The Goldfield news and weekly tribune. [volume] (Goldfield, Nev.) 1911-1947, 1918-02-23
RED CROSS GIFTS
WELCOMED BY
SOLDIERS
PACKAGES FROM GOLDFIELD
CHAPTER ARE RECEIVED
WITH JOY

local chapter of the Red Cross from
Lieutenant Frank D. Shearer, at
Camp Kearney, Cal, the officer who
distributed the packages to troops
there. The Goldfield chapter secur-
ed the 100 packages, at a cost of
sJ70, in time for distribution on
Christmas day, and the manner in
which these gifts served to brigh-
ten the day for the men in camp is
told graphically in the following
letter:
Personnel Office, Headquar-
ters 4Oth Division, Camp
Kearney, California
Feb. IL, 1918.
Goldfield Chapter, Red Cross,
Goldfield, Nevada.
Friends:
"Tis more blessed to give than
to receive"
This is to tell you that the
Christmas packages prepared by
Your chapter we're welcomed by
members OF the 160th Infantry
told Seventh California and part
of Second California Infantry. To
you, at "home," 1t will probably
seem amusing, but 1t is a fact that
men become more or less boys when
IN the service, and act accordingly;
and you can picture the reception
given the Red Cross boxes. 1t be-
came my duty to attend to the dis
lribution of these boxes in the 160th
infantry.
We started by sending for six
prisoners from the guardhouse to
handle the heavy boxes. ("Prison-
ers" does not always mean what 1t
sounds like; these of ours are most
" men who forgot what time it
was" and o~verstayed their leave,
and it is a military necessity that
they be punished for this infrac-
ton of the rules).
These men came to work on the
Loxes listless, and more or less un-
The first box, 10 Christ
mas parcels from Y~uba-Sutter Chap
Ter, Marysville, CAL, was delivered
TO the prisoners for themselves and
their comrades. Immediately their
demeanor changed, and the box was
carried to the guardhouse with all
the pleasure and fun that would
have occurred had it been at their
own homes.
After that the fun of distribut-
ing to others was carried on, with
no thought of work. A mule team,
with a supply wagon, was loaded
with packages. At each company
street the first sergeant was wait
ing, and when the wagon appeared
the ~sergeant's whistle brought the
men piling out of their tents.
The men on the wagon began
their chorus-''Santa Claus, Santa
Claus, Santa Claus = Whoopee!
Come and git yours" and immedi-
ately a swarm of laughing boy-men
were receiving armloads to carry
to the s~ergeant's tent, one package
for each man who could not go
home for Christmas. The line of
march of the Santa Claus wagon"
left a laughing crowd behind at
each company street, and Those
folks are sure good to us" was often
heard, sincerely spoken.
In three of the companies were
some recruits, drafted boys of Next
can parentage, from New Mexico
and Arizona. These stood away
f,om the crowd until they were told
what the noise was about. The
surprise and wonder in their faces
spoke for them better than words
their appreciation of having some
che care that they should be re-
1nembered.
Your work and selfdenial in pre-
pairing and donating would eem to
you we'll worth while could you
have seen the real Christmas plea
sure in the faces of the men. AND
many faces were not laughing;
they showed the memory of Christ
mas at home, and their thought
that they would not be home this
year. The love and good will that
you good people wished into each
package gave just that to each man
who received one.
1 am thanking each and every
me of you for the 160th Infantry.
Even as We do unto one of these"
The delay in acknowledging the
receipt of these Christmas boxes is
due to the ease with which 81 will