The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1918-03-14

On March 8, 1918, the war council
Of the American Red Cross received
the following cable from Major ].
II. Perkins, Red Cross commissioner
to France: "At the request Of the
United States army, the Red Cross
has just arranged to install with all
American troops. now engaged in
actually fighting Germans, special
front line service. This is develop
ment Of the front line canteens thru
which the Red Cross has during the
past six months served more than
one million Poilus with hot drinks and
above all else a friendly boost or
write-up in or near the trenches
themselves.
"Today the Red Cross has fifteen
rolling canteens behind the lines.
From these canteens are sent for
ward daily, often in the small hours
of night, fifty or more receptacles
containing hot drinks. These are
served free to men going on or com
ing off duty. The work has proven
itself to be Of such value to the
French that the American army has
asked the Red Cross to have this SER
vice directly in touch with medical re-
lief stations which are nearest the
front. The work is often done under
heavy shell fire and requires men Of
great bravery and sympathy.
Eugene Hale, brother of Senator
Hale Of Maine, has finished six
months with the rolling canteen ser
vice near Verdun. He has. served
thousands Of French troops and gain
ed great commentator from a French
general who noticed the character Of
his work. Returning to Paris today
just before leaving for America,
Hale said, while men are glad to
have a hot drink, their chief satisfac-
ton consists in the sense this service
gives them Of friend being there to
extend a helping hand and cheering
word at the critical or tired hour
american army officers are mani
Testing keen interest in having this
service at the disrosal of American
TROOPS and the Red Cross plans to en-
list in France and in America a sub
stantial number of men of the highest
caliber to undertake this wonderful
service. It will be performed at a
point nearest the fighting line at
which civilians will be permitted to
contract with men,"
Bentley P. Neff, vice president Of
F. A. Patrick & Co., Duluth, Mimi,
has accepted the important post Of
associate director Of the American
Red Cross department of supplies, at
the request of H. P. Davidson, chair
man of the Red Cross War council,
and probably will go to New York
Saturday to assume direction of the
Red Cross supply offices in the me-
tropolis.
A Red Cross auction was held re-
Gently at Gayville, S. D.,-a town with
a population of 350-which netted
s1673.55. One Of the features Of the
sale was an egg, laid by a hen after
she had been brought to the sale,
which brought $52.55. A cake was
sold for STEPS, and aAquart of oysters
for $3.50.
During a convention held by the
| Minnesota Crop Improvement asso-
| citation last week, ten ears of Silver
King corn were auctioned off for $50.
Two other strings of ten ears of corn
were also sold at exceptionally high
prices, one bringing $3.50, the 9th
er $3.50. A bushel of corn was sold
for $27.50.
The receipts of these four lots of
corn amounting to $142.50 went to
the Rock county chapter of the Red
| Cross.
Three horses, three hogs and a large
amount of farm produce to be sold at
a Red Gross auction, were the gener-
GUS donations Of Davis, S. D., farmers.
One rooster was sold and resold until
it brought $118.50.
The bureau Of military relief will
soon have postal cards printed and
distributed to all Northern Division
chapter for redistribution to their
branches and auxiliaries.
These cards are to be placed in the
hands Of people writing to men in
France. They will be addressed to
the Northern Division, Minneapolis
giving the names, addresses and
home addresses or locality of com.
rades who apparently have nobody c
write them from home.
It is the purpose of the Northern
division to locate a friend or neighbol
to write such men weekly letters, nc
matter from what part of the Uniteo
States they may come. Volunteer
writer's will be called for in the bull.
letin only when no acquaintance
can be found.
This method will reach the right
persons, and say an unnecessary