Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1918-11-02
HOLIDAY HOUSE"
SOLDIERS HEAVEN
Thirty-two Flu" Convalescents
Having Time of Their Lives,
Thanks to Canteen Service.

their lives, squadroned out to Holiday
House." the Y. W. G. A. country home,
near Shcllpot, and Is minutes after they
got there, Is cots held them, weak to the
verge Of collapse and almost ''all in. :
Tuesday morning, Is more in the same
condition joined them. You should sec
them today, every mani Jack of the lot,
save two pretty nearly INT to thresh his
weight in wildcats or double it in Huns
And thereby hangs tale, the tale of the
generous, splendid, motherly and sIsterly
devotion of the little squad of Whining
ton women who form the Canteen Service
Of the local Red Cross chapter. Blessed
be the name of American womanhood, ii is
= tale that has its mate in many com
nlunities of these United States and many
a Young soldier in khaki who knows 1t
TODAY will tell it to his grandchildren
because it will show them that the tender
nursing and care that form its burden
doubtless were the means of preserving
bis life
Here it is. so far as Wilmington is con-
cerned, Just a little more golden, little
more beautiful than it perhaps is else
where:
The canteen service, which is under
the chairmanship of Mrs. Henderson
Weir, has been doing q tremendous amount
of quiet, unassunlng and thoroughly
good work seeing to 1t that soldiers ana
sailors who happen to pass through VII
nington or are on duty here have at least
4 few OF those creature comforts the
masculine soul enjoys special eats,
once in while, a cup of whacklng good
coffee as the train goes through, much
craved smoke. bit of fruit, dozen little
things thst Uncle Sam doe n I furnish his
doughboys. but that the doughboys are
used to having at home and miss.
Red Cross funds have not been used
for the maintenance of the service, private
subscriptions having kept il up which
TACT might be kept in mind by those who
would like To do something for the boys
and the women who have been attending
10 the work have given unstlntedly OF
their time and energy. Daily captain
is assigned To command of the days
operation with corps OF aids TO help
her. thus giving all hands chance to
assist in the work and yet not making II
onerous or too eXactlng-
When in fluenza broke out here the
soldier guards at the shipvards and at
Pigeon Point the Twelfth Battalion,
commanded bv Major Wyler, were pretty
hard hit When the apex of the attack
passed there were fifteen men at the
Front and French street barracks con
valescent and eighteen at Pigeon Point
and neither place was good for them III
SO far rs quick and thorough recovery
was concerned.
And then was when the canteen service
stenped in Mrs. Irenee du Pont had the
idea first nothing less than TO get these
Young soldiers off S1mewhere where they
could have plenty Of IeS., the sort OF food
convalescents ought to Lave, care and
fresh air Atlantic City was thought Of
bat rejected as too fsr away. Then
came The thought that the Holiday
House might be gotten he situation was
ideal III every respect.
The \ W { \. was seen about the
matter and came across nobiy. The
girls offered TO surrender their comfort
able quarters K the sick soldiers Tor week
itis. as generously - if the thing involved
was the passing OF q community box Of
chocolates. Then Major Wyler was seen.
lis men declare he's regular fellow
which is sufficient reason for his prompt
..nd grateful acceptance Of the canteen
services offer 10 take the thirty-two
eonvalescents OF his command out to
Holiday House for q week and get
hem on their physical feet Then the
women Organized the JOb-a real one,
l,.r.tl1S,. il involved getting thirty-two
cliaps vino could barely stand some miles
atIt in:n the country. getting them proper
4. mrar4ered and finally getting them
,.sre,! tor and above all fed while they
should be there But the JOB was done
and we'll done.
Mrs Z VI Harrington, whose daughter
i< IN the motor service, and whp had been
ewing her own very capable services at
The barracks nursing the sick doughboys
volunteered to take official charge Of the
lob. going out early each day and return
ing at nightfall Then daily detach-
nent OF canteen workers was organized
10 20 out TO ''Holidav House and prepare
dinner for the soldier guests, each dav
seeing a different squad. Then com
rnissarv plans were arranged good solid
nourishing food OF just the sort to tickle
the palates of the eonvalescents, with
ninkets. desserts and dainties such as
Uncle Sam cant think OF.
Finally. when this gracious conspiracy
was complete, came the ways and means
of getting the men out TO the place Mrs
Irenee du Pont Mrs. Alban Richev, Miss
Alice Connor, Miss Marion Scott and
Miss Frances kennard provided auto
mobiles-and there you are. or rather
there the convalescents were.
Those thirty-two have simply had the
time. OF their lives and wish some kind
fate would intern them where they are
for the period of the war. for sirloin
steaks, asparagus, fresh vegetables
puddings, junkets, toothsome ham and
eggs laid within the memory Of man do
not grow on every bush around barracks
or camp cornmissaries. Nor do fine
easy-chaired room to lounge in, a piano
to piay and Victrola, and books to read
and q Hallowe en- party, and gracious
visitors each day, and sure-thing cigar
cites; and so u ty Mrs. Howard Pyls
Bov, howdy, no, the thlrty-two
will tell the world that
Those chaps began to feel better the
minute they got into their cots out there
althGIch some were so weak they couldn't
get along from the cars into the house
without help. And since then the rations
have been going like water goes along q
II i'll race Sam" Schamberg, one Of the
hatch, who cooks breakfast for his fellows
aad attends to the supper the canteen
workers leave ready to serve, has to
hustle like a forager living on the enemy's
country to get something for himself,
because bv the time he's able to sit dow n
and. rget his the table looks az if .
plague Of seventeen-year locusts had
struck IT,
Tuesday, Camp Harrington as the
thirty-two have named it, in honor Of
Mrs Harrington, whose devoted slaves
they are, will break up and Uncle Sam
will have at least thirty fAlskies he might
not have had for long while longer had