The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1918-03-10
I SOCIETY GIRLS
OPEN LUNCH ROOM
TOAID RED CROSS

To help win the war Miss Margaret
McChord, daughter OF Interstate Com.
merce Commissioner Mcchord and
prominent in Washington social cir
cles, with six other we'll known So
cIsty women, is daily handing pie
a Ia mode and hot coffee over the
counter Of her own lunch room It's
the basement OF the Interstate Com
MERGE Commission Building.
Little wonder that Miss McChord'S
basement lunch has made a hit dur
ing Its three weeks OF existence. Just
look at the stan OF mattresses" aid
ing Miss McChord in her patriotic en-
deavors with the already famous
lunchinG place:
Mrs. Howard Hume. Mrs. Philip
Metz. Mrs. Thomas Holcomb, Miss
Virginia lie Seure, Miss Frances
Traver and Miss Virginia Minor.
nd success reason No. : Is TINS:
Three saladE. sandwiches, some
times baked beans. pie, ice cream.
milk and coffee-nothing over IL
eents-and its all for the Red Cross.
TOO.
Might Call Hard WOrk.
To prepare enough 10 eat for 900
persons and then TO serve from noon
until o'clock every day in She week
except Sunday Is what you might
call hard work. And this Is exactly
what these seven Washington women
are doing every week day for the Red
Croa8.
1t Is never later than 9:30 o'clock
when they are ready &c go to work.
.<Then comes the making OF sandwich
si, the boiling OF eggs, the cutting Of
pies. and like mental tasks associated
With lunch rooms-vhich they per-
form with q will and enjoy. Then
comes noon and lunch
The girls" get into their costumes
all white with a red cross on their
eaps-and to their places. One behind
, the pie section, another TO serve fruit
salad, another ice cream, and others
At the sandwich counter.
oS As an accommodation for the en-
) ployes Of the Interstate Commerce
Commission, the little war lunch has
already won = name. Men and women
lsemployes from all parts OF the huge
building throng the basement room as
soon as the clock points TO their
lunch hour. Even the commissioners
themselves, with weighty problems
OF rails and freight cars to be solved.
often drop in for a dish Of salad, a
sandwich and cup Of hot coffee.
.n- Contingent Arrives.
In ten minutes the first contingent
from the War Department arrives.
Also officers Of allied governments
in trim blue, gray, and green uni
forms. The lunch then presents a
picturesque scene. A regular liberty
! lunch room!
The seven charming women now
serving as war Mattresses" told The
Times reporter that they were going
10 continue their work with the lunch
rroom for the benefit OF the Red Cross
until the end OF the war.
Il hnd this work very interesting -
said Miss McChord, who originated
Nment lunchroom.
we get down here shout e:3O
o'clock and work every day until AZ.
Ter 3 in the afternoon. will continue
sthis activity until the end OF the war.
Everything we make here besides
expenses is turned over to the Inter
--sstate Commerce Commission Red
Cross" she said.
~ This basement room, TOO, is an in
teTesting place. Before becoming a
4 lunchroom It was used as e storehouse
~7for statistics. Here II was that the
. Interstate Commerce Commission
kept many OF their important records
'Securely locked. The big double safe
sedoor is still there-rather strangely
as the door OF q lunchroom.
Leo McCawIey Cashier.
Just outside OF the door sits Leo
McCawley, sixteen years old, once
Commissioner McChord's personal
messenger, now buyer for the lunch
md cashier. Leo sits outside OF the
door at a desk. with q little black
rash box, as the cashier