The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1918-08-22
MRS. CRENSnAW
WRITES FROM EAST

70 De thar ktui Tor al nome anu Ctl
know Il. Mr.. Crenshaw asked me to
write this for him, ana I really believe
il was because he couldn't think Of
the things al home and appear sol
dierly. Anyone who would yolutar-
+ lily leave Hood River to seek home
or opportunities m New York is max
ing a mistake, TO say the least
But don't thirk because We are
homesick that we are rot in the war
and GLAD If it. lAt FOst Mcdowell
Mr.. Crenshaw worked in the records
office while he was waiting for this
call east. Ii is marvellous the number
Of recruits they could handle there IN d
day. A recruit spent about four days
on the island and when he left he was
completely outtitted, examined, in
sureu. assigned and left a record SO
complete that be couldn't get lost to
anyone who wanted to find him, and
any mail or anything going to him
would find him IN the end if IL had his
name on it, The entire system cOuldn't t
4 be equalled for efficiency. | was a
settlement clerk fer the government in
| the San Francisco Railway Cleariugs
Bureau. Here was efficiency, too. but
1 directly due to the management of the
/ Southern Pacific lines. We handled all
! freight settlements for the SIX lines OF
/ that centre. There We're 81 men and
| women on the force, the clearlngs for
some days reaching nearly half mill
/ ON dollars Sl36 600 was the lowest day
while | was there. So much money
/ got on my nerves at first, for no one
might leave at night until everything
balanced, but | soon got at ease when
/ | learned the system Of balancing af-
ter each settlement.
4 In San Francisco we We're always
expecting the call to go, and didn't
! feel settled. They changed their minds
So many times about what they would
do with Mr. Crenshaw, and when We
started over here we weren't at all
sure we should get clear across, but
we did The trip was enc Of the
things in our lives to be remembered.
| felt very privileged to be the one te-
male in a tourist car full of soldiers.
When | went down to San Francisco |
/ hoped to at least get on the same
tram, but never dared dream Of going
into the coach with the boys but q
soldier S wife tagging along seemed
to be somewhat unusual, so everyone
mo had anything to do with the trans.
portation end Of ii did everything they
cloud to get be on. And there isn't a
finer lot of boys anywhere than that
car load, only one from Oregon.
though We came by way of Los
/ Angeles, New Orleans, Atlanta, Wash
ington, d. c., Philadelphia. and then
4 this Big City, for Astoria is Long
Island suburb of New York.
The second night out we were ram
med in the rear by troop train, teles
/ coping several Of our coaches and in
/ jlglng several men on our train. but
no one on the troop train. At every
station the Red Cross ladies loaded the
boys with fruits, coffee and sandwich
es, little cakes. everything soldier
could wish. At Cotton, Calf. they
sent large box full of jellies ana
Jams to the car The boys had them
for their lunch all the way
There We're two insane soldiers witt
us, to be taken before the famous chin
ic at Washington d. C. About a mile
out OF Beaumont, Texas, one Of them
/ jumped from a window of the dining
car. We didn't hear ANYTHING of him.
but it seems impossible that he could
survive such a fan. Near Lvnchburg.
/ Va. we saw the remains Of a wrecked
/ freight train in which three men had
been Killed. could write all night on
4 the things we saw as We passed. the
possibilities of the south as we saw
them, etc. In the ii hours we were in
New Orleans we saw the industrial
and historical points of interest, and
explored old streets so narrow YOU are
allowed to 90 only one way with We.
bicle. A most interesting trip. and So
far we have failed to find anyone who
hasn't heard Of Hood River
We have been in town since Thurs
dav morning and are settled TIL the
war is over from all appearances. Mr..
/ CrenshaW is one of 24O chemists for
the Astoria Light. Heat & Power Co..
the largest gas plant in the world SO
4 they sav. IT is run bv the Government
now and gas is only bv.product. for
they are making gas absorbing mater
ials to be used in gas masks.
At Fort Mcdowell was all over the
fort the first week, but there is no
hone for me here. cant get any
further than the gates. They are 80
strict and I'm fairly eaten up with
curiosity. There is big gas mas,
factory near. where thousands of masks
are turned out every dav. | wanted to
work there, but here am, house
mother to 10 chemists. all big men at
home, Ph. Ds. and NJ. As. and all that
sort of dignity. but lust plain soldiers
here. buck priyates vet awhile. They
are all so disgusted because they can t
90 "across. Their letters. G.. d. s..
stand for Gas Defense Service, but
WIN 0IacHef iot Ihe last word ne
streak. another source of disgust.