Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1918-11-14
A WALLED CITY
OF WOMEN

A little sunny village has grown up
inside high wall In France within the
Inst yenr. Its square fat houses stand
In straight even rows and along one
side of ill.,. city wall Is long dormi-
tory for single women. There are many
more of them than of the families in
the drab little houses. The village IL
full of womcn--old. young, middle
uged-wlose faces. hands and hair
slowly IRE turning yellow from the
powder which 1t Is said will eventually
affect their lungs. But most Of them
are refugees and the fact that they
are giving up their good looks, their
health, and perhaps their lives In the
munition factory. is of little moment to
them. They lnve come into the walled
Gown from ruined Villages and devas-
:atci farms with their frightened little
children. their deslmiring old people.
carrying ill their earthly possessions
in tiny bundles. In their individual
lives there is no future; in all their
world there Is no interest but the con-
quest OF the Hun.
No one comes into this little war
community that centers around the big
lew munitions plnnt but those who
work. Because Of the danger and the
olighting yellow powder, the work IL
highly paid and NIL the workers are
volunteers.
The wcmen wear Overalls or apron
dresses, some of black satcen, some
nondescript. The duh garb harmonizes
with the following faces and despair
Ing eyes.
Into this modern walled city of de-
spair the Blue Triangle has flashed the
hrst message of hope. The Y. w. G. A.
foyer is the only recreatiOnal center
within reach. The cars which find
cafes ut the end of the line Il mile
away, stop running ut seven o'clock to
save fuel The city is three miles
from the factory.
"Nly problem" writes the Y. w. G.
A. secretary in charge, "is to keep the
women occupied in the evenings, to
give them good healthy amusement so
that they will forget their SORROWS and
out from playing"
She goes on to tell of some Of the
women and girls who come to the
foyer:
There is a pretty little round, rosy
checked girl here who is Just beginning
to show the effects of the powder. The
roots of her hair and her forehead IRE
q pale yellow. The palms of her hands
are IL deep burnt orange and her hands
and arms a bright yellow.
"There is an ex-professional dancer,
an Interesting girl who enjoys the
foyer and helps entertain the other
girls. There Is 81 professional pianist
who does her bit Mt the noon and eve
ming hours. There is one rOugh-and-.
ready girl who speaks English, whose
father was an innkceper In northern
France. There is pretty little girl
who is engaged to French soldier
WHO still is rejoicing over the five min.
utes she had with him recently during
an air raid. His mother Is the cure
taller here and he Is one Of six sons In
the war. Two of them are German
military prisoners. two arc civil prls.
oners in Germany and two are soldiers
In the trenches. Her home In the
north of France was destroyed and she
escaped with small bundle Of such
things rs she could carry in her hands.
"'rhere Is a swect-fccel girl who
was a lacclnaker in vulencicnnes, who
came direct I'd us from the German
ridden section after hard experience
in getting away"
These are tho women the Blue Tri-
angle is helping to forget-rerhnps
only for m hour Mt time-the for.
rOrs that have blnckened their hearth
stones and davlsened the world.
"My foyer" the secretary writes,
Consists of hall and two large rooms
with cement floors. Ono has writing
table and paper, pens and ink, sewing
machines, n cupboard with tcncups in
1t. large table with papers and maga-
zilies. easy chairs and my desk. The
other room has piano, more tables,
chairs. ironing boards and victrola.
There arc. unframed French pictures
and American and French war posters
around the room. The wallis are paint
ed gray and white"
Saturday evenings they ::in. and
dance. "E'irst they hive chorus y
writes the secretary. "such as 'Le Reve
Passe' Or tl.c T1y,nnc dos Av!atc,lr:;' or
something equally thrilling. and ut the
final uutcS Of triumph voice III my
ears bess. TN polka. Inees.' The polk,,
finished. ti,crc is cali for the 'FIymne
Americaiu' and VIC sing the Star.
Spanglet! Eanncr.' Gle Drapeau EtOilc)
in two lnp=uages."
These i".e"s have been established
in several ;nunitinn centers In Frnnce
Each one has Il cafeteria. a recreation
hall ami rooms fitted up as rest
rooms. writing and sewing roo:ns. Al
night these rooms are filed with
French girls learning English. book
keeping or s,enography, that they may
work in the offices Of the American
Expcditionary Forces. In connection
with each is large recreation field ol
park.
At the request of the French minis