Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1933-04-19

Only worthless trees were left. Rot
ting logs cover the forest floor. There
is thick underbrush. The good trees
are just beginning to gain foothold.
White and red oak. white pine, blacl,
walnut, yellow poplar and white ash
trees are fighting for their existence
with almost worthless black gum, scrub
pine and scarlet and black oak trees.
Under the direction of skilled foresters.
the men will clear out these latter, the
weeds of the forest garden. and give
the former a chance to grow.
The second objective is with the men
themselves. Embittered with the world,
they are to be given baptism in the
waters of nature. Their ideals have
been destroyed, their lives wrecked.
Here everything can be built up again
as Spring with its red dress Of bios
soming Judas trees and its white coro-
net of wild cherry flowers comes slowly
up the mountainside out Of the val
leys The spirits are to be remade with
contact with nature, fresh air and
plenty of wholesome food. The Army
hardly could have sent into the field
a man more adapted to the job before
him than the sympathetic, thoroughly
human, Capt. Donovan.
The camp Is remote from human
habitation. Few mountaineers lnger
in this wrecked forest, almost destitute
even of game. Luray is miles away
Edinburgh 10 miles. For years, ever
since the first ruthless wrecking Of the
woodlands. nature in this high hollow
hardly has felt the touch of man.
Even Brooks Clean"
Consequently the whole environment
is so clean that even the water Of
the mountain brook probably can be
drunk with perfect safety. A well is
being drilled and the brock water was
chlorinated yesterday. but this was just
a customary Army precaution. There
is no source of contamination between
the camp and the high spring from
which the stream originates.
This pioneer company divides. both
in appearance and attitude, into two
groups.
First are the men, those in their
middle twenties They are old enough
to have known better days. Some have
had good jobs and some Of the luxury
of life But for months now they have
been jobless and sometimes hungry
More important still, they have suffered
from the monotony Of trampmg the
streets in hopeless search for work that
did not exist. Their pride has been
hurt by the necessary acceptance OF
charity. They have not come to the
age of resignation. Rather, there has
been developing in their hearts bitter
ness and disgust with things in general.
It shows on their faces and in their
conversation.
Second are the boys, under 20. Even
in adversely they have been sheltered,
after a fashion. Some show unmistak-
able signs of malnutrition. They never
have had jobs Of any kind, except after
school and during Summer vacations.
They made the great transition Of late
adolescence and early manhood in the
midst Of the great hopelessness. They
have not experienced blighted aspira-
lions and enthusiasms, because the
days in which they reached manhood
were days which did not beget aSpira-
tons and enthusiasts.
Older Men Philosophical.
The diverse attitudes show clearly in
the reactions of the men to critical
test-the first night under the open
stars in the chill of the mountain
hollow as an abrupt transition from the
comfortable quarters at Fort Washing
philosophically. For example:
An X-ray technician, formerly en-
ployed at one of the foremost medical
clinics in Washington but laid of two
years ago: This IS break and the
first one I've had for long time.
Everything's going to be swell here and
I'm asking nothing better than this
chance to cut away from the past and
breath some fresh air."
A clothing salesman, formerly en-
ployed at large Washington depart
ment store: Look at the beautiful
hills all around. I didn't sleep last
night and just lay looking at them
with the stars over them and the mists
breaking away in the early morning.
It's like Heaven here. Reminds me OF
something they quote out of the Bible.
I used to belong to the National Guard
in Washington and we went into camp
in the mountains of Pennsylvania one
Summer. There the mountain tops
were black and here they are blue
one just as beautiful as the other.
Hell for Two Years.
Its been hell for the last two
years. I just walked and walked and
walked the streets of Washington
nothing to do, no hopes of anything to
do, no money for anything, everybody
looking down one me, no hopes for
tomorr row. All I could hope for was
to be tired enough to sleep all night
and not to know about it. And all
of q sudden I'm lifted out of that
horrible old world and set up here In