The Canon City record with which is consolidated the Canon City cannon., 1918-05-16
Mrs. Van Keuren
Writes from France

receipt of a letter from Mrs. Floyd
Van Keursn. written from, the Ameri-
can Red Cross headquarters. No. 4.
Place de Ia Concordo. Paris. and bear
ing date of April 1ILh. She says:
''Your last letters have been un-
answered because they came Just be-
fore the beginning OF much excite
ment There is only time for a note
now to tell you that we are safe and
10 thank you. and all Canon City
friends. for the prayers which we feel
had much to do with our coming out
of IL all as We did.
IL cannot go into much detail now:
except to say that we were obliged
TO eyacuate our station on March -
when the Huns were reported to be-
well. very near. think. frankly.
that il was the hardest thing we ever
had to do. and you know how hard it
was for Us to leave Canon City.
we had had five enemy air raids
during as many nights; the last two
being so fiendish that have no words
to express an idea OF their .frishtful-
ness We evacuated TO a town about
fifty miles away in order 20 receive
aid and to help the refugees from
the north and east. Mr.. Van Keuren
was placed in charge OF all relief
work there. We had. altogether.
sbou. fifty people working for the Red
Cross in the town. There was abb
solUteiy no room to be had. so We
rented a large house. unfurnished, and
bot up all of the beds in the town.
which numbered sixteen. and all 81
the mattresses. ten of them. for use.
That gave Us Sleeping quarters for
twenty-six people. for 10 one who
had a bed could have mattress. We
had fifty people 10 care for the night
and the extra twenty-four had to sleep
on the floor. or on straw.
The first day there | worked at
the railroad station where the evac-
ue's we're. but there was so much need
OF proper quarters for the Red Cross
personnel that AIR. Van Keuren asked
me and another of the women to stay
and assist with the house. which We
named the Red Cross hotel: II took
all OF our lime. assure you. for we
had TO feed people all day and late
into the night. 10 seven days We
had no real sleep and not for eight
days did We take our clothing OF.
When the work sisckened very con
siderable s=d The refugees had all
been sent on. we were ordered TO
Paris TO rest and clean up.
The Joy OF bath and real bed
with sheets seemed too good TO be
true. We all rested and will soon
start for our new station. for. of
course there will be chance OF work
ing in our former one for some time.
We will 80 to Eordcaux where We
will have charge OF the relief work in
three departments. which correspond
TO counties in Colorado. Headouar-
ters viii be in Bordeaux with tse de-
ne and Sandes as our field OF work.
We are fortunate In having with US
two members OF our staa. Miss Tan
Ber and Miss Hird. who have been
to think OF our happy family broken
UP and scattered thruort France
There are about forty five persons on
Ma. Van Keuren's payroll. so you see
that our work is getting into some,
thing rather worth while.
'In gong to Bordeaux we could
not he setting much farther away if
we tried and we shall be so disgust
ingly safe there thai it doesn't seem
risht. but the problems will. prob,
ably. be none the less rrea, and we
shall need your prayers and your
letters more than ever
Holy week and Easter were
strange to Us this year. Mr. Van
Keureu was in Aris a, Easter for
some supplies. but returned To his
post on Monday following: atziho
same time getting our trunks and
the greater part of our belongings.
We were obliged TO leave the town
where we were stationed at the time
Of the German drive 40 hurriedly. and
had so little space for its transporta.
tion. that We left much behind us at
the time
II forgot to mention big Bertha.
the long-rangc gun that goes or every