USA > California > Santa Clara County > War history of Santa Clara County > Part 11
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WAR HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY
Following Mr. Warren, Charles L. Snyder took charge of the salvage and shop and Mrs. Louie King became a capable manager, serving as a patriotie volunteer with her corps of "enlisted women" un- til the need for this branch of Red Cross activity eeased. Enormous amounts of "salvage" came to the shop and through the able administration of this Red Cross department by the volunteer work- ers the receipts from the day of opening until June 2, 1919, amounted to $11,593.80. Withi expenditures of only $384.48 the salvage and shop added a net profit of $11,593.32 to the great Red Cross merey fund.
Everything was grist that came to this mill-and every bit of grist passed through the mill. This unique shop had no "dead stoek." One day a well- known man had some business to transaet for the Red Cross. The day was warm and he removed his perfectly good coat. When he went to look for it, it was nowhere to be found. Someone had bought it! That man was a patriot! He went home coat- less-but with a smile!
Mrs. Arthur Langford's Red Cross leadership ex- tended from January 1, 1918, to October 1, 1918. Her's was a beautiful service performed as only an unselfishly patriotie American woman eould per- form it-with every bit of energy, both of mind and body. It was a hard service, a wearing one, but it paid for all Mrs. Langford's earnest effort in wonderful results.
Slipping from Mrs. Langford's tired shoulders the heavy burden came to Mrs. Louis Sonniksen, who carried it from October, 1918, to May 20, 1919, when the last quota was met, the last box packed and shipped, the production and surgical dressing rooms elosed-and the last eliekink knitting needle laid aside with the fervent prayer that never again would the needs of war urge to their task the hands of mothers and wives, sisters and sweethearts-and blessed gray grandmothers.
During Mrs. Sonniksen's direction of chapter production, Miss Dora Burns aeted as supervisor of the sewing rooms. Miss Florence Carter, Mrs. Wil- liam Osterman and Mrs. Leon Hirsch supervised the improtant work of the surgical dressing rooms. Mrs. W. H. Davison had charge of the knitting, and Mrs. H. R. Tripp supervised the cutting.
This final period of Red Cross activity, following the signing of the armistice called for tremendous energy and enthusiasm. With the firing of the last gun a feeling that the great need no longer existed was prevalent. Women were worn almost beyond the point of endurance. They had knitted and] sewed-they had fastened on the white uniforms and white head dresses day after day and passed the hours in the surgical dressing rooms where everything suggested wounds and horror and deatlı. It became inereasingly difficult to hold them to the task-but Mrs. Sonniksen's leadership reeog- nized nothing less than whole-hearted service nor any goal nearer than the last call, whatever it might be and whenever it might come. To the responsi- bility of Red Cross work came the burdens added by the city's time of stress during the influenza
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epidemie. This, too, was Red Cross work-and for our very own. Masks had to be made by the thousand and every day eame renewed calls for pneumonia jackets. Clear-visioned, splendidly poised, always doing herself all and more than she ever asked of others, this beautifully loyal and ef- fieient woman kindled enthusiasm and kept the Red Cross to its task through the days when the fighting was over and energy flagged. At the eanteen Mrs. Sonniksen was always in her place- always on duty. No train carrying soldiers could ereep through San Jose even in the night hours, without finding Mrs. Sonniksen with the members of her canteen committee waiting to meet it. There were not always great gifts to give-candy, gum, cigarettes-but more than these things was the word of welcome and the cheery smile. It never failed.
The real story of the final days lives only in the heart of the leader the faithful Red Cross workers learned to love-the heart of Mrs. Louis Sonniksen. She alone can tell the difficulties of completing the task. To the intrepid women who carried the re- sponsibility, to the chapter officers, to the band of women who received medals for more than 800 hours of work, to the members of societies who eame day after day to serve in a "whatsoever way -to the loyalty .and unswerving purpose of these volunteers San Jose owes the page in its war his- tory that is made beautiful with sacrifice.
There were instances of service deserving more than casual mention. Each of the three women who guided the destinies of the Red Cross names Miss Emma Buek and Mrs. Stanton. These two women worked from the first day to the last. Mrs. Her- bert Tripp and her mother, Mrs. Butler, and a dear elderly woman named Mrs. Caldwell, came four or five afternoons each week to work at the Red Cross rooms. Mrs. Elizabeth Shaffer, Mrs. Arbing, Mrs. Arthur, Mrs. Jaek Hardy, Mrs. W. Lathrop, Mrs. Frank Eley are all mentioned lovingly by those who learned that they "eould always be depended upon.
