The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-08-23
C|RL|ES were HANDED
ORDERS MUST HUSTLE
DOUGHNUT MAKERS TO MOVE
ABOUT IN A HURRY
Salvation Army Lassies Have
An Exciting Experience
On the Front

With The American Troops At The
Front, August 1.-[By Mail.l-We
doughgirls get sudden orders for
movement zoo, sometimes, much the
same as the doughboys do. Our
most sudden one came a few days
ago-or rather it was night. Most of
the army movements are at night,
and ours was midnight one.
Gladys and l had finished a long
days work and were tired after max
ing an unusually large batch of
doughnuts. So we turned in early,
for the front. Early is about eleven
O'clock
We had no more than fallen asleep
when our commanding officer arrived
with several other Salvation army
workers. When we had awakened
enough to dress and see him, the
officer informed us we would go in
half an hour, and that the new ar
rivals would take our canteen over
We hustled to get our affairs to-
gether, throwing them into our
trunks. Then Gladys grabbed her dog
and l caught my pet fox who was
out in the bushes, and we were off,
We rode almost all night, and about
daylight came to the Salvation Army
headquarters, where we rested for a
while.
Off For New Sector
BY noon we were off again, bound
for a new sector which had never
had Salvation Army hut. 1t was
more than 100 miles down the line
from headquarters. We rode in Ford
which is used for carrying supplies
TO the canteens. Seats were put in
the box for u.s.
BY night we had arrived at our des-
tination, and to avoid arriving at the
front too late to be able to get place
for that night we stopped in small
French town. 1t took lot of skirm-
ishing around to find hotel accommo-
datiCns so near the front, but we
finally succeeded.
Next morning bright and early, our
party arrived in the new home, a little
town of Lorraine, very near the line,
and more than half in ruins as the
result of the boches' work when they
invaded this area in 1914 and 1916.
Our place was store room, and the
sign over it read Modern Bar" So
we made our canteen out of the
bar room.
We were in a party of eight who
were opening huts in this new billy
sector of Lorraine. We had not been
at the Modern Bar" long when our
commanding officer assigned us to a
little village nearer the front, where
we had to begin new hut.
Picking Out A House
We went out to pick out a house
among those in ruins for new home.
Most all CT the houses were battered
and many had holes in them. We
finally chose one which had not been
used since the war started, except
for stable. 1t had big loft and the
roof leaked. 1t was terribly dirty.
But we saw fine possibilities in it
for doughnut kitchen, a canteen
for the boys, and a place for them1
to read. We put in bid for it with
the town major, and he soon in
formed us he had leased it from the
original owner for ninety nine years
for pocket full of francs. He refused
to take our money to pay the lease,
saying the boys had heard of our
coming, had taken up collection to
pay for it. We suspect he had'a lot
to do with it.
Next day we came back, and the
officers assigned us details to clean
up the place. 1t was big job to
undertake, but the boys went to work
and the place soon began to look re-
spectacle. Some whitewash and cur
tains, and lots of scrubbing added to
it's appearance.
We are glad to have the new place
open and running now and we
take a lot of pride in having made
it ourselves. or rather having directed
the work that made it. You have a
sort Of pioneers feeling after you
create workshop for doughnut
making out of an old Lorraine ruin.