Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-11-04

| history, a chapter which contains in
its pages the. record of splendid
achievements fashioned by h {
whole-hearted and devoted work oi
Red Cross members throughout the
| community.
Great opportunity was afforded q
group of people for concerted, slim
ulating and helpful work, and the
| record which this report contains
shows that the Harrisburg Chapter
of the American Red Cross meas
ured up to the highest standard.
Cooperation
Cooperation of the community
was the greatest factor in our sue
| cess. No business or professional
man was too important or too busy
to be liable for service in the Red
Cross. The public thus gained con-
| fidence in the management, and
both financial and personal support
were the result from the business
community.
The constant publicity freely CIV
en- by the newspapers to all activi-
ties of the Red Cross has been most
important in its growth and devel-
opment.
The first step in any enterprise is
its suitable housing, and We are in
debted to the Hunter Estate, the
Harrisburg School Board, the Pub
lie Library and the Harrisburg Hos
pital for the several buildings we
have occupied. These great services
have been supplied to us free of
charge.
Membership
The membership of the Harris
burg Chapter of the American Red
Cross in pre-war days was. 1T
In the first drive it reached. Is, 200
In second drive it reached. 33 900
It now has an enrolment of. 39, ,666
If the American business man
gave the Red Cross it's stability, the
American woman gave it its work
ing hand, as is clarly shown by the
record of the Woman's Bureau.
Number of articles produced
by volunteer workers-this
includes household linens,
supplies, hospital garments
and refuge garments. 80. 1929
Surgical dressings .....r.. .4l9,5 55I
Knitted articles (Cost of
yarn S72,000) .......... 45,43S
Comfort Kits and Bags. 80. 10,609
535,6O4
This large production was made
possible by the thirty-four splendid
auXiliaries scattered throughout
Dauphin and Perry counties and the
cross-river towns of Cumberland
county, and the thirty city auxili-
aries connected with our churches,
railroad and patriotic organizations.
1t has been truly said that had
there been a Chapter strike, it would
have been for longer hours and
harder work. The men had gone to
war, or were preparing to go, and
the women resolved to go with them
as far as they could. They rolled
their hearts and hopes into BAN
dages and knitted their loyalty into
socks and sweaters, and stitched
into refuge garments their compass
sion for the women and children of
friendly nations ravaged by war.
Since Adam delved and Eve span,
there was never witnessed an army
of toilers quite like these Red Cross
Charter women
Home Service and Canteen
Equally devoted in their service
ice and Canteen. Their records are
as follows:
Home Service
FAMILIES under care of
Home Service ....... 1856
Visits made to soldiers
families 2,416
Stranded soldiers ........ 164
Financial assistance given
in loans and grants. ...$7,311.72
Cantecn
Number of workers.. 65
Men served at Railroad
Station ............. 243,29O
Troop trains met by
workers ........... lob
Wounded men cared for
at Railroad Station. 23,S78
Amount exp e n d d by
Canteen WI ,224.S5
These figures give but poor idea
of the laborious work undertaken
and the real good accomplished. At
all hours these women in their sew
eral callings solved the important
problems of the soldier, of the SOL
dier's family in its financial difficult
ties, in its moments of sickness and
sorrow, met troop trains, distributed
comforts to the lads in uniform,
cheered and comforted sick and
wounded and unforunates. The
catalog is too long to print. Nor
shall it be forgotten that large
groups of women gave their time to
clerical duties, to membership and
war fund drives and to motor corps
service.
Motor Messenger Service
Number of members. ...... 26
Miles travelled per month 80. 175
Packages d deliver per
month zoo
Hours of service for all
purposes .............. ,312
Special mention should be made
of the valuable service rendered the
Army Hospital at Carlisle, and at
Cape May by the Harrisburg Motor
Corps during the past summer.
Many entertainments were plan
ned for the benefit of the wounded
soldiers and the detachment men al
the army hospital. To meet press
ing need, Transportation Commit
tee, composed of men who owned
and drove their own automobiles
was formed with the result that our
Chapter, through their unselfish ef-
forts, became an important factor
in promoting festivities for the con-
valescent soldiers.
Nursing Bureau
The last annual report of this
bureau showed thirty-three nurses
recruited from Harrisburg territory
during the war, of whom twenty
went overseas and thirteen served in
camps. There were eight classes in
first aid and seven classes in e1e-
mentary hygiene.
Since that time the Red Cross has
decided to develop a health program
of far reaching importance. With
the idea of emphasizing public
health instruction, three field nurses
working in Dauphin, Perry and