One notable service was Mrs. Stoekton's. She knitted dozens of pairs of soeks and donated every one of them. Mrs. DuBrutz, mother of A. G. Du Brutz, gave faithful service at the surgical dressing and garment rooms. Although well along in years no physical disability kept this truly patriotie American woman from shirking any duty that her country ealled upon her to do. Some months ago Mrs. DuBrutz passed into the shadowland-the land where elear records of good deeds are kept on the pages that God turns.
Mrs. Sarah Morehead, well past three-score and ten years, although not able to come to the Red Cross rooms, knitted beautifully warm garments for "our boys." She "ealled up" for materials and instructions and perhaps she never has known how those who carried grave responsibilities came to de- pend upon her faithfulness.
Mrs. Jaek Hardy cared for an invalid husband- and was one of the willing burden bearers for the Red Cross. Another dear old lady walked 17 bloeks
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WAR HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY
every day to the sewing rooms in order to save the " earfare for Belgian relief. Day after day, menth after month, deing the only service that her tremb- ling hands were able to accomplish-a necessary service, too-Mrs. Geofgiana Newman pulled the bastings from hundreds of garments. She did net choose her werk nor complain that it grew tirc- some. It was just "her bit. ''
Many of the 800-hour workers spent many mere hours than that number of hours. Among them was Mrs. Mary Brown, whose only fear was that she would not do quite all her part in the great werk of merey. Always at her task, whether at the Red Cross rooms, sewing and knitting or home or help- ing at the canteen, at any time and place where a eall eame fer volunteers, this one faithfully patri- etie woman was an inspiration to all these whose lives touched hers.
Names, names, names! What a roll of hener could be compiled by the Red Cross! How inesti- mable its service te humanity! How ineemparable its gracious hringing together into eleser harmony and sympathetic understanding all women whose hearts had been beating in tune all through the pre- war days only they hadn't knewn it.
Statisties are net often interesting; but the Red Cross figures of aeeomplishment should be emblaz- oned in letters of flame.
From May, 1917, to May, 1918, the sewing rooms completed 8133 pairs of pajamas. Of knitted gar- ments: seeks, sweaters, wristlets, helmets, mufflers, shawls and stockings-a total of 190,025. There were in this queta 12,806 seeks and 3662 sweaters.
For the same period the production of the surgical dressing rooms amounted to 228,264 articles, inelnd- ing 5-yard rells, pads, pneumonia jackets, masks, eempresses, drains, tampons, bandages, front line pareels, heel rings and spenges. Of compresses alene there were 183, 723 made.
Refugee work comprised 3032 garments. Among them were house gowns, undershirts (8 years), chemise (8 years), and new garments.
Of miscellaneous garments there were 26,30; completed. This list ineluded aviaters jackets, pillow cases, bed seeks, helpless ease shirts, pajama trousers, boys' suit, boys' trousers, drawers, under- shirts, underdrawers, bed shirts, ambulanee eevers, ambulance pillows, ice bag covers, convalescent eovers, bed jaekets hot water bag covers, girls' pet- ticoats, girls' dresses, napkins, serub eleths, wash cloths, handkerchiefs, tray eloths, quilt, eemfort bags, operating leggins, sheets, unhemmed squares.
For local use the production rooms completed 266 pneumonia jackets and 2800 masks.
From May, 1917, to May, 1918, the garments and surgical dressings numbered 152,487. From May, 1918, to May, 1919, the production totaled 153,338. For the entire period dressings and garments num- beerd 287,825.
Nor was the Junior Red Cross doing "junier" work along the lines of production. With a junior membership of 13,120 the garments produced were 2316.
The Home Service Department of the Red Cross
assisted 1452 families during the months from May, 1918, te April 30, 1919. The money expended amounted to $6,488.88, and of this disbursement $2,178.33 was returned.
At the elese of the war activities the officers of the local Red Cross chapter were E. N. Richmond, chairman; S. G. Tompkins, viee chairman; W. T. Rambo, secretary; V. J. LaMette, treasurer; James B. Bullitt, manager; chapter production, Mrs. Louis Senniksen; civilian relief, Henry G. Hill; publicity, Maude C. Pilkington; finanee, Arthur E. Holmes; chapter seheel, C. S. Allen; eanteen, Charles R. Parkinson; salvage and shop, Charles L. Snyder.
Names and figures are cold things. If you write them in the eelor of warm human blood and read them by the light of sacrifice, you will find the merey emblem of the Red Cross lifted bigh above everything. Its story lives in heart throbs as it lived all through the dark days of waiting and wateling and praying and working. We count the garments and the hours. God has eaught in his chaliee of His everlasting memory all the tears- and the heartaches-and the loss. It was San Jose's acceptable service for God-and country-and liu- manity.
