The Belding banner-news. (Belding, Mich.) 1918-1973, 1918-05-29
RED CROSS NURSE
MAKES A VISIT TO
JESSE JAMES CAVE
INTERESTING LETTER FROM A
FORMER LOCAL GIRL TELLS
OF EXPERIENCES.

Miss Ruby Cameron, daughter of
Mrs. Daniel Cameron, Of the north
side, has written her mother letter
which the Banner-News is. pleased to
publish this week.
Miss Cameron will be remembered
by her many friends here, having gone
to Grand Rapids a number of years
ago where she took, up course in
nursing and some tine ago she enlist
ed as Red Cross nurse. She is La
BILE to go to France at any time, or she
may be kept in this country to care
for wounded soldiers who may be
brought here from the bloody battle
fields across the seas.
Miss Cameron's letter is as follows:
jefferson Barracks, May Is, 1918.
Dear Mother: Well, it's one a. m.
and has been raining since about p.
m. | am not busy and the nights
drag out pretty long.
Yesterday had letters from Hazel
and Reub. Reub has bought back
the drug store and hasn't much help
so is working hard.
Did tell you l got my cape and
caps from Washington? The caps
are not very different from my others
and have a Red Cross on the front.
The capes are dark blue broadcloth
with scarlet lining, come about to the
knees. They are nice and look good
with a uniform, have a military col
lar. So now have the uniform COM
plete.
Today had letters from Edythe and
Eliza. No special news in either
one of them.
They are building us new quar-
ters right in edge of woods, are cut
ting trees down for the ground. Ex-
pect it will be just an ordinary bunk
house only partitioned off into rooms.
They say it will be ready in three
weeks. All the buildings here (ex-
cept the bunk houses), are bright red
brick and white trimming and among
so much green and trees looks real
pretty.
Well, yesterday morning three of US
took hike out to Jesse James cave.
We go out the road about two miles
half a mile into the woods. It's real
pretty, to the railroad and then there
is level with two tracks and Just
good walking distances on each side.
Then on one side is a real high bank
of quarry stone and there's brushes
and grass growing all out over it so
it gives one the impression of castle
walls; then down deep bank on the
other side is the Mississippi river. It's
just grand, that's all. We passed a
place where they were blasting the
rocks. never saw quarry rocks be-
fore.
We couldn't go more than the
length of our sitting room inside the
cave, it's so dark and the bottom is
all big stones and a, stream runs
through. Then above it is high banks
and a regular woods; down about a
half mile farther on is the spring. We
drank our fill. We took lot of
pictures; hope they are good; got
home at $50 so tired l thought I'd
never get back and all had a hot bath
and sent boy down to the canteen af-
ter sandwiches, then went to bed.
have blisters on my feet, but I
am not used to z or mile hikes. But
it was certainly worth the effort to
take the trip and see it all. / knock
ed, both heels of my shoes and got !
rotten dirty, but we did lot of
over rocks and around
them. Am going again some day.
Yesterday morning we went down
around the river and took pictures.
Seems as though there ought to be
boats on the river but / guess there
aren't. 1t always looks muddy.
Four nurses left here for France
a a.few days ago.
Don't know any more to write so I
guess I'll close and snooze bit.
Love TO all,
Ruby f. Cameron,
: G.. +. Nurses Quarters, Jefferson
ST Inllis Mo m