The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-12-23
Judge Bates and I'll. E. Brad
ford Fold 100000 Com
presses in 9 Months
FOR HOSPITAL WORK
IN FRENCH WAR ZONE
Claim Made That Their Record Has Not
Been Equalled Anywhere in the Unit
5000 = Week Maintained.

5000 Week Maintained
BENNINGTON, Dee 23-One hundred
and four thousand gauze congresses fold
ed by two bennington men in a period
covering less than nine months is a record
that may have been equalled somewhere
in the L. 5. A." but up to the present
time no report Of such remarkable ae-
complishment has been received here.
This star folding team IS composed OF
William H. Bradford, president OF the H..
f. Bradford company, Inc, and Edward
l.. Bates, Of Nelmonts Oldest law firm,
Batchelder & Bates Associated with the
folders were two patriotic residents, Mrs.
IF. Il. Jennings OF North Bennington who
provided the material and DR.. /. H. Ross
who cut the gauze and packed the com
presses for shipment to the headquarters
in New York
These congresses have been prepared
for the hospital work that has been car
red on by Nine Tautfieb in France, a
work that began almost immediately after
the war opened. Vt the present time the
hospital is located in temporary quarters.
The former location was abandoned dur
ing the great drive by the German army
in the spring and fell into the hands OF
the enemy. Recent letters received from
Nine Tautfieb state that the greater mum
her ot patients being cared for are Amcri-
can soldiers.
One hundred and four thousand folded
congresses in - weeks means an average
OF more than three thousand week. The
women Red Cross folders. who have been
engaged in this work during the past
year, are much better able TO appreciate
! the magnitude OF the task than any one
else. 1t is 10 be doubted ii there are
many women in the whole country who
can claim to have made any such record
/ To fully grasp the significance Of what
these two men have done in behalf of the
I wounded soldiers in France one must take
\ into consideration all OF the circumstances
|, The two folders are both built on rather
generous lines When they 90 to tn,
scales to be weighed the first thing TO b.
done is reach for the round piece of iron
marked 300, they had both arrived in TIN.
vale Of tears before Lee closed the civl
war with the surrender at Appomatto,
and both viii admit that their fingers ar,
not So nimblc as they were 30 years ago
such slight handcaps, however, were over
come by the pcIsisteney with which the!
stuci; to their seli-mposed task DIR. Ros
could depend upon it that he would h
called upon every Thursday or Friday 10
5000 pieces Of gauze and every Monda.
he would receive the folded compresse
neatly tied in packages OF %.
The physician put in considerable O
his time during the past year packing tn
congresses for the Red Cross both thoS
folded at the branch headquarters an
those that came from other workers il
! the great cause but he is willing 10 go o.
| the witness stand and give expert test
1 mony that no better folded congresses 0
! more neatly tied packages came to hi
hand than those from the manufacture
4 and the attorney In fact, after the tw
J folders had once learned the hang
il" then work acquired such a reputatio
at the New York headquarters that it wa
sent on to Europe without inspection.
4 distinction that was accorded to few shiI
| ments out Of the many thousands tha
4 were received
While the work was in progress D
Ross visited the headquarters in Ne
II ~ n anu NftH SitpNH tiit tlltcNi abttt hltti
l cd of shipping The packets OF compr,
ses were first closely crowded into a lare
paper bag and the filled bag was the
put into a wooden box which was properl
| stlap-ironed for its trip across the Altar
| tic At the headquarters DR. Ross va
l informed that seven hundred was tn
1 limit to each bag but the physician foun
no difficulty in putting nine hundred I
n III Il L.
presses that came from the hands of II
two Bennington workers.
Mr. Bradford had been folding con
presses for some time before he was OF
evening found busily engaged with II
gauze squares by Judge Bates who ha
called for friendly visit.
What are YOU doing, WIFE" inquire
the Judge
= Folding congresses for the soldiers
France" replied the manufacturer.
a why can't ! do that, too?' asked Il
B attorney
I'm afraid not, Ed You know it TAX
an expert to do this trick
The argument ended right there b,
d when the Judge left the house for his oW
home he stopped at the office Of DR. RIOS
al III VIII Bradford can fold those COZ
u presses | can and J want some gauze
said the attorney He was given h
Eauze, kept coming back for more al
from that time in until the signing of Il
armistice the physician had hard tin
keeping an edge on his cutting knife.
do YOU know said the physical
after those two fellows commenced
get the knack Of the thing, it took eve
spare minute | had to keep them in gau7
The only let-up | had was in the midd
Of the summer when the Judge took a tt
to Washington and was gone three weel
But. do You know, when he came ba
he wanted every blamed piece OF gau
| would have cut for him had he been
home. | have known him to take a tho
sand of them home Saturday night Al
fold every one Of them before supper til
IL Sunday evening He said his folks we
. away and he put in the whole day at
And he wouldn't let any OF the WON
- 4 IL. u.