Red Cross Department [pp. 480-487]

OVERLAND
delicacies and medical supplies for the journey
to Manila. Within the last month many
changes have taken place. The sewing committee, having turned over to Major Long in
.all 63,ooo bandages and 27,000 miscellaneous
garments, have considered their work finished
.and returned to their homes, but this week
the busy fingers are again at work making
mnore bandages to supply the demand for 7,500
required to supply the regiments recently ordered to Manila. Many willing workers are
on hand daily in order to fill this large order
in the shortest possible time.
The new regulations of the government
'have simplified the work of sending supplies
to the camps. I6 Post street is still a haven
of rest for the men going off on furloughs or
discharged soldiers whose papers are not just
right and have to be straightened out before
-they can get off. Here they sit and doze until
train time, casting all their burdens on the
Red Cross, secure in the thought that every-thing will be made right in time for them to
go. Well-filled lunch baskets are given them
for the journey, with books and stationery,
and those too ill or too hopelessly dull to take
care of themselves and their precious papers
.are personally conducted to the ferry by Miss
Elliott of the Hospitality Committee and put
on board the boat, their grateful hearts invariably calling down blessings on the Red
Cross ladies.
Mrs. Sanborn, Chairman of the Committee
on Discharged Soldiers, says: "It has been
the duty of this committee to investigate the
cases of all discharged soldie;s applying to
the Society for assistance, and to render help
in all worthy cases, to asis't in obtaining transportation for all honorably discharged sol-diers, and to see that sick men who are being
returned to their homes either upon a furlough or discharge are provided with comforts for their journey. Before the order arrived from Washington for the Government
to pay the transportation for all honorably
discharged soldiers, the State and City Red
Cross Societies paid all expenses and sent
eight men to their homes. Since that time
the Society has confined its efforts principally
to seeing that such men as applied to them
received their transportation and subsistence
from the Government promptly, and in some
few special cases where the attendant circumstances warranted, assisting men whose discharge had been applied for. In all we have
aided about fifty men in this way.
The Committee on Identification Medals,
consisting of Mrs. Henry Martinez and Mrs.
Robert Oxnard, reports that its work is finished. All the troops have been supplied with
the medals and also the Red Cross nurses.
The general use of this medal is new to our
country, and we are glad that California has
been able to add an idea for the care of our
armies, even though the gruesome little reminders may fail of an extended purpose on
the occasion of this war. When the sword is
beaten into the plowshare the identification
medal will at least serve to cut the baby's teeth
on.
One more committee we have for the direct
benefit of the soldier, the Ferry Postal service, inaugurated and carried out by the indefatigable chairman, Miss Burke. With the
departure of each transport Miss Burke is
ready with her basket of postal cards, stamps
for letters, writing paper, and pencils, for
distribution. All that the soldier is asked to
do is to write. Sometimes he even has to be
urged to do that, as the following incident will
show. A certain youth ready to sail for Manila, who had enlisted without the consent of
his parents was urged by his comrades to
send a line telling of his whereabouts. At first
he stubbornly refused to do so, and said that
nobody cared for him. Finally pencil and
paper being thrust into his hand and left alone
for a few minutes, he overcame himself and
with tears in his eyes and a "God bless you,"
handed Miss Burke the card closely written
and addressed to his father. Twenty-eight
thousand nine hundred cards have been distributed and five hundred letters stamped, and
to the further glory of Miss Burke be it said
the charge on the Red Cross has been but ten
dollars, all the rest of the money having been
raised by contributions.
To the Ambulance Committee, with Miss
Ashe, and afterwards Mrs. Breyfogle as chairman, was entrusted the care of furnishing an
ambulance for the transportation of soldiers
arriving sick at the water front. Mr. Duncombe has given the use of his ambulance
most generously for this work. The ambulance furnished by the Willing Circle of
King's Daughters went with the First California men to Manila.
Mrs. Arthur Cornwall who has looked after
the comfort of convalescent men who have
gone across the bay to a milder climate, reports that in August Mrs. Belden, represent
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