The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-08-07

aNday and sufficient spending moley was better than existing without a job in civil life"
 Certainly the government has nov been lacking in providing for the comfort and pleasure of the en- listed men at Camp Benning. Be- sides furnishing equipment and di- rectors for every form of athletics, the Benning privates enjoy the use of the handsomest service club in the United States. much finer and more completely equipped clubhouse than the one built for the officers.
 The enlisted mems service club Is a red brick building, with wide tile porches, filled with comfortable rockers. bright sunny glass-Inclosed tea rooms. where meals or light re- treatments may be secured at req sonable rates, pool and billiard rooms, quantities of tables where cards, domnoes, rock and other games are played, writing tables, pianos, Victrolas and a splendid H. brary The librarian, Allan J. But Ter, fine young sergeant, who made a notable record overseas, takes great pl, asure it. directing the read ing of the men. He told me that the mechanical and technical books were in great demand and of how he en- courages the large number of young men who are seeking educational op portunites. The families of the en- listed men also use the library con stantly.
 A band furnishes music at the service club every evening, and, of course. for the weekly dances. The dance last week was given in honor of the new men who have recently arrived at &Camp Benning. General Gordon, the camp commandant, who | is greatly interested in the welfare of the enlisted personnel was pres ent, and maAA B splendid talk, well coming the new men and speaking words of encouragement to those who have remained in the service of their country.
 Hostess An Asset
 | The most valuable asset to the service club is the beautiful in- fluence of Miss Harriet Doughty, the hostess, who presides at the club. Miss Doughty is woman of cul- ture. possessing rare tact, executive ability and a most magnetic person. ality. She is unusually handsome, with snow white hair and pretty coloring. To Miss Doughty the sol diers come with all their joys and sorrows, each one meeting with sym pathetic understanding. Their fam flies also profit through her interest and loving kindness On Tuesday and Friday of every week Miss Doughty visits in the homes, min istering wherever need is found; on | Tuesday afternoons she directs the meetings of the Mothers club at the service clubrooms. helping with dainty little layettes for babies, cro- cheting rugs and teaching valuable lessons in home economies.
 | The sick soldiers look forward with | eager delight to her frequent visits to the hospital, where she. distributes ice cream, fruit, jellies and other deli cacies She writes letters for the boys, supplies them with books and maga- zines, reads or talks to them and helps to brighten many a lonely hour Miss Doughty takes beautiful flowers to the chapel ever Sunday morning and | to the hospital after service. Her unusual musical talen is also conse- crated to service. She plays for the church services and often for the sol diers who gather by the hundred at the service club every evening. Dur ing the war she served as hostess at the Red Cross canteen house at Camp Humphreys. Virginia. One of the Red lCross nurses who served with her there said Miss Doughty was her aided in the wards as the Angel Lady and the nurses had every req l son to second it. In time Of stress Miss Doughty was found most capa- ble in taking care of the sick and the many little delicacies she prepared i with her own hands made the boys think of home and mother. Her sym pathy in all directions was heart felt. never sparing herself when there was need of her services" She is still the Angel LadyF to hundreds of soldier boys at Camp Benning. The women's church and philanthropic organiza- | tions of Columbus expect to have part in this lovely social service work | during the winter season, and will l in turn serve tea at the service club and hospitals. It means a great deal to these soldiers, most of them heroes of the World war, to know that the people of their home land have ap- preciated to the fullest extent the sac rifices they endured for their coun- | try. The most we can do for them is small compared to the hardships l they endured that our liberty night be preserved.
 Sister of Mrs. Gorgas
 1 Miss Doughty is sister of Mrs Gorgas the wife of the late Gen. William Crawford Gorgas, that great Alabamian, whose Splenulu Sklll anu l genius freed the American continent 1 from the scourge and curse of yellows fever There is nothing l enjoy more jthan spending an afternoon with Miss Doughty at the service club, watching l the throngs of soldiers come and go and inducing her to discuss the vari- l ous types of characters here and else- where her Red Cross work during the war and the experiences she enjoyed with General and Mrs. Gorgas, with whom she spent much of her time. | By the way, she told me such an | interesting little romance about the courtship of General and Mrs. Cor gas In 1882 General Gorgas (then first lieutenant with the medical corps) was ordered to Fort Brown, Tex, adjacent to the town of Browns l ville where an epidemic of yellow fever was raging though he at that time had never had the disease. | few nights after his arrival at Fort l Brown he was called to the bedside of Miss Marie Doughty, who had been | suddenly stricken with yellow fever, Miss Doughty being at the time guest in the home of her brotherin- law. Capt William J. Lyster. She rapidly grew worse and all hope of 1 her recovery was abandoned. Her grave had even been dug and there I being no chaplain at the post, pr. Gorgas was selected to read the services at her funeral. Fortunately, l under his skillful treatment Miss