The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-05-04
CAMP JACKSON ". NJ. C. A.
Letter of Thanks to Sumter County
People for Entertaining Soldiers.

ohP oaCnSOu, ApTiI Io.-lneTe are
so many friends of the Y. M. C. A. in
Sumter that / shall have to ask you
to allow me to use your widely read
columns to thank them, for 1 really
have not time to write so many per-
sonal letters. In the first place, l want
to thank the Brick Church commun-
ity for entertaining the boys two
weeks ago and again last week, and
the same thanks are likewise due to
the town of Sumter. If you could have
have seen the boys when they return
ed from the trip and heard their many
expressions of gratitude, 1t would be
entirely unnecessary for me to say a
word.
This week the good people of
Wedgefield asked for Is ana Sumter
for two. We were SO anxious to get
the full quota that we asked num-
ber of boys, and they were to report
by a certain hour az the Y, but as
they did not, We went to one of the
captains and asked him to give passes
to some Of his boys that they might
accept our invitation, which he did at
once. When We went to the station
to get their tickets. we found that in
stead of the twenty for whom we had
invitations. we had q. Each boy be-
gan wondering If he had to be sent
back to camp, and seemed so disap-
pointed. that We had not the heart to
send any of them back, but sent them
on to Wedgefeld and Sumter. Then
We telephoned one Of the hosts at
Wedgefield and told him what we had
done. He seemed rather glad than
otherwise. and we had no fears for
those boys who went to Sumter with
out an invitation and we await their
reports tomorrow without any trepi-
dation. A host in Wedgefield prom
ised to phone the news Of the inun-
dation on to those in Sumter. Sever
al times We have had to disappoint
the hostess because all the boys ask
ed could not come; but we feel that
we are getting the plan better system
atized and no one need fear for this
reason to send an invitation,
If there is any one or any COM
munity that would like to entertain
soldiers, If they will send me their
names I shall be most happy to send
them some soldiers.
want to thank the teachers and
pupils of Sumter and Wedgefield and
the G. Els Of Salem. Mayesville and
Sumter for the beautiful fowers sent
to the boys of the Base Hospital. The
scrap-books and the Afghan were
most welcome. and 1 will take them
to the Base Hospital Please make
some more of them.
Words can not thank you for the
big box Of jellies which came through
Miss Elizabeth White. They will
speed some sick lads to health and
strength.
have just come from the receiv-
ing station where l saw six hundred
boys from Tennessee and as many
more from Florida detrain. They were
such a tired. lonesome looking bunch,
so different from our soldiers. 1t was
wonder to think how Uncle Sam
could make them in SO short time
so fit. / was talking to the BOYS
from Florida and 1t struck me it would
be SO nice if the Red Cross or the
Y. M. c. "A. would meet them at some
of the stations and serve them sand
wiches and hot coffee as they passed
through. know it would be appre
ciated.
Please send me some plants for the
beds around the Y. NJ c. A. build
ing. Ours have been prepared for
month, Just waiting for the plants
All the other buildings have theirs
set out and growing
Please direct all my mail TO LAG
Y. Nj. c. a. building as know that
some things sent me have never been
received.
Yours truly,
Mrs III. w. Beall