The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-08-28
Accommodations
FOR ALL AND MORE
Surprising Ingenuity Of Men I'm
Charge of Housing at
Central Y.
ROOM FOR HUNDREDS.
Short History OF beginning, Rise and
Wonderful Progress of Work OF
Taking Care OF Uncle Sans Boys.

ii sounds like a fairy tale, and yet
when one realizes that fact is stronger
than fiction. he stands ready for any
kind of Il surprise When the big
building. the gift of Richmonds good
citizenship, now Familiarity called The
Y, was opened eight years ago. and
our citizens were told there were
ninety two bedrooms single and
double which would accommo date
120 men. they expressed unbounded
surprise.
Then when, in order to accommo-
date conventions and the state fair
/ fifty additional beds were placed on
( the third floor interested ones said.
How could you do it?" However.
since just AS necessity Is the mother
| of invention" so is emergency mans
opportunity and when the big war
broke out and Camp Stuart sprung
up, az II were, in a night, Immediate
( provision was made in the big build
! ing to accommodate the large crowd
/ OF soldiers who resorted thither. and
some thought the building was taxed
/ to its capacity; but not SO.
| When Work Started.
When the thousands of soldiers
were sent to Camp Lee. and it grew
up, mushroomuke, into an enormous
! city, and began sending its men to
! Richmond for week-ends, the execu-
! tive committee of tn big ~" COM
! posed of five leading citizens--Messrs
/ W. d. Duke, O. J. Sands, W. J. White
/ hurst, j. +. Jones and c. G. Taylor
Jr--immediately authorized General
| Secretary Mckee to make. SO far as
/ possible. all needed provision for the
entertainment of the men in uniform
| overnight in comfortable sleeping
/ quarters, as well AS furnish them with
! refreshing shower baths and de
Iightful swim in altered water
When the association announced
/ that $50 men had been entertained
/ overnight the public was astonished.
I then necessity was again the mother
/ of inventIc. =, and provision was made
! for 459 men to have comfortable beds
/ saturday, August T. Out went the
word, Now, they have reached their
! limit" i}ut not so. Last Saturday
I another quantity Of equipment was
put in and sos men slept in the build
/ ing, some of them so soundly that
+ they had he called for dinner sun
day afternoon.
/ In answer to the query, Did you
( sleep soundly?" one big fellow said
/ Nothing like 1t since ! left home :"
i The way they poured in and out of
t the big doors was n caution. They
! came to meet friends, write letters to
| the tune of almost a thousand, en-
I Qtirc about churches and Sunday
school, clubs, and other places of in
ferest To battle swim and sleep. Not
less nan thirteen hundred passed in
and out of the building, and ali these
without the introduction Of any oues.
honable attraction or making the men
objects of charity. They like to be
treated as men. Just like other men,
self-reliant and selfrespecting. One
friend said to the general secretary
Saturday night. Now. you can't add
any more"
Sleep in Bowling Alley.
With a smile came the reply, III
needed we can put fifty in the bowling
! alleys 10y closing them Saturday al
six O'Clock and have them ready again
for use by Monday afternoon; we car
put ter more in the billiard and poo
room without disturbing the balls
We can put twenty in the Railways
! without disturbing those residing ir
| 'siumberVille, and then. if need be
we can put ten more in the blue room
eight in the service room, which will
make total of col. Then, If there
: should still be ned, a Seventh street
lobby can be created at small expense
! which would take OF forty more A
temporary shelter on the roof garden
over the auditorium would prove foI
seventy more, who would be sleeping
practically in the open: then, il there
should still he needed a Seventh stree
; of provision could he made on thC
roof of the main building, which
: would take care of t50 more. And
then. If there should still be need, >
said the secretary, we can do wha'
- is done in many other places, double
r deck the whole business. and take care
Of l.522 men, and this without any
output for rental and at a minimum
| cost for heating and lighting and ser
. vice
THAT is not all, sleeping accommo.
datons and the hearty handshake are
= but "A small part Of the real service
that Is being rendered.
/ Book Could BE Written
"A book of life stories could bt
, written. recounting opportunities fol
real service to men, fathers. mothers
wives sisters. brothers and other
, loved ones in their hour Of lonesome.
: ness, uncertainty and grief Sons
have hen located for mothers, and
they have been put in communication
with them in the cantonment camp:
OF our country and over the seas
Where there has been trouble and
sorrow at home, men have been help.
ed on their way home, lunches served
concerts given, Bible classes held, and
on a single afternoon, on two diff
ferent occasions, $50 men who had
detrained after a blisteringly hot ride
from southern camp. were put
through the human laundry" and
swim with the accuracy and speed OF
Il counting machine. in less than two
hours, and were ready to entrain, re-
JoicinE that the big 'Y" was ION the