The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1919-08-07
MISS Triple WRITES
Lady Well Known in Princeton is
Now Engaged in Relief Work
in the Near East.
Relates Experiences and Tells of Con-
ditions Among People Tram
pied Upon by Turk.

The writer of the following letter
is we'll known to many here in Prince
ton, having visited at the home of
John F. Peterson many times during
the past few years. She conducted a
dancing class here one summer.
Miss Triple is graduate Of the
Sargent school (Harvard Annex and
the Gilbert School of Dancing in Bos-
ton, and is talented along many lines.
For the past ten years she has been
engaged in settlement work in the
slums of Boston and New York, and
that is why she felt that she was par
ticularly fitted to do this work among
the pitiful refugees Of Armenia. She
cheerfully volunteered for this work
knowing that she was very likely
sacrificing her own life in so doing.
Some of the details of Miss Triples
letter are too horrible to be printed. 1t
is interesting to know that the sup
plies of which she speaks were pur-
chased from the Armenian-Syrian
fund, to which Princeton has twice
subscribed:
Durenji, Asia Minor,
Sunday, April 6, 1913.
Dear People at Home:
You could never imagine the pecu-
liar and rather risky situation in
which the members of the American
commission Of relief in the near east
are placed.
Here we are at a naval port con-
trolled by the British, formerly in the
hands Of the Germans but, Of course,
belonging to the Turks. This Durenji,
on the gulf if Ismidt, is most i'm
portant point as it controls the Bag
dad railroad and the overland en-
trance into Turkey. Huge ware
houses, many stories high, such as we
commonly see in our own country,
made of corrugated sheet-iron, were
built by the Germans during the war
for. the storing of ammunitions 1t is
a great plant, many railroads crisis
crossing over. the land, leading to the
store houses of every size and shape
When our great ships came, laden
with their tons of flour, their machin-
cry, trucks, cloth, etc., there was no
place in Constantinople for them. So
an arrangement was made with the
British to use the empty store houses
at Durenji. So here we are-most of
us waiting until the interior opens up
that we may be sent to our posts. BY
the interior opening up I mean this:
The British are controlling only very
small portion of Turkey-C Constantine
pie and several other large cities and
important military posts. The rest of
Turkey is absolutely without protec-
ton. Sa1vis, city far in the interior,
is my post and there Armenians are
still being killed. The head of my
unit, DR.. Partridge, arrived last night
and told me that he is greatly dis
cOuraged-that it is not safe to take
US in. We might be safe if we once
arrived, but travelling over the noun
tains is hazardous. He, however, has
lived long in Turkey and is planning to
go alone. He thinks he will not be
molested as he is known and speaks
oSo4o
missionary, woman of rare ability
and great courage, is there and has
been all through the war. It has taken
cleverness and great tact to hold her
own with the Turkish officials. She
is anxiously awaiting American relief.
The fifth floor of warehouse No. 2
is the dormitory for about $50 women
and the corresponding floor of ware
house No. 1 is the dormitory for about
so men, many of the group having
gone out scouting. We have many
hundred fhamals" or t'huskies" of
various nationalities Turks, Greeks
and Armenians- working in the fields,
on the box cars, in the machine shops,
etc. Everybody is working hard get:
ting out the equipment for the diff
ferent units going out; sometimes it
is loading ship, sometimes fitting up
long train of cars, box car dormi-
tories, box car dispensaries, box car
operating rooms, etc. These latter
go away into the interior, to the towns
along the Bagdad railroad and ada
cent to it to relieve the sick and hum
cry.
l have been very fortunate. A week
ago went with a party of physicians
and nurses to the once very beautiful
town Of Bardezag. Here is a leaf
from my diary which tells of this
free-day expedition:
Wednesday, March &c. Arising
early donned my outing clothes,