Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1918-08-15

Ing. Interior decorators make the houses beau
tiful with the dignity Of simple lines and har-
monious colors. Gay curtains ut the windows
give brightness even In stormy weather. The
chintz cushions In the chairs are good to look
at as we'll as comfortable to lean against.
Half Of the big room Is used for a reception
hall and the other half forms the cafeteria.
There Is always a rest room for tired travel.
ers. A nursery with bright quilts and curtains
Is waiting for the babies who come to visit their
fathers. Not unusually the house contains
sleeping rooms for the hostesses. One or two
spare cots are frequently provided for very ex-
%ceptional cases where 1t Is impossible for women
to leave camp that night. Sometimes a bad
storm effectually holds them prisoners. Or the
mother of a sick boy waits a~nxiously for a crisis
In the illness.
A Hostess house Is manned by five women,
the hostess director having general charge OF
everything. The social hostess Is chiefly re-
sponsible for the reception OF visitors. Inc
emergency hostess looks after outside cases
which come to the attention Of the workers.
The cafeteria hostess Is concerned with tho food.
The business hostess keeps the accounts ana
looks after the buying. Certain qualifications
are essential for these offices. OF course the cafe
terra director must be a trained dietitian, a
graduate Of a recognized domestic science In
stitute and an experienced domestic economist.
Tho business hostess Is one who Is accustomed
to running a large establishment on an econom'
zeal and efficient basis. The emergency secre-
tary Is somewhat like the socia! worker. Elk
penence In settlement work OF some other form
of welfare work affords a good training. Sne
must know and utilize all the government agen'
cies, charitable institutions and phflanthropic or
ganlzatlons.
The term SOCIAL hostess sounds somewhat
vague, but more than shaking hands Is involved
- -. .>.tAl1 Che yr,,,ut hovo Ind ,oYnQr1pNCQ
IN dealing with large numbers Of people. Tact
which takes her to q desired goal without fric-
ton is necessary. Endless patience. a klEd
heart, and o shrewd brain are
The director Of a Hostess house must bs all
the four others rolled into one. Poise Is a pre-
requisite, When q tornado rolled the roof back
from the house at Camp Taylor, Louisville. and
then returned 1t to its place with n bang, the
work went right on a. II nothing had happened.
Every sort Of a demand Is made upon the Won
en- employed In Hostess houSea They made
1000 sandwiches for ex-President Taft at CAmp
Funston. The number was not too many for
him--and his admiring audience. A worker at
Camp Cody, Tex, was taken aback Tor q mo-
ment when a woman inquired "Can you tell me
where I can ret q babyT' But she recovered
her breath In time to find one for adoption.
Wandering mothers. lost In company streets.
are returned to anxious sons. Homesick soldier
boys are accompanied to movie shows. Room.
Ing and boarding places in the neighborhood are
found for soldiers relatives. Mothers are chap
eroned, babies fed, letters written. and informa'
ton given on every subject from the future life to
fountain pens.
Tho Hostess house does not shut up shor
when visiting hours are over. Not only TO,
quests does It exist. but for the soldiers them
selves. In one house It has been discovered thai
as soon AZ the boys have seen their friends on on
the train they came peil.sncll back to seek com
fort and food. Then the cafeteria, which hal
worked 20 hard all day, hands out pie and cone'
to the disconsolate ones.
The cook at Camp Meade forgot her pass on'
morning. She told a soldier at the gate VIII
she was.
"Are you the cook who makes that tomato
soupf" asked tho sentry. ts
II am" she replied.
"pass," decreed the soldier. salutins. = wan
some Of that soup this nocn."
The cost Of building and eQuippins Hostss
houses has increased aurins, the past year 3u'