The Colville examiner. [volume] (Colville, Wash.) 1907-1948, 1919-01-18
COLV|LLE UNIT
DOES ITS SHARE
SURGICAL DRESSINGS WORK
ERS SHIP 1850 ARTICLES
IN NINE MONTHS
Business Girls Give Evenings to
Speed the WOrk-High School
Girls Help Also

1t is team work that counts. 1t
has been demonstrated in no un-
certain manner by the women of
America in the Red Cross work.
1t has been demonstrated in the sur
prising production Of surgical dress
ings which the chapters of the
United States achieved during the
war.
The man who directed the pro-
duction of millions of surgical dress
ings and garments, made the state
ment that the whole American army,
with its collective chests all stuck
out and advancing unprotected on a
line of machine guns, could not have
kept pace with the women's pro-
duction of surgical dressings.
This does not mean that they were
overstocked, but they might have
been if the women had kept on at
that rate. 1t is team work that
counts.
1t was the last of February, 1918,
when a group of Colville womea
gathered in the old Bank of Col
vile building to learn how to make
surgical dressings, that they might
contribute their share to the battle
fields and hospitals of Europe. Un-
der the instruction of Mrs. C. r.
Howard Of Spokane, they came
every morning to the surgical dress
ings class until the time for exami-
nations arrived. Those who passed
the examinations were qualified to
act as instructors.
The women taking the examina-
tions Included Evelyn Andrews, X.
Bostedo, Mrs. Anna Bair, Mrs. Rose
Bradbury, Mrs. Helen Carey, Mrs.
Anna Clark, Miss Bertha Gates,
Mrs. P. H. Graham, Mrs. B. F.
Colder, Mrs. Vesta Harrigan, Mrs.
Lucille Howard, Mrs. Jessie Ingle,
Mrs. Hattie Jesseph, Mrs. Gertrude
jackson, Mrs. Sarah Keller, Miss
Lillian Knauss, Miss Nora LaPlant,
Mrs. Linda Milberg, Mrs. Hattie
Stenger, Mrs. Bertha Strong, Mrs.
Alice thinner. Mrs. Anna Keller
studied in the class, but did not
take the examination.
The first class was organized for
work March Is, with Mrs. Anna
Clark as chairman, serving until
October, when Mrs. Vesta Harrigan
succeeded her. Mrs. Gertrude
Jackson was elected secretary.
The rooms on the lower floor of the
building were to serve as work
rooms, and the women, with gen.
erous assistance from others, pre-
pared them so that they might
present the appearance of surgical
dressings rooms.
The building was donated by G.
w. Peddycord, the tables by Kildow
& Campbell, while the show case
for the finished dressings was do
mated by the Leader department
store.
Such items as the following ap-
pear on their books:
"Linoleum laid and corners prop
erly mitred. Cause room properly
cleaned and inspected and passed
this very day." showing the spirit
with which the women worked.
The instructor, Mrs. Howard,
praised the class of Colville women,
saying that their efficiency and dill
igence was above the average. The
task of making surgical dressings
demands above all careful, con-
scientious work. Rawlings and
rough places in a dressing might
mean the life of some bleeding
soldier, so throughout the entire
year, the most careful supervision
was the rule.
A unit of business girls came
to the front to help make dressings,
organizing April 2. Then later,
group Of high school girls set aside
certain evenings to help in this
work. Much credit is due these
units for their careful work and
faithful attendance.
For regular attendance, the men,
bers Of the surgical dressings unit
all state that the palm should go to
Mrs. Minnie Gibson. Scarcely
day passed since the work was Or
ganized, that Mrs. Gibson has not
been on hand to do her part. Be-
sides making surgical dressings,
Mrs. Gibson knitted ten sweaters
during the past year, twenty dur
ing the last two years.
The unit shipped its last quota
during the second week in Decem-
ber. 1t is estimated that their ship
nouts includad over II k90 articles