Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-05-20
BRITISH NURSE
IELLSOF WORK
OF RED CROSS
Full House Hears Mrs. Fer.
guson at M. E. Church
Sunday Night.

Before the largest crowd that has
ever gathered in the Methodist
church. Mrs. r. D. Ferguson. NJ. D.,
Of Winnipeg, spoke o n Red Cross
work last evening and in spite of the
large house, everyone could hear her
plainly. She gave a thrill and push
to the Red Cross work that has not
been experienced here before. Mrs.
Ferguson's speech was preceded by a
series Of slections by A. w. Rogers
and his orchestra. and a number OF
selections by the choir under the di-
rection Of Prof. H. A. Enyeart. The
songs. in keeping with the rest Of the
spirit of the meeting were of a pa
triotic nature.
Mrs. Ferguson sailed for England
shortly after the outbreak of the
in the Red Cross work as a physician.
She was stationed in several hospitals,
rs she explained that the nurses are
moved frequently as the men are
brought in from the fields. All Of her
work was done in England and her
speech was concerned practically en-
tirely with her experiences while
there.
Vivid Descriptions.
Mrs. Ferguson spoke very vividly
of, the work of the Red Cross in the
field and in the hospital. Her de-
scriptions of, the men as they came.
in from the fields, covered with filth,
mud and blood was SO realistic that
her hearers were wholly aware of the
horrors OF val. Her description of
the way in which the men were treat
ed was especially interesting. She old
how some Of the men were brought
from the battle fronts to the English
base hospitals within % hours after
they were injured. After they were
we'll enough to speak, process OF iden-
LITIGATION was begun. S.
At this point Mrs. Ferguson COM
mented on the number of men who
lost their minds while in the trenches.
Sometimes a bursting shell was the
was due to the continual grind of the
trench life hat worked so hard on
the nerves of the newly made SOL
diers. With their memory gone.
many Of these soldiers have
been and probably never will be iden-
titled. she stated.
The speaker mentioned one in
stance where a man had regained his
memory by hearing a song that he
in the hospitals organize "sings," she
said, something on the order of the
community sings that. have become
SO popular in America, and to SOL
diers would be called upon to sing
some of the songs that they learned
in the trenches, or while in civilian
life. While a ''sing" was in progress
n afternoon, a number of religious
songs were given, a song which this
boy had heard while a boy came to
him, and he began to sing with the
rest. He regained his memory for a
few minutes. long enough to tell who
had taught him the song, and where
his teacher lived. After hat it was
only a matter of time to get in touch
with the relatives and establish his
identity.
In speaking Of the hospital sings
Mrs. Ferguson said hat they invar-
iably cheered the men, and removed
the gloomy aspect Of the hospitals.
Life Among Prisoners.
Mrs. Ferguson also spoke very WV
idly and interestingly of the life in
the German prison camps as describ-
ed to her by men who had escaped
from them or had been released in
exchanges. The thing that the men,
hated worst in the camps, she said,
was, the food, and especially the
sickening to some Of the men, and
many of them have died from star
walton, rather than eat the rations
they are given by the Huns. She
spoke of a characteristic instance of
the cruelty which the Germans used
on their prisoners. in telling Of one
mar who had been expecting a pack
age from home with edibles in it.
Day after dav he had called for the
package only to be discouraged, and
after a few days he received one
Upon opening it, however, he found
that it was merely a hoax which
some of the officers of the camp had
arranged to fool him. They would
stand near him and laugh at his dis
appointment. When at last he re-