The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1918-05-17
THREE OLD MEN "GIVE TILL II
HURTS SACRIFICING "a OF
THEIR MONTHLY S..
WOMEN INMATES BUY, TOO
Mother of 20 Sends Two Sons TO Serv
ice-ParaIyzed knitter Works
for "Unfortunates."
BY HUGH l.. WOOD.

When the grand total Of much more
than $4,000, 100000 Of Liberty Bond
sales is cast UP sometime after May
4 no one bond among them probably
will represent so much sacrifice-so
much scrimping-so much real CIV
ing till 1t hurts" as three $50 bonds
sold in the St. Louis Poor House.
Those three bonds, to be paid for at
81 a week. will represent many little
luxuries given up-a bag Of candy
here, pocket knife for whiting there
by three old men alone in the world
but still partners in the great Ameri-
can nation and ready and willing to do
their humble bit to help bring VIC
tory home.
These men are John Crane, Joseph
| Walsh and Charles Helmholt. all on
the shady side of 20 years. They have
for years been inmates of the st.
Louis City Infirmary. the large institu-
ton topping a hill on Arsenal street.
In sight of Potters' Field.
A dollar probably looms larger In
the large city. Even nickels and dimes
are treasured there.
Crane has for long time been mes
senger at the institution and receives
IS every 80 days for his services.
When DR.. Charles e. Baur, superin-
tendent, placarded the reception room
Of the infirmary with Third Liberty
Loan posters-more In spirit of pa
triotism than In the expectation OF
making sales-Crane was deeply inter.
ested. He inquired II cash was re-
Quired to buy a bond. and when DR.
Baur informed him he might buy a
$50: one for 81 week he was over
1oyed
, II am an American" he said, "and
would like to help my country. be
lieve l could finish paying for one."
So Dr. Baur put him down and he II
going to give 81 every month out o
his salary Of Sc.
D Crane told his crony, Helmholt, nigh
4 attendant at the telephone, about 1t
Hslmholt gets So month for his serv
: ices and he very shortly convincet
himself that he. too, could afford t
;. buy a bond. He signed up for So
one on the $i-aweek payment plan.
= Walsh outranks his fellows by far Il
Q the matter Of wages. <As the sexton O
that cherries place-Potters' Field
. he receives $40 month. He Is an II
mate of the Infirmary and soon fie
ured that he could well afford S.
bond II his two S. friends could-ant
besides, the government needed III
a money. So he. too. became a bon
+. owner at 81 q week
Mrs. Clara Kerstlng, another innat
:. Of the institution, is keenly patriot
. and Is doing her share IN helping !
finance the war for human liberty
Although paralyzed on one side, sh
D Is an expert with the knitting or CT
cheting needles She has crochete
n yards OF fancy laces and knitted n
II merous garments. The knitted articls
u go to the soldiers and sailors and W;
- sufferers even more unfortunate tina
y herself The laces she sells TO int
ested visitors.
80 She manages to handle her knittir
II needles by sticking one Of them in
the sleeve Of her paralyzed arm. 81
makes up for the handicap Of the Us
less member through the dexterity
her useful one She Is saving Il
II money from the sale of her articles
-, buy Liberty Bonds.
Mrs. Bessie Lackey Is another 7
triotic inmate Of the institution. 81
is now employed In making a pate
work crazy" quilt which she hop
to sell in order to buy thrift STAN
M and. perhaps. a Liberty Bond
~ Another woman, mother of 90 Oh
- dren. is one Of the busiest knitters
no the institution. Seventeen of her Oh
lie eren are dead. Two of the three livi
nd are in the national service-one In I
so army and one In the navy She
ke buying thrift stamps and hopes TO b
dv a, bond. too.
~ Mrs. Harry Lee Wyatt of Pa
~ land place probably has the most no
III assignment within the gift of I
III American Red Cross. She has be
III detailed TO instruct classes IN knittl
s-) among the inmates of the City II
pital. City Infirmary and Insane A
lum.
III She declares that the work is bel
VA taken up enthusiastically by these
ell fortunates. In the Sanitarium the
RIM cupation Of knitting Is said by offic
lily OF the institution TO have had
ad. marked soothing effect upon the mil
of OF the workers. Their first conc,
al upon awakening in the morning
about their knitting materials.
Mrs. Wyatt has a regular visit
,nis day al each institution. The St Lo
,,a ol chapter OF the Red Cross supplies
materials and the finished garme
are sent TO men in service or to '
sufferers.