Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-06-21
THE GOOD FRAU MADE
THE GIFT ONE DOLLAR
Aged German Gives SO Cents,
His Wife Adds Pennies to
Double 1t

If the Red Cross drive in Salem did
nothing more than to bring to light
some hundreds of instances of genuine,
self-sacrificing patriotism it would
still be distinctly worth while. It
would be worth the price and the eff
fort of the whole campaign just to know
that Salem contains some of the real
salt of the EARTH and that the breed
of patriots is not extinct. The circum-
stances touching some of the small con-
tributions received by the Red Cross
workers are so appealing in their heart
interest that they ought to be commit
| ted to immortal type Here, for in
stance, is sample of the sort of Red
Cross donation that really means some
| thing:
1t fell to the lot of the captain of
one of the prize Red Cross teams yes
terday, to call upon an old German and
his wife. The old man is a veteran of
the Franco -Prussian war. He got his
fill of kaiserism in the late '7O's, i'm
migrated to the United States, and be-
/ came 100 per cent American citizen.
His son was killed in the Spanish-Amer-
lean war. His three grandsons are vol
unteers in the United States army, and
are now in their mobilization camps. He
is too feeble now to do much work, but
he and his wife together somehow man
age to earn enough to live on.
The captain didn' ask for a con
tribution, and he didn It intend to. But
the venerable sire reached down into
his pocket and pulled out a 50-cent
piece. "This is all l have" he said,
as if apologizing for the smallness of
his gift, "but like you please to take
it for der Red Cross. do my bit for
Uncle Sam und. der grandchildren in
der army"
/ Since the old man would stand for
no refusal of his gift the captain TOOK
the money. As he was about to leave,
the wife, who had been silent for sew
eral minutes, called the captain back.
"We should make it a DOLLAR" said
the white-haired frau. 81 have enough
to make it," Whereupon she left the
room and straightway returned with an
ancient tobacco box, the contents OF
which she gravely emptied upon the
table. The box contained exactly so
cents--in nickles and pennies. She
counted over the coins to make sure the
amount was correct, and handed them
| to the astonished captain. owe make
| it a dollar for the Red Cross she
said, and q smile of wonderful pride
spread over the wrinkled face. "Sure,
echoed the old man, ''We make it a
dollar" and the same proud smile
came into the eyes of the patriarch The
captain wanted to demonstrate, but he
felt an uncomfortable lump in his throat
and with what grace he could he left
the withered couple in the happiness of
their sacrifice to the cause of liberty
and humanity.
Have you done your bit towards help
ing to raise that s35, ,O00-Salem IS share
of the national Red Cross fund.- Has
your money helped to put any red paint
on the flag in front of the Derby build
ing9 Are you wearing one of the tags
which says: "I've done my bit. Have
you7" The president has called upon
you for a contribution TO the 500, O,000,-
600 Red Cross fund. 1t is your duty
to give what you think you can afford,
whether it is one dollar or thousand,
and if you don t do it you are just as
much of Stacker as a man who lodges
the military registration.