The Daily Alaska empire. [volume] (Juneau, Alaska) 1926-1964, 1950-09-25

through somber dark faces on the
days when the Red Cross Grey
Ladies visit patients at the Gov
eminent Hospital here. There are
only eight of these anonymous wo-
men who faithfully spend from
five to ten hours week visiting
those confined. The visiting hours
are but a small part of their act
ivities. The shopping hours take
equally as much time-yarn for
Mary, 10, who is learning to knit
while recovering from a long i'll
ness; knitting needles for Joe from
the Kobuk who is learning to make
his own sox-and then to find a
knitter who will show him how to
turn the heel; magazines for grade
scool-age children to cut and paste
into booklets for the smaller tots;
toys for the wee ones; beads for
lass from Tanana who is making
a purse for her daughter; sequlns
for another from Metlakatla decor
ating a blouse; Irvine for Craig
belt-maker who braids design belts
or perhaps pick up a fancy buckle
for him; crayons for Sue who is
just learning to color: paper for
Jane from Angoon whose sketches
are good; thread for those who
crochet; animal pictures for Pete
from the Far North who finds he
is less homesick when he draws
animal pictures-the list is endless.
Magazines Books
And magazines and books! There
are never enough. 1t might be
surprising that little interest is
shown in comics and trash types.
Greatest interest is expressed in
current informative magazines such
as Time, Life, Newsweek, Readers
Digest, Saturday Evening Post,
Golfers, Science Digest. Even Har-
pers and Atlantic Monthly are dog
cared. The boys and men appre-
ciate True, Argosy and outdoor
magazines while the girls and wo-
men devour Ladies Home Juornal,
Woman's Home Companion, Today's
Woman, Seventeen and others OF
that type There are never enough
needlecraft issues-even the old
ones.
Andrew From Shishmareff liter
ally consumes all the Erie Stanley
Gardner mysteries he can put his
hands on. Hardy, the musician
from Nenana, watches hopefully for
a stray billboard. Of Down Beat
Crossword puzzles are carefully
worked with soft pencils, erased and
passed on to another.
Endless Hours
Awake hours are endless for
these people far from their homes
and friends.
Improvement chart records go up
sharply when a Grey Lady writes
a letter for Mary to her folks up
in the Koyukuk and again when
an answer is received.
There was the. little three-year-
old Noona who was learning to
walk again The help of a Grey
Lady and a repaired walking toy,
along with regular treatments,
helped a good deal.
Henry, from the tundra country,
didn't care too much whether he
lived or not until Grey Lady dis
covered that he'd like to weave.
After much searching she got a
loom and yarn for him. Within no
time he'd used up all the yarn
making beautiful puff-ball pillow
tops and scarves. Now she's
searching for a market where he
can sell them. From listless lad
he's become bright and SO gay
that he has even put pin-up girls
on the wall over his bed.
Quick Appreciation
Two girls, over-shy and reticent,
took little interest in anything I'M
til a Grey Lady was given a small
radio which she in turn took to
them. They became interested in
a radio contest program on nam
ing tunes. Before long they pro-
crossed to appreciation of good
music and now know the names,
composers and artists of the SYM
phonies and concerts they hear.
Newspapers from any part of
Alaska are seized upon hungrily
and passed along from one to an
other. OF course, anything that
goes into the TB ward usually
remains there and only two of the
Grey Ladies visit it regularly.
Their calls are anxiously awaited.
If they fail to show, or are late,
concern is expressed and they are
privately worried about-unknown
to them.
Happy Birthday
One Grey Lady keeps track OF
birthdays with a card or cup-cake
and candle for the occasion. Aunt
Sally Fox, born in 1887, can't see,
hear and moves slightly, but she
responds with a slight turn of her
head when a Grey Lady touches