The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1919-01-21
Katherine Holland Brown.


Of a dry goods box, seven farmhouses
and one general store and postofflce
combined Its pretty near as big as a
hot tamale stand. And that's all. No
Main street, no banks nor stores, no
ice-cream parlors, not one solitary
movie show, In all those nineteen
miles. Lonesome2 It's the ragged
edge Of desolation, that's what 1t IL.
II was one Of tie first carload Of
forty girls that was shipped up from
Chicago. The factory was swarming
with workmen putting In the machin-
cry. and we girls couldn't begin work
for a day or so, so we began hunting
places to eat and sleep. That was Il
trifie that the employment folks hadn't
thought Of. The workmen were sleep
ing and eating in the cars that had
brought them there, backed on the
siding. Our only chance for beds and
food was with those seven farmhouses,
50 we marched straight to the farmers
wives and asked for board and room.
Farmers Wives Hospitabls
II will say that those women were kind
and hospitable. They fixed 1t up be-
tween them to feed us forty girls. and
they gave us good food too. But for
rooms, that was the question. They
could each spare one room. That
meant sleep Eve or six in a room. But
right then along came the boss of the
factory and told us the machinery was
ready and he'd expect US girls to work
double shifts. night and day.
"He wanted to make use Of every
minute, you see. But that gave us our
chance as to sleeping. We fixed 1t up
with the farm folks that we'd work
double shifts and sleep double shifts
too.
$50 we planned 1t. Three girls
would use room from eight at night
till six the next morning. Then they'd
hustle over to the factory. and the
three girls who'd been working all
night would take the room and sleep
till afternoon. It wasn't any -luxuri-
Gus slumber, believe me- The farm
women had so few sheets and pillow
cases that most of us went without.
And towels were scarce as diamonds
on blackberry bushes. AS to SOAP
well, the general store kept yellow bar
soap, that kind that is so full of rosin
you could use 1t to calk ship. But
we made out till the next three car
loads of girls came rolling in. Then
we went most distracted. Those Door
girls had to sleep in tents and in the
cars that the workmen bad abandoned
by this time, and they were lucky IL
they got straw tick and a blanket
BY this time 1t had turned raw cold.
and maybe you know what late au-
tumn nights in Michigan feel like. 20
cap the climax the farm folks cut
down on food, and for week It was
potatoes and beans and mighty few
beans at that.
Along Came a Miracle.
But, right when we were about
ready to quit our Jobs and beat it for
home, along came a miracle. Two
quiet, businesslike women climbed
1own from the eastboupd train one
morning. With them came eight work.
men, a carload Of scantiing and tar
PAPER, another carload Of cots and
blankets and pillows and sheets and
owels-brand new blankets and beds
think Of the glory of that land
bushels of dishes and rolls Of ojlcloth
md enough burlap to carpet the coun.
ry. You won't believe me when I tell
'ou that in ten days their workmen
lad NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. shack
tut up and burlap tackled over the
walls, and the Y. w. g. A. secretary
nd her helper had set up board tables
nd coffee kettles and were serving ma
ne grandest hot lunches every day.
md back behind the burlap screens
we're set those rows of clean cots, with
nough cover to keep you warm tho
Oldest night that ever blew, and
Dwell apiece for every single girl m
GU wonder that we all felt. as one
III put IL, III wager the Fritz-Carle.
On has nothing, on thisr
who were those women? Wbv
:. W. 9. A. secretaries, of course "a
link you'd know that without being
DID. All over the country wherever
e girls have pitched in to make aero
lane cloth or overalls or munitions or
aimed goods you'll find Y. W O.
'cretary working harder than anv.
bay else to make the girls comfort
Die and to keep them happy and well
they haven't money enough
get all that we really need But nj.
avs they stretch every cent to mak,.
40 iIs level best for us. Do you won.
y mat we girl workers have learned
can the \. ". G. A. our Big Sister
the very best Big Sister Of all2