Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1918-11-20
rHE HOSPITAL sEARcHER.
Has Special and Personal Duty for
the Boys over There.

Office. She writes:
II sm going to write very selfish let
ter, just filled with myself. l am sta
toned in an old Rouen n, far from
the msdding crowd. Like all French
towns, it is e dirty town, but il rain falls
for six months, it may help that. The
people are composed of forlOrn- looking
refugees, dismembered young and old
men, who have recently served their coun-
try, one assumes, old women, American
soldiers, German prisoners, children and
dogs in legion, donkeys, and an occasional
Red Cross lsssie, so you see we are not at
all sristocratic.
al am called a hospital searcher.' My
duties are many ana varied: First, feel
1 must see TO it that no man goes from the
| hospital in any direction, without the
4 comforts of a comfort bag. And it is
really pitiful to see the great strong mans
pleasure as he grssps his little calico bag
containing comb, toothbrush, paste, to-
bscco and sosp; it represents his entire
possessions, worth more to him than a
bag OF gold in civil life. IL a man is
| moved from one bed to another he is per-
fectly miserable until he sees his bag
hanging on the head of his bed. Rich
man, poor man. beggsr, etc, they are all
the same children here. 1t tickles you,
and at the same time it makes you want to
cry.
"well, / am wandering. / write letters
for the men who are una bic to srite. II
seriously ill, notify their people, and in
case OF death, l am the chief mouruer at
the funeral, and, believe me, that is almost
finish. l see that q humane letter goes to
the mans people to supplement the gov
eminent cable. II man has no mail or is
worried about things in general, COM
municste his story to headquarters, and
the source OF his trouble is transmitted to
the home service in his particular locality.
/ send their kilograms and their cable
grams. We supply them with shaving
brushes and shaving soap, writing and
reading material, see that q few lemon
drops or pieces OF chocolate sre dealt out
to each patient every few days. Those who
have money ask me to buy them fruit and
sll down the list of things they so sadly
need to have done for them and the nurs-
es cannot do. I cash checks and money
orders for the more fortunate, and ad-
vance money at times 10 those who have
wandered from their outfits and have
failed to catch up to the army psymsster.
az search tor the very sick men, try to
cheer and jolly them along, see that the
chaplain or priest visits them and that
their last wishes are grstified just as far
as possible. / think / have about stag
gered you with the number Of my duties
and the cheer of my bit.
"Then there are reports, weekly and
monthly, and l hate such things with q
deep-seated hatred. All this keeps me
on a constant jump, | assure you. The
relaxation of my life and the greatest
convenience is our fve-passenger Henry
Ford which does for all three hospitals
within a radius OF three miles. / am
fortunate because it is kept here. The
thing has neither lights nor horn and the
brakes work only " hen they feel inclined.
Any soldier who is at leisure drives it,
and they all do SO exactly as they charge
the boche. On fiat level stretches the
car is comfort, but in town one sits on
the ragged edge Of the seat with hair
gradually rising. So far when l have
been riding, we have run over only one
old man and a dog, but both escaped
alive. The sidewalks are very narrow,
| and in most places the pedestrians occupy
the middle of the street, which also is
not spacious, and this condition gives
one very little chance when Ford comes
| dashing along. Being government car,
1t seems to be exempt from traffic rules;
| still we always have a strange PRESENT.
ment that some day our luck may change
and our next view may be through bars.
/ There is so much would like to tell
| you. / could go on and on, but / must
finish this or it may never get finished.
Each day seem to be more busy than the
day before, and time for personal letters
grows less.
"Like everyone else am anxious to let
| you all know W hat am doing, and as this
is lett for your enlig htenment on that
subject, will say in conclusion that am
only echoing the sentiments of all the
men wi hen l say that the Red Cross means
much to them. Tell everyone you see that
we need the cooperation OF the folks
back home in all we do. We can supply
the soldier with only the things we are
a BILE to get hold of. Materials here are
scarce and procurable only at prohibitive
prices.
"Tell everyone everywhere that they
cannot imagine what the comfort bags
mean to the boys; combs, tooth brushes,
| buttons, needles, thread, pencils, small
writing pads eight in weight mean) and
wash-cloths. Other things that are light
| in weight are acceptable, but the first are
necessities, for the boys lose everything
when at the 'front.'"
| Dentists Dol no Their Rtt