Ripley County democrat., 1917-11-16
.4Y' HUTs PUTTING
| BLUES TO ROUT
Relieve Monotony for American,
F, Troops In France.
YEARN FOR E0ME TOWNS

/
Jam--Y. M. G. A. Keeps Pace With
Army and Furnishes Entertainment
for Which Men Crave.
+. After several days spent in, the
camps Of the American expeditionary
forces in France. watching the men
during their hours Of work and Of re-
Taxation, one thought was uppermost
In my mind, says writer In the New
York Sun. 1t was--do the folks
at home realize what big undertake
ing 1t is to supply all the little and
varied wants of the men that the mill
tary establishment cannot provide7
The waking life Of the men consists
Of bayonet practice, grenade throwing,
trench digging, ordinary drilling, SEN
try duty, masking and trotting through
the gas chamber, hiking and special
work like street cleaning. Those are
the duties.
Then for the spare time. Outside Of
sleep there are three excellent meals,
strolling In the streets, shopping In the
village stores, sitting in the village
inns. The men are biIleted In stables,
sheds, barns, outhouses, and several
companies are already living In the
barracks. For the mess, they carry
their plate, cup, knife. fork and spoon
to the steaming outdoor cauldrons. !
heard n youngster In the "Y" hut at
- ("Y" Is the accepted army name
for Y. NJ. @. Az say:
'This morning we had meat French
fried potatoes, warm biscuits, white
bread, jam, coffee, milk In your coffee,
sugar In your coffee"
When the men have finished with
their days duties they are fed up
with regulations and want letdown.
And here Is where the \. If. Q. A.
finds Its work.
~" Huts Keep Pace With Amy.
The Y. NJ. G. A. huts are marching
up with the army. AS far as the fur
thest point Of the soldiers the long
wooden shelter nestles side by side
with the field hospital and the barracks
Of the fighting men. When they 60
into the trenches Of the first line the
"Y" will be there In dugouts, with cof.
fee ana bars Of chocolate. Along the
16 miles of soldiers ten huts and two
temporary shelters are now operat-
ing.
Each evening saw from 800 to 1000
men around at some Of the II re-
sorts. The soldiers have a dollar a
day In money to spend (s35 month";
and couple Of hours day In time.
It is the. job OF the Y. NJ. G. A. to en-
able the boys to spend that time and
money In and around the hut. The 'Y''
canteen has cigarettes, cigars, pipe, to-
bacco, chocolate, chewing gum and
ginger ale to catch a quarter or two
out Of the daily dollar. The local
secretary Is showing the men who
drop It how they can send some Of
that money home by money order.
While was standing behind the coun-
ter ut - a soldier came in.
"rve got a dollar day to spend; !
must spend It." he said.
'Tm getting all the money need"
said another.
"Tain't enough objected third.
'Instead Of sending home / was flgur-
ing on having some come the other
way"
For entertainment motion pictures,
singing and plano music and snappy
lectures are being put on nightly at
the huts oil along the line.
Troops Restless and lonely.
The men are restless. lonely. fed on
monotony, tired Of regulations. sick Of
the sleepy villages where white dust
lies thick on the hard road. lifting into
white clouds from the wheels Of cam
ions, sick Of the fly-specked inns, with
wine spots and wet wine on the tables
and heavy boots humping tables and
chairs. They come from new towns,
full Of booming business. population
jumping o thousand every year, every
citizen a town booster, live newspa.
pers. local baseball team, vaude.
Vile house. three or four good motion
picture houses with the lntest favor
ties; O clean hotel. three or four trains
a day, with mail and newspapers. home
life. social life. public entertainments
O Job, decent women. Back home II
takes a multitude Of people to keep
them happy. 1t takes nine numbers
and 80 performers to Goat The local
| vaudeville. Is or 20 men turning out
the two local newspapers. two changes
OF films week In each one Of three
motion picture houses, local thenteI
with a new play every week or two
| good restaurants to drop In at, Q 10
cal "frat" house or fraternity order
or union room open at any tifnA x
| homes Of friends. That Is the equip
ment required at home to make q mar
happy and keep him sane and Dc
cent
Need Men and Money
At the front the entire job is beini
tackled By 80 @Y'' secretaries. These
secretaries are business men, colleg'
professors. ministers, former secro
''tpyies In the United Sthte< Three o
them have been teaching d Syria. on
sof them Is professor Of psychology d
Sioux CITY p. Henry 2. Barnes y