The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-03-12
WOMAN MUNITI0N WORKER STILL
STARTLES THE FRENCHMAN; SHE
CRACKED TRADITION TO PIECES
BY GEORGE RANDOLPH CHESTER
and Lillian Chester

| each course. each course brought on
swift little motor trucks from the
kitchen to the long rows of warming
ovens, from whence they are carried
to the long rows of tables by neat
mattresses, and served out of big
towlsia and platters. j..
One helps ones self; a second
helping if desired. ...
The little bottle of wine which
stands at each place costs 5 cents, if
wanted, and is the only thing which
is restricted to a single helping.
Old statistics annoyed us very much.
He discovered that the factory is los
ing money on his luncheon; e$kneWs
exactly how many centimes per per
SON. But they don't expect to. lose
any money after the war, when prices
resume the normal aspect.
There comes a. strange note from
down below Instead Of the clatter
Of knives and forks and plates there
rises the hum of pleasant cOnserva-
ton. An inspection from the bal
cony rail down those long rows Of
.ables is a profound study in content
ment. ~ -- '
The dejeuner is timed to be through
at a certain instant, so that there
shall be 80 minutes for recreation.
Fully half of the diners still sit at the
tables with their coqee, the men smok-
ing, the women sewing, and loiterers
visiting from group to group. There's
a comfortable home atmosphere about
the whole thing! NJ
From the high steel rafters, on
this day, hung myriad Of gay
paper lanterns, left over from the
last fete; for they hold frequent
entertainments in this big hall, all
free, of course, and mostly provid-
ed by the talent which any such
large gathering Of people is bound
to produce.
Back of the balcony is a club room
for the bosses and the Office employees
billiard tables checkers, chess,
back CANNON, dominoes, rest chairs
and tete.a-tete corners everywhere.
They are now building a club room
for wageearners, which is to he as
large as the immense dining hall, and
they will have the same advantages as
the bosses and office employees.
No one need worry about the health
wealth and happiness OF this particu-
lar working girl. She is doing very
nicely, thank you! K %
After luncheon the testing laborat-
cries. where women have found an
other new field and the draughting
rooms. and the dispensary, and the
hospital, AND THE MANICURING
PARLURS where the members of the
culinary and certain other depart
ments were manicured regularly, and
the spic and span dental offices where
any may be treated, and prospective
mothers must be, and the wonderful
poupenniere, where factory babies
sleep in snow-white cribs, and receive
nourishing visits from their mothers
every three hours while still new and
are raised scientifically by trained
nurses until they are three years old,
and are the pinkest and plumpest and
prettiest and happiest babies imagin-
able, which is remarkable tribute to
science.
After that, more factory. We plod-
ded through interninable streets and
alleys and backwards of it, into and
out of one building after another, like
determined visitors to worlds fair;
but it suddenly dawned on us that we
weren't seeing anything we hadn't
seen before; not a single new face!
Anyhow we were becoming trifle
homesick, for this was exactly like
calling on Cousin Bill or Uncle Joe
at his place of business. It's so Am
erican.
American hustle in France! But
woman machinists in France! Both
conditions are startling; they,are still
startling to the average Frenchman,
for these things are totally against his
idea of desirable life.
It. has been the traditional habit in
France to keep women In the home
or In purely feminine occupations and
SURROUNDINGS; and thu Ffe1chman was
lpeS1actly cor 2 nth II do estic
arrangements. He was just o well
.contentsd. With his leisnrely busjness
met pds. sss.s,.