BELGIAN . RELIEF
Long before the Stars and Stripes unfurled in the eamp of the allies, the United States heard-and answered-a poignant ery of pain from overseas. From the fall of 1914, through all the dreary days of war, side by side with the crimson thread of the Red Cross ran the silver one of Belgian Relief. Even with the thundering guns sileneed by the signing of the armistice this warm-hearted response to the needs of a suffering people did not eease.
San Jose did her part from the first day to the last under the leadership of a rarely eapable weman who worked se quietly but with such rare sym- pathy and with integrity of purpose that San Jose's part in Belgian Relief makes one of the proudest chapters in leeal war history.
Early in October, 1914, Mrs. J. W. Davy was asked by the San Francisco committee to take charge of the Belgian Relief here and when the work commeneed later with a complete organization this valiant little patriot took upen her shoulders the load of tremendous responsibility and carried it with colors flying, day after day, month after WAR HISTORY -. THIRTY NINE month, until Belgium's people were suceered and re- stered to a place where they refused to accept fur- ther aid except in the way of funds leaned to their .government.
November, 1914, they were asking aeross the sea, "is there .a man in all England, a citizen of a neu- tral country, in whose hands we may place the humanitarian cause of Belgian Relief ?" That man was Herbert Hoover. Sympathy is a quiek bridge builder and in San Jose, in January, 1915, Dr. W. C. Bailey, president of the Chamber of Commerec, ealled an important meeting. That meeting resulted in $2600 worth of foodstuffs being sent to Belgium. This drive fer funds, the first made directly for Belgian Relief, was engineered entirely by the
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WAR HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY
Chamber of Commerce with publicitiy furnished by? Fred Lewis Foster.
The real organization was perfected in the fall of 1915, and headquarters established in a room in the Chamber of Commerce building.
The first work under the new organization, with Mrs. J. W. Davy chairman, was the raising of a voluntary subscription of $2400 for the purchase of new clothing. After the big mass meeting which resulted in the shipment of warm new clothing, the monthly pledges became a feature of the relief. These pledges, voluntarily signed, were the means of sending from San Jose $400 a month in the be- ginning; that increased to $600 and the last month 's gift of loving kindness amounted to $1300. Ap- proximately $15,000 totaled the local subscriptions to this relief fund and that amount does not include the first funds of $2600 for foodstuffs and $2400 for new clothing, which were forwarded through the Stanford Fund before the San Jose organization was complete.
In all there were four drives for clothing. Two of them were made in conjunction with the National Red Cross. More than 25 tons of clothing were shipped overseas as the result of appeals made during these four drives. One remarkable record of helpfulness was made by the Comforts Forward- ing Committee of the Christian Science Church, whe gathered at their North First street headquarters one-tenth of all the clothing sent to Belgium during the last drive.
From the Home of Truth on North Fifth street there has been issued no record of the unlimited amount of money and clothing they have sent across the sea. Working independently they have for- warded hundreds of dollars and box after box of clothing directly to Madame de ITemptine, a Belgian woman who conducts a refugee house at Calais. Only this far away woman whose heart responds to every kindness offered to the suffering women and children of her stricken country has kept a record for the Home of Truth-a record blotted with warmly grateful tears.
Money for Belgian Relief came from many sources. There were entertainments and card par- ties in private homes; there were sacrifices made that no one will ever know about; there were Moth- er's Clubs and through organization of the schools. The needs of the children were paramount and not a boy or girl failed to respond in the schools where Old Glory waves. In one year the school children gave $1500 for those other children who called to them for food and clothing-fer life itself. It was very largely "children's work for children" and the sacrifices of pleasure made by the little folks illuminated a path through the world's darkne- like a moonpath across midnight 'waves.
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From first to last no money was used for admin istration of this great mercy fund. Every cent co lected for Belgian Relief went to Belgium, sent b: Jack Russell, of the Bank of Italy, who acted as treasurer.
The committee who served with Mrs. J. W. Davy in this great humanitarian work were Miss Idn.
Wchner, Mrs. W. A. Beasly, Mrs. S. G. Tompkins, Mrs. Charles R. Parkinson, Mrs. Thomas Blanchard, Mrs. Edwin A. Wilcox, Mrs. Everett Bailey, Mrs. D. A. Beattie, Mrs. J. E. Bell, Mrs. W. A. Johnson, Mrs. A. P. Post, Mrs. W. P'. Lyon, Mrs. II. L. Bag- geriy, Mrs. George Herbert, Mrs. Nicholas Bowden, Mrs. David Burnett, Mrs. Edward Sterling, Mrs. Paul Clark, Mrs. Louis Sonniksen, Mrs. Willard C. Bailey. Mrs. Leonard Stocking, Mis. Robert Syer, Mrs. E. C. Singletary, Mrs. George B. McKee, Mrs. Glendenning, Mrs. E. C. Richmond, Mrs. Jay E'der, Mrs. M. E. Faull, Mrs. Charles R. Wayland, Mrs. Arthur Field, Mrs T. II. Reed, Mrs. W. L. Woodrow, Mrs. W. P. Dougherty, Mrs. W. A. Waterhouse and Mrs W. W. Campbell. In the schools Miss Mary Helen Post was in charge of the work at the Nor- mal, Mrs. Mary Smith, Washington School, and Miss Elizabeth McSwain at the high school.
