The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-02-11
WE4LTHY WOMEN
At MENI4L TASKS
They are Undergoing Severe Hardships
in Red Cross Work TO Make the
Lot of the French Sol.
der Easier.

New York. Feb ll-How American
women of wealth and refinement are per
forming the most mental tasks and I'M
dergoing severe hardships to make the
LOT of the French soldier easier on the
way TO and from the front Is told graph
icailv in series of letters received here
from Mrs. Belmont Tiffany, New YORK
society woman and leader in Red cross
work. who organized Red Cross eanteen
at a French railway junction. She wrote
with no thought of publication, but the
letters written to relatives and released
for publication to-day by the American
Red Cross-tell their own story.
On Oct. % last, Mrs Tiffany arrived
at the railroad center, somewhere" be-
hind the French front. Four railroads
conyerred there. she found, and more
than 5000 men day stopped over at the
station for refreshments, which were
procurable in liquid form only There
were no other facilities for their com
fort.
II wish YOU could see our little vii
lage, so tiny and primitive-one long
street winding up hill with the big
innction railroad station at the bottom
and the church at the top--and stream
winding under bridge half way up.
stream which allows the inevitable Iaun-
drv to go on" Mrs Tiffany wrote. 1t
is picturesque as all French villages go,
but rather too poor for beauty and there
are no gardens at all, which is strange.
Less than month later Nov. IL. TO be
exact. Mrs. Tiffany told of the progress
achieved in establishing the canteen.
rough addition had been added to the
station, and dormitory and a recreation
room had been completed while q recep-
ton room to accommodate 1000 men was
in course of construction.
1--WE have red and white oilcloth on
the tables, red glass carafes, and turkey
red window curtains. and always flowers
on the counter of the recreation room,
Mrs. Tiffany wrote. ut is the gayest,
brightest room you ever saw. However,
it only holds 100 men. Our room Is to
have a huge kitchen and seats for over
a thousand men.
The dormitories are wonderful.
never was SO proud of anything before
Two hundred canvas stretchers for beds.
We have a splendid fumigating plant and
an incinerator and the place is a model
of cleanliness.
''All the men take off their wet and
dirty boots. and we have good felt slip
pers for them. There are two big
stoves in the room. two wooden blankets
for each. an orderly who wakes the
men for their trains good shower baths
and wash rooms Altogether, when the
bic room is finished, / honestly think IT
will be a model of what it should be.
Last year the men slept on the road.
II 10, fYap "a orr
was not effected without the expenditure
of great effort. Mrs. Tiffany summed
il up by saying: /
Everything is going awfully well and
the whole unit has been fine. No one
should come for this work who Is not as
strong as a horse and indifferent TO cold
and fatigue II is terribly hard. The
good il does j. enormous. however, and
more than repays one. You never saw
anything like the appreciation and graf
itude for the food we give the men and /
{ he price we charge. We give them
whole meal for IL cents, soup, meat. and
or meat and salad, bread and
1t Is really good, too.
thought | had a good many occupations. !
rs wrote YOU before. but since then !
have been particularly proud OF being a
good cook
Mrs. Tiffany in another letter de- |
scribes in interesting detail the routine I
Of the canteen's might shift" which she I
regards A. more strenuous than the day /
relief
THE station i always empty when !
We arrive. but II minutes later It fills (
up as if BY magic" Mrs. Tiffany says /
This crowd keeps ou pretty eontinu- I
ouslv II j. never an overpowering rush. I
but steady stream until about 2:3O and .
sometimes until Ash. The men buy 4
their tickets 1t the fret window and I
then PASS on TO the counter where the