Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-02-10

A good substantial hot meal, or
an abundant variety OF refresh
ments-to say nothing of the en-
couragement and cheer-to every
man, woman and child in Harris
burg, with the entire population Of
several OF the suburbs thrown in,
gives a meager estimate of the work
that has been accomplished by the
Canteen Service of the American
Red Cross in this city. This is
shown by the reports just completed
for the month of January.
Harrisburg's fame for the sue
cess of this work has spread all
over the United States, and the
complete records show over $4,000
soldiers and sailors of all national
tiles have been cared for by this
local organization, which is under
the direction of Mrs. Francis J..
Hall. captain and her assistant,
Mrs. w. II. Gather.
One in an active daily life is per-
haps unconsciously forgetful of the
continued suffering as a result of
the recent war. can but little rea-
lize that daily there passes through
Harrisburg hundreds of the best
OOyS III thc OhltSu StdleS, HldlIlSu
and crippled for life; mentally de-
ficient as the result of sheIl-shock
and speechless and suffering from
the terrible effects of poisonous gas.
This flower of American manhood,
the lads who battled that we may
continue to be q free country, can
not forget as letters and kilograms
indicate. the wonderful treatment
they receive from this coterie of
tireless workers in this city. Their
pay is a great pay; even if it only
be smile or a suggestion of grac-
iousness from a lad whose days are
perhaps but short, as his pinched
face would indicate.
To realize the amount of food and
refreshments it has taken to feed
these boys, one must figure upon
truck loads of chocolate, oranges
and apples. thousands of cigarets.
100000 stamped postal cards and
newspapers and magazines the
amount of which cannot be estab-
lished.
10000 Hot Meals
The Canteen Service has an ar
rangement with the PENNSYLVANIA
Depot restaurant, with the result
that over $4,000 hot meals have
been prepared for the soldier boys.
During the month of January. 49,
235 soldiers and sailors received
food and other refreshments in this
city, and among the items was 49,
S7S pints of coffee, 100 gallons of
milk, Al gallons of stewed oysters
for litter patients, boys who may
never arise from their beds again,
to say nothing of the several thou
sand meals, hundreds of cakes of
chocolate, fruit, tobacco; etc.
This is why Harrisburg has been
placed on the map as a record city
for its canteen work, and those who
do all this do not ask why the gov
ernment often seems deficient in it's
care of the boys, but they take UP
their labors with willingness that
is sacred, and this has even been
appreciated by the Hon. Josephus
Daniel, Secretary of the Navy, who
recently wrote Mrs. Gather thank
ing her for some kindness that was
brought to his attention, and then
added:
This incident affords an oppor-
tunity for me to express to you my
great appreciation of the work
which you and the great army of
American women are doing in the
canteen service of the Red Cross.
in furnishing aid and assistance to
ofncers and men of the army and
navy during the war"
Each day makes history in the
work, and the following was taken
at random from the report of Mrs,
Hall for last month.
Received a telegram from PhiIa-
delphia headquarters that a wound
ed soldier in a very nervous condi-
ton had been placed on a train ar
irving in Harrisburg at 1O.4O D. m.
He was in charge of a medical stu
dent who would leave him here.
The soldier wanted to go to a
friend near York, and as he had
only "a hours leave it was neces-
sary to get him through. One work
er met the boy; another telephoned
his friend, and he was met at York.
The soldier had a remarkable his
tory. He was a a Canadian and en-
listed in a machine gun company in
1914. He came of a Belgian family
and his father was in the Belgian
army; later became a prisoner in
Germany. The boy had been buried
alive for three hours, was deaf and
dumb for four months, had been
wounded in two places, had been
shell-shocked, was very much Grip
pied and nervous. He was very ap-
preciatiye, and after his leave he