They don't
know what life in the open means
They hadn't the clothes for this sort
of life. And most OF them haven't the
money to buy It with. Hundreds of
''em. like the average American. lived
right up to the tip end OF their salary
III they had anything laid away. 1t was
left behind for the folks. We haven't
had any pay yet. and when 1t does
come. 80 per cent. OF these men will
send the bulk OF II home. Some OF
them signed all but money for
smokes over to their folks before
they left. We didn't come out for
Pullman car. camping-with- Indian
guide holiday. but gee whiz. IL some
OF these fellows don't get something
warm on their backs soon. they'll be
whistling something besides Upper
ary' through their teeth. and it'll be
pleurisy or pneumonia"
IN wasn't n chcerf,tl limo NJ convor