The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1917-08-17
COMPANY [ WAS
SHOWERED With
FOOD BY LADIES
Women Compete in Donat-
ing to Soldiers on Their
Departure.
MERCHANTS GAVE BIG
SUPPLIES FOB BOYS
Baskets With Food So Numer.
GUS They Could Not be
Counted by Officers. "

When Company L departed for Ne
vada Monday afternoon, every men,
Der carried away with him one or more
baskets of delicious edibles prepared
by scores Of women and girls in this
city. After the soldiers had taken
charge of all the baskets they could
carry, there still remained truck
load, which was placed on board to be
divided among the soldiers after they
had reached their destination.
Lieutenants Frissell and Gaines, &C.
cording to the prevailing belief, Jared
best at the hands of the liberal donors.
Their mothers, auntS and sweethearts,
of course, remembered them, to be
sure. But their friends and the many
friends of their families also were just
as good. Each of these young officers
carried their baskets aboard the train
in relays Mrs. Floyd Couchman, a
close friend Of the mother of Lieut..
Gaines, it is said, prepared the largest
individual basket. Her donation was
sufficient to keep five men in food for
three whole days.
The contents of these baskets varied,
but all contained wholesome food and
plenty of it. Fried chicken-and
Everybody dotes on fried chicken-was
represented in every basket. Then
there were cakes-every variety that
you can think of-fruit, sandwiches
and, of course, no basket would be
complete without pie.
According to Lieut.. Gaines and
Lieut.. Frissell, more than $50 heap
ing baskets were counted, and then
they began to arrive in such numbers
that no effort was made to keep tally
The donors were not limited to rela-
tives of the soldiers. Many women who
did not have a relative in the com.
pany, contributed her bit by preparing
baskets for the boys who were in the
company from other sections of the
Estate.
Many ladies worked for several
days to show their own patriotism and
to convince the soldiers that theil
lservices to the country were appre.
lciated. The Cape Girardeau boys took
with them enough food to last TO,
tdays, and the contributions from la.
Idies and young girls who had no rela.
tives in the company, amply took care
lof the young men from other parts OF
the State.
| Robert d. Harrison, the ranking
sergeant of the local company, found
ia young member of the company in
idire need. The youth came to the
tCape and enlisted, thinking that he
would Immediately go into active serv-
ice and the Government would take
care Of his wants. During his stay
here, his shoes gave away, his cloth.
ing became tattered and his under
lclothing was not fit to be worn. Sergt
Harrison took him to a downtown
store and bought him a complete out
hit. When the company marched t.
the station, the young man appeared
in uniform and marched as proudly a.
veteran soldier.
| Capt. w. C. Balm was given ISL
sacks by A. r. Zoelsmann to pack thu
canned and other goods donated to thu
members of the company. Many mer
chant1gave tobacco, cigars and fruit!
to the members Of the company. Il
was said that the donations of food
stuffs for the company would suffic,
to feed the whole company for nearl,
q week.
i Several large cartons containin,
cans of tobacco, sufficient to supply
each man with at least one can, were
given by Mr.. Zoelsmann, who donated
most literally to the members of tn,
company. He instructed Sergt. Will
liams, who is in charge of the com
missary department of the company
to see that those men who had no rela
|, tives from whom to receive any dona
lions, would be given their share first
i When the company reached the sta
ton Monday afternoon it appeared a!
though the ladies of the city wer,
; competing among themselves to sc,
. who could donate the most to tn
company. Lieut.. Gaines said he hat
, counted more than $50 baskets of food
) and ceased counting when he saw thu
huge number of baskets still coming
lin.
| On the whole, the Cape Girardear
, company went away from this city in
i. excellent condition, and if good wish