Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1918-10-25
Dear Editor:

Dear Editor:
| want, if / may, to catch little DIT
of your space with a message that Will
perhaps help to give aid to a cause that
is dear to the heart of every one OF us
soldier boys who is serving in this for
eign land fighting, or preparing to
fight, for the advancement OF human
freedom throughout the world-the I.
NJ c.. A, of which we commonly and
tenderly speak of as the ~
Our lot would be a sorry one indeed
were it not for the activities of this
institution. Our allies in this con-
conflict, or most of them, are in reason
ably close touch with their homelands.
We are 5000 miles from ours and it
does seem at times that the ~ is the
only connecting link that's left.
Nome can begin to appreciate the
extent of the "Y." activities unless he's
seen them in operation over here.
Then they loom so great as to make one
marvel. From it's centers the inStitu-
ton reaches out to give welcome to the
newcomers from the states as they ar
rive few in each of the scattered ham,
let's of the area. 1t carries to them
French money to exchange for such u.
S. coin and currency as they have
brought with them overseas, such coin
and currency being of no worth i'll gen
eral trading over here. 1t bears to
the boys paper and envelopes SO that
they may promptly write home. 1t
carries them cookies and chocolate.
soap and sardines, tooth brushes and
paste tobacco and cigarets, handker
chiefs and towels, movie performances
and various entertainments But Of
greater werth than are all these SER
vices, the "Y." men bear to the new
Corners breath of cheer that is balmy
to the hOmesick souls. All the time
and everywhere these secretaries are
ION the job Their are astir at peep
O. day; they don't get to their rest
until long after taps has sounded.
They maintain their cheerfulness in
face of many disappointments and dis
couragements, making us feel strong
when we stand and lifting us again
to our feet when we have fallen. We
all swear by the Y. NJ. c. A, and we
want our friends at home to capitalize
it most lavishly when it comes and asks
for further financial aid, for it sup
plies our soldier boys many things at
a positive loss, nothing at a profit.
Here in this camp to which we are
attached the "Y.'' is especially well es-
tablished. It's hut, having ground
area of about 60X130, is rather crude
outwardly; but it's interior in the most
hOme-like place we've seen in France.
Inside it has nearly everything except
carpets on the floor and upholstered
furniture against the walls There are
attractive curtains at the windows;
thrilling and tasty, though roughly
framed, pictures on the walls. There's
a big assembly room facing spacious
and we'll equipped stage, and it's here
that we gather to see three movie
shows per week, to hear occasional
concerts and lectures, to witness boxing
bouts, to join in the Thursday night
song service and the Sunday morning
and evening religious services. Back
of the stage is a pretty good library
its books all free to our use West
of the assembly hall is big writing
room, neatly and well equipped with
tables and benches and lavishly sup
piled with stationery. More than 100
men can, and very often do, write
simultaneously in this room. The hut
is equipped with a piano, and the "Y.'
influence has secured the organization
of an excellent orchestra, and has fur
nished the instruments for same by
rental from a French music house.
The hut canteen is well stocked and
is open to us from 600 a. M. to 10 200
D. M. Mr. Nye, of Wisconsin, is our
hut secretary, and he has much
liked helper in Miss Shuffiebotan, who
is also from Wisconsin. Mr. Ballen-
tyne, also of the Badger state, directs
the athletic activities. Other secre-
taries attached to the hut though
their work is principally done else
where) are Mr. Lynn, of Ohio, who is
builder of huts and erector of tents
for the entire area, and Mr.. Scott,
New Yorker, who runs the transport
department for the area. Any one of
these stands always ready to ''go to the
limit III helping the boys. Glasses
haze been organized for the study of
French and for the systematic reading
of Shakespeare Glass in shorthand
is to be organized, and other study
classes will be launched whenever, and
soon as call comes.
These classes are preliminary to the
coming of winter. For that much
dreaded period the hut will be equipped
with ten or a dozen stoves. They'll be
dinky little things, none of them taking
wood of more than 12-inch length or
5-inch diameter; yet they will make
the hut the only halfway warm
building in the camp That will make
the place so popular that these study
classes will almost certainly grow and
prosper.
During the summer months we had
much in the way of outdoor sports
Two very classy ball diamonds were
laid out two fine yOlley ball and q