Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1918-01-16
HEADQUARTERS Is
HIVE OF INDUSTRY
LContinued from First Page.l

ter. You notice there is no bicker-
ing, no trihing disputes, no gossip.
We are inspired with q great cause.
We work, work, work, and we talk
little. We turn out what the Red
Cross headquarters orders. That is
to say we do the best we can, and
the only demand made that has not
been entirely filled is that for 3d.
600 knitted orders which were to be
delivered within three months. We
have now about two thousand peo-
pie knitting for us in this district
which includes Harrisburg, part of
Dauphin county and parts of Cum
berland and Perry counties. But
they have not been able to dispose
of this very considerable demand
The Task
One hundred women are working
every day at the Walnut street fac
tory under a strict system which is
maintained without rebuke or dis
cord by "bosses" who never before
had experience in handling indus
try. Many a masculine overseef
might learn things from these etfi-
cient women who direct and manu-
facture an incredible amount OF
things.
To say that in the month of No
Vember the local Red Cross com
pleted 24,SS7 articles does not con-
vey much information to the reader
because he does not know what care
and incessant labor is required to
satisfy the headquarters inspectors.
The gauze work alone is stupen-
dous proposition. Under the direc-
ton of Mrs. Chandler Hale, Mrs.
Whitney and Miss Mary Pearson 9O,-
40S surgical dressings were made
including almost every technical sort
of bandage used by surgeons. This
task was so big that Mrs. Gilbert
cast about for some swift method
of cutting this gauZe and she now
has secured Il remarkable electric
cutter which ships through a bum
die of this tricky goods, saving much
labor. The surgical dressings de-
partment was really the foundation
of the development of the Harris
burg Chapter. Due to the leadership
of Miss Anne Mccormick this branch
has increased it's weekly out from
one box to 10, shipped to France.
Much Help Needed
The knitting feature of Red Cross
work is an interesting one for it calls
out help from all sorts of uneNpec-
tea places. Inc
this was organized under Mrs.
George Matson and is now directed
by Mrs. Hoar. 1t is estimated that
about 1000 persons are contributing
their time and skill to knit sweat
ers, socks, mufIlers, wristlets, he'll
NETS and other woolen necessities.
Among them is Mrs. Jennie Gold, to-
tally blind, who never fails to turn
in several pairs of bed soN every day.
Another unique workman is Mr.. Fen
rer nearly ninety years old, whose
work is second to none.
4 great amount of the knitting is
done at the chapters workshop on
the second floor where electric ma
chimes turn out wooden socks at a
rapid rate and they are firmly,
strongly made, too. The ladies sew
in this room also, and have the ad-
vantage of electricity IN running
their machines. An idea of the bulk
of this business may be had from
the fact that in one day Mrs. Mer-
Ger b. Tate, chairman of the pur-
chasing committee, bought and gave
out five hundred pounds of yarn. 1t
costs about SO for the wool in one
sweater. The new materials for the
most part is bought in Harrisburg,
to the end of patronizing home
stores.
Much Raw Material