The Birmingham age-herald., 1917-11-17
Now, One Big Department Store in Birmingham
 Takes Care of Its Employees at the Lunch Hour
 and Homeike Comfortable Environment Provided
By DOLLY DALRYMPLE


 NN NE delicious cup Of tea for pen IU ny; a dainty sandwich for five " pennies; bowl of nice palatable soup for five pennies; does that sound like the high cost of living is on the incline?
 And where can such delcacies be pur- chased, you are asking? Of course
 knew you would; then Tn tell you, right
 away; these prices are quoted to the big family of men and women at Love
 man, Joseph & Loeb's by Miss Molly Dowd. who has charge of the social serv- ice work in the mammoth department
 store, which Birmingham points to with the greatest pride and the utmost def erence.
 Everybody knows nice Miss Mollie Dowd Miss Molle,' as we all call her; indeed when I was talking with her yesterday and she was making a per sonally conducted'' tour Of the new lunch rooms with me, 1 actually had to ask her what her last name is, as have grown used, like every body else, for the past F years since Miss Molie" has been at Loveman, Joseph & Loebs to calling her Miss Mollie"; and as 1 was going on to say, when Miss Mol lie" was showing me over the new quar- ters which spell the realizat tion of a beautiful dream to her, I couldn't help thinking what a splendid choice the management had made when they turned over their welfare work to this fine, capable young woman Miss Mol lie' is just the nice, agreeable, human sort of person to have charge of such things; she loves all the girls at Love- man, Joseph & Loeb's, and she shows it by her sweet, kindly acts to them <DeI I,o right person in the right place. The lunch rooms,' Miss Mollie said "are just 2 touch of real home life to all of us; formerly we went to Suffrage headquarters most of us, where for sev- eral years we have been accommodated with nice, pleasant quarters, and some choice food and hot drinks, have been furnished at small cost; but now, when the indictment winter weather be- gins, we don't have to budge out of
 the store, but just take the elevator up to the seventh floor of the tower, which is heated and furnished comfortably and enjoy our lunch hour.
 Most of the girls bring their lunch to the store" Miss Mollie said, Sand those who bring it or those who don't, Iare furnished with the refreshments prepared in the lunch rooms. We have a big gas stove, and I prepare the tea and soup myself, and sell it for just exactly what it costs; I make up dozens of sandwiches at home and bring them to the store and these too, are fur nished al cost-so if girl doesn't want to bring her lunch, she can really get a very nice, inexpensive lunch in the lunch rooms.
 The pretty, roomy quarters of the Loveman, Joseph & Loeb lunch rooms, overlooking big old Birmingham from a tremendous height, on tiled floor sani- tary and clean, are placed the tables which vary in size from large to small ones, the rooms have the appearance of big sun parlor since the four walls are mainly windows and at the far end over looking Third avenue, an open roof fur- nishes large space which in the sum mer will be utilized as a roof garden At one end of the lunch rooms are di- vans, rocking chairs, and attractive rugs, where the girls sit after the lunch hour and knit for the soldiers, the business women having unit of the Red Cross and many members are numbered among the Loveman, Joseph & Loeb girls About the walls of the lunch rooms are bookcases filled with good books and the librarian gives his time during the lunch hours which are from Il o'clock to
 3, to this work, and short time may be spent in reading the latest books unless knitting is preferred
 At the rear of the lunch rooms there are large, comfortable quarters now being furnish as Hospital room. and here the girls will be taken care of when ill. Little white beds and white chairs and |