The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1918-02-17

Kut, Mesopotamia, Jan. 10.-tCorre-
spondence OF the Associated Press).-
This city, the scene of the British Meso-
potamian army's greatest reverse, after
lying for many months a city OF the
dead, abandoned by even its native pop
ulation, has gradually been rebuilt in
the past six months, and is now thirty
ing town OF nearly as great population
as in days OF peace.
1t was too important center TO he
neglected. 1t was a link between the
Euphrates and Persia, and accordingly,
after il had been deserted for more than
two months, British officer arrived
here to take charge Of the work Of re-
constructing il.
The first thing to do was to clean the
place. The debris was dumped out OF
the houses into the streets; the accumu-
lated filth was buried or burned, the
barricades were pulled down, the cug-
outs and trenches were filled up.
An imposing collonnade bazaar was
built along the river bank. a begin
ming was made with a coffee room ana
some retail shops for the builders, who
for long time were the sole popula-
ton. Skilled masons, natives who had
been employed by the Germans in con.
nection with the Bagdad railway, were
collected and set to work. They rebuilt
and re.roofed the old bazaars, widene0
the old streets and built new ones, re-
paired the mosques. the baths and the
ice factory, put new engines into the
-four mill, and converted the flats and
shoals in the middle of the Tigris into
vegetable gardens.
Though still partly in ruins Kut to.
day is a cleaner and better town than
ever before in its history. Most Of the
people are back again behind their old
doors. The bazaars are thronged
And the people are more prosperous
than ever for there is abundant labor
for everybody in the neighborhood. Some
Of the prominent people of the town
will never come back. Eight Of them,
including the sheikh and his sons, were
hanged by the Turks. and forty others
were shot.
The house which General Townshend
should come for this work who Is not
strong as horse and Indifferent to
cold and fatigue. II is terribly hard.
The good it does is enormous, however
and more than repays one. You never
saw anything like the appreciation and
gratitude for the food we give the
men and the price we charge. We give
them a whole meal for fifteen cents
soup. meat and vegetables, or meat
and salad bread and compete 1t is
really good, too. | thought l had a
good many occupations. as | wrote yoL
before. but since then / have been par
ticularly proud Of being a good cook
Mrs Tiffany, in another letter, dl
scribes in interesting detail the routine
Of the canteen's night shift which she
regards as more strenuous than the day
relief.
"The station is always empty when
we arrive, but fifteen minutes later it
fills up as if by magic Mrs. Tiffany
says.
In Steady Stream.
'"rhls crowd keeps on pretty contin.
ually. 1t is never an overpowerng rush
but q steady stream until about 2:3O
and sometimes until 4:3o The men
buy their tickets at the first window
and then pass on TO the counter where
the food is served. OF course they are
always in tearing hurry and push
and shove each other as if they were
going to get left if they didn't. But
there is no reason for it, because they