New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-05-27


clined 10 scott at the whole idea.
Carving Goals to Newcastle ] said 70
myself. "Another fad Of the women of the
idle richr Fancy their imagining for min
ute that they can teach anything about can
ming and preserving TO women who nave
canned and preserved all their lives! Ana
SO il was with feeling Of lets get 1t over
as soon as possible" that ! set out for Green
mort. where was to join the Special lnstruc-
ton Train Of the Long Island Food Reserve
Battalion. And this feeling remained upper
most in my mind as, at o'clock that evening
I Joined a struggling procession of women
slowly vending its way down the dark, barren
street that led TO the Greenport Railway Sta
ton
CARRYING GOALS TO NEWCASTLE?
nurposelv eavesdropped to find out if they
were going in the same spirit as myself, and
7 found that their sentiments were much the
same as mine.
ppm wjlln' TO learn" said one woman, but,
my landl when it comes to the Astors ana
Vanderbilts, that don't know what the inside
If their own kitchens look like. settin' up and
tellin' Us folks that don't see nothin' bit the
inside of our kitchens how TO do up canned
stuff / amt got much faith that I'm gon TO
learn much"
Cant teach an old dog new tricks SAID
another: 81 got jars Of preserves IN my cellar
that was put up ten years ago, and they're
lest as good they ever was. Guess MIS-
Vanderbilt can't beat that!'
And so it was with the attitude of They've
cot TO show u.s." that the procession climbed
the steps and filed into the train which stood
on side track at the railroad station. The
expression on the faces must have shown the
women behind the tables what prejudices they
had TO overcome, but they smiled cheerfuly at
the visitors.
Good evening, we are glad TO see you! Do
4 come I'D and tell us what you know about can
ming. and we will tell you what we know, and
may be we can help each other. We've been
ON the train since yesterday morning, and
we've learned lot, but we want to learn still
more. So let's get together"
A CASE OF GETTING TOGETHER
This was q revelation! These women were
there to learn, not to dictate
That put an entirely different aspect on the
matter. and took the wind completely out of
in that car ten minutes my own sails were
hanging limp at the mast and l was being
whrled along on a wave OF wonder and ad-
miration. ! was so ashamed of myself Tor
having questioned for moment the motives
of the women who were working so faithfully
that didn't dare look one of them in the face.
For haven't doubt in the world that this
weeks trip Of the Special Train of the Long
Island Food Reserve Battalion is the begin
ming of a movement which will spread from
coast to coast and accomplish wonders In the
way of the conservation and preservation of
food.
The train consists Of five coaches-three pri
vate cars which are the living quarters OF the
workers, baggage car fitted with three long
tables, covered with cans of fruit and vegeta-
bles; samples of dried vegetables, implements
for canning, and so on, and regulation day
coach, with curtains drawn and sheet across
the end. Here H. B. Fullerton, the agri-
cultural expert of the Long Island Railroad
and Chief Grub Scout of the Boy Scouts of
America, gives an illustrated lecture on the
present great need for food preservation and
practical help about planting.
WORKERS AND WORK
The three long tables in the baggage car are
presided over by Mrs. Fullerton, an expert
housewife and farmer; Mrs Snyder, the gov
ornment canning expert, and Mrs. Andrea, of
the "Gentlewoman's' experimental kitchen.
These women have the assistance of number
of Long Island women of social prominence,
among them Mrs. j. Watson Webb, Mrs. Will
lam Laimbeer, Mrs. Ralph Peters, Mrs. James
A. Herne, Mrs. Arthur Scott Burden, Mrs. W.
X. Vanderbilt, jr., Mrs. George W. Pierpont
and Miss Dorothy Peters.
What impressed me most, after that first
realization Of the "worth-whileness" Of the
work and admiration for the manner in which
it was being carried on was the wonderful
spirit of cooperation and enthusiasm that 1t
brought forth all along the line.
ct was intensely interesting to see the
change in attitude of the visitors on the ar
rival and the departure Of the train. 1t re-
minded one of the photographs labelled "Be-
fore and after using"
In most of the towns where We made stop
the girls were excused from school so that
they could attend the demonstration, and as
we drew up at a railroad station we would
find group of from fifty TO a hundred women
and girls waiting for us on the platform, and
in the distance scattered groups of more
women vending their way TO join the throng.
Often the station master would come out and