Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1918-10-04
MOTHERS MAKE GAS MASKS
Work That Calls for the Most Scfup.
ulOus Care.
Leak OF GAS NAY CAUSE DEATH
Devoted Women Have the Whole
Thing Under Their Personal Super
vision, and Do Il With q Feeling
That the toast Mistake Might Mean
Death to Some Loved One.

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vision, and Do II With q Feeling
That the Least Mistake Might Mean
Death to Some Loved One.
Realism pervades the United States
gas defence plant at Long Island City.
The visitor sees In the workers the
mothers. wives and sisters OF the men
in active service who grip the con-
sciousness. the women who sit quietly
at their work making gas masks 10
save the lives of the boys over there.
their own and other women's sons.
husbands. brothers or sweethearts.
II is the spirit behind the workers that
holds and fascinates.
This great wartime factory has
grown up In an emergency to combat
the German gas attacks. Its grim
ness extends from the receiving
rooms, where all material Is inspect
ed before acceptance for use. through
each department, following every OPP
Grafton until the gas mask Is complet-
ed: the experimental gas chamber
where men In khaki tests makes un-
der concentrated gas charges; the
military guard and the medical rooms.
where the industrial army is kept
physically At. Realism Is In the face
of the workers who bend over the
benches and machines. speeding their
fingers to increased production: 1t
looks from the eyes of the women in
the final inspection division, to whom
falls the responsibility Of passing the
finished mask for shipment to the SOL
diers on the firing line-for leak
may mean fatality.
To Safeguard Thoir Own.
Any carelessness may result in brok-
en- fabric that means gassed fight
er. The women workers have known
this, and the consciousness Of 1t adds
sensitivelaes to their touch and keen
ness to eir sight as they assemble
the parts of the mask or inspect 1t
when completed. The visitor learns
that most every woman in the gas
defence plant has a son, brother or
a husband in service; large percent
have gone to France.
Mrs. Elizabeth McArdle. in the
check inspection department, has four
sons in the army and navy. Miss Z.
Doyle. working in the final inspection
of the masks, has four brothers In the
Canadian Army. Mrs. Betty Ring
gold OF Forest Hill took up the work
when her son went to France. and she
has been advanced from an operator
to a forewoman in the gauge depart
ment. Mrs. Christina Schubert OF
Brookland has en- eighteen-ye -year-old
son In the Marine Sorpsr
There are men and women here
whose names are known In the world
Of art and letters. Before the war
many Of the operators or department
managers could be found at the clubs,
in the art studios. holding positions OF
importance In various Industries and
professions.
Charles A. Mcclellan, illustrator,
the man who does the humorous. red
haired boy cover for the Saturday
Evening Post; Martin N. Branner. an
advertising illustrator: Rankin priv
ate Doc" Rankin. Of the military per-
sonneD, whose works have decorated
the pages OF national publications;
H. J. Fleming illustrator-these are a
few Of the familiar names picked from
the groups at the gas defense factor
les. Gardener White. sergeant In
charge Of the military personnel. and
a noted amateur golfer. also Is there.
Several prominent artists daugh-
tiers are working at the machines, as
well as the daughters OF two railroad
presidents. These young women are
intensely interested in their work, and
skill in production Is the one qualif-
cation for distinction In the rank and
file of the mask builders.
But There 10 Something Else.
But sentiment and courage cannot
keep the factory running, supply ma
chimes. raw stock. light heat and pow
er-an essential Is money that the
American people lends to the Govern
ment to pay the bills: It is the Amer
lean dollars put into Liberty bonds that
makes the wheels run smoothly. that
turns out gas masks to save the lives
of our men on the firing line. With
out money little can be accomplished
toward winning the war.
Through the Liberty Loan the war
workers at the gas defense plant are
rendering double service to their coun-
try. II asked about the war In the
third campaign. or what their plans
are for the fourth loan, their answer
Is simply: I'VE did the best we could:
we will try to do as well In the next
loan."
The records Of the Liberty bond
booth show that S460.00o in Liberty
Loan coupon books were pledged by the
employees OF the gas mask plant In
the Third Liberty loan-almost half
million dollars, loaned to the Govern
U1enI Dy d lie" thOubahu hhSh oAe
men: and by the end Of August more
than 100000 had been paid on the
bonds subscribed. Between $500 and
81. 900 is collected every day at the
bond booth.
Corp. Hiram Tompkins, formely OF
the foreign exchange department OF
the Guarantee Trust company. treas
urer of the war activities Of the plant.
predicts a brisk campaign for the
Fourth Liberty Loan.
I'VE aimed to raise 100000 In the
third compaign." he said, "and we
turned in 100000. That speaks well
for what we will do in the next loan.
but we do not like to talk about 1t
now; we prefer to act when the
time comes"
George Dobleer won the Liberty loan
marathon race in Chicago last Sun