South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-11-11
HAPPENINGS IN AND ABOUT TOWN
How One South Bend Girl is
Doing Her Bit for Uncle Sam

had his name in the society column
and ne said he was-so / know
IL must be hard TO anace ones self
in city like this-but il is wonder
full TO be a part Of such a unit as
exists here. Everyone seems friend
ly-in the cars. Offices etc. and the
cats, dogs and horses have the same
. friendly faces as at home.
We are having delightful wealth
er-so sunny and pretty, and in lots
of the yards, the roses are in bios
, som-altho they have had heavy
I frosts since ] came. In summer.
Washington must be lovely. 1 am
opposite the big Union station -
which is next 20 the elegant post
office building, and near the govern
ment printing plant, the largest in
the world. The capital is just four
! blocks south and IL is one block
over to Capital st.-the dome Of the
capital being always in sight. l
have seen the White house; the
| Treasury bldg, War and Navy, In
terstate Commerce Commission. aud
many others, the names OF which
have not heard.
1 have a desk near an east win
dow. and il is very pleasant There
I is one other lady in this department,
a Miss Berry, and 1 like her very
much. she is a stranger here, too
but came in September, so feels
quite at home, 1 assume. We com
mence work at 9 o'clock and have
! a half hour for noon, and work
until 4:30-although the work was
not finished last night, and we stay
ed later.
i have not had a chance to look
up any of the South Bend people,
but have phoned Mrs. Marsh, and
will see her sometime soon. Have
| letters TO several whom 1 am anx-
/ ious 10 meet. There are a number
of very pleasant people that L have
met in one way and another.
I On the train there was a Mr.. and
Mrs. Citizens from Chicago; Mr.. G.
had been called here by the govern
ment, and they told him he was
| expected to serve for nothing, and
pay his own expenses; 81 a day for
a room at the Powhatan, and every
| thing else in proportion sort of
| staggered him-but / guess the gov
eminent knew he could afford it
/ for he said he was going TO stay.
They certainly were nice TO me, took
me to the car-onered me the use
OF their bath, etc, at the hotel-in
/ fact, put themselves at my service.
/ to assist me in getting located, or
anything l needed. Mrs. G's faith
er is an Episcopal clergyman here,
a Mr.. Barr. She, herself, is a Scien-
fist. Mr.. G.. is just an ordinary cit
izen, like myself, 1 think-altho he
may be a wonderful parsonage in
disguise.
1 have seen a French officer. very
gay in his scarlet stripes, and there
are officers everywhere, on the
street and in the offices in every ca
| ing place, etc. They are all friend
ly, and 1 presume just as lonesome
as 1 am. 1 am doing much better
than 1 expected, tho, unless l SUD
/ denly give way and knowing my
| self as l do, / shouldn't wonder but
what something of the sort would
! happen. have a fierce neuralgia
in my eyes today-and that usually
| lays me low-but I'll come up smil-
/ ing after a while.
l cannot get used to all the color
ed people we see here, everywhere
we turn-and some of the convey
/ ances they drive, are perfectly kill
ing; 1 saw an ashman yesterday.
| in nh fr
sitting up, lolling-driving a mule;
| some sight.
II is a wonderful experience TO be
| here just now-and / know you
would be wild over the sights: ii is
we'll worth a trip down-and it
takes such a short time to get here
leave South Bend on the Vandalia
at 4:3O. leave Plymouth at 1897, and
arrive at Washington at something
l-altho we were three hours late
cut Of Harrisburg and arrived
something after Z. At HARRISBURG,
| 1 took a taxi, and went along the
river road, fronting the beautiful
Susquehanna, and went up to the
state house, ore of the six finest
| buildings in this country, and was
shown over by a guide. 1t was
i nice little break in the journey on
/ the train. The scenery all along
was lovely-such beautiful farms
nestled in the valleys beside the
demonstrating so peaceful.
No more for now, but write when
you can find time.
| LENA r. VAN AIKEN.
| -------