Two ardent workers in the cause of Belgian Relief were Judge and Mrs. W. A. Beasly, whose hearts beat with love for children everywhere. When the first call from a devastated country where women and children suffered unspeakable things, the Beaslys enlisted in the cause of humanity. In 1917 they were named "California representatives of the National Association for the orphans of the war," and what they gave and what they did for Belgian and French orphans reads like a story of a "fairy godmother." These deeply patriotic Ameri- eans served so quietly that few knew of their far-reaching service. Theirs was a volunteer ser- vice of love that gave time and the strength of tenderness te succor even "the least little ones."
Workers for Belgian Relief flaunted no banners, crashed no symbals. It was an effort that had root in sympathy and each seed in its great garden where mercy grew was wet with tears. Its self-sacrificing committee chairman and those who worked with her never thought of themselves. They sought ne glory, no gratitude, no recompense except the soul satis- faction of having not failed when the clear call came to them.
As one Belgian Relief worker expressed it-"it was all like a thought thrown out into the night. We were weavers who worked on the wrong side of the fabric and never saw the pattern."
What they never saw, God's eyes looked upon- and He called it beautiful-the fabric of Belgian Relief wrought of mercy and dyed with tears.
ALLIED RELIEF
All unofficial war activities, wherever and what- ever the need, met instant response. In each school a "war chest" cared for the various funds, the money for the unofficial relief kept separate from Red Cross funds and being administered on a pro rata basis. Armenian, Serbian and Belgian Relief found a constant source of helpfulness in these school war chests which were kept filled by pro- ceeds from entertainments, sale of candy and money cheerfully sacrificed by many who had little to give -but gave it all.
Serbian Relief, administered by Dr. Henry Meade Bland, supervisor of English at the State Normal School, who headed the committee, and Miss Helen
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WAR HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY
M. Sprague, serving in the double capacity of sec- retary and treasurer, had one strikingly picturesque feature. Dr. Bland bought a flock of young tur- keys and "herded" them on the Normal School grounds. For months those who walked that way were greatly intrigued by the sight of the Doctor "feeding his flock." At Thanksgiving time, 1918, these turkeys, auctioned for Serbian Relief, emptied a substantial sum in the Normal School war chest. It was a very rare bit of practical humanity.
Ileadquarters were 'opened on East San Antonio street and money came from many sources. Sev- eral prominent Serbians gave their subscriptions through this agency and in the late fall of 1918 several hundreds of dollars were forwarded to the committee in San Francisco to be used for educa- tional purposes.
Thousands of dollars went from San Jose for Armenian and Serbian Relief. During two intens- ive drives for the suffering and starving people across the sea the local response amounted to more than $38,000.00.
When the appealing needs of the Armenians be- came urgent, a meeting at the Y. W. C. A., on March 11, 1918, started the first big drive. Judge F. B. Brown led this campaign and J. D. Crummey took the treasurership. The amount apportioned locally was $12,000 with $3000 to come from the county outside of San Jose. The one fact of this relief fund being administered by a New York . man who paid all expense so that every cent col- lected might go to Armenia was a feature of the drive. The entire quota was met under the effic- ient leadership of Judge Brown and Mr. Crummey aided by the following Executive committee, Cap- tains and assistants at headquarters:
Executive committee: Judge F. B. Brown, Mrs. W. A. Alexander, Rev. R. S. Emrich, Rev. E. A. King, Hon. H. Jones and Mrs. D. A. Beattie.
At headquarters: Mrs. Flickinger, Mrs .. Hull and Miss Bishop who represented Mr. Crummey.
Captains: Mrs. F. M. Eley, Mrs. D. W. Gil- christ, Mrs. J. W. Lewis, Mrs. M. V. McCurdy, Mrs. Charles Crothers, Mrs. A. T. Hermann, Mrs. E. A. Wilcox, Mrs. L. Richards, E. V. Busch, A. G. Wilkins and George N. Herbert.
During this humanitarian campaign one unique gift was a solid gold chain to be sold for the relief of starving women and children James Beatty, manager of the Liberty Theatre presented the com- mittee through George N. Herbert's team with 200 theatre tickets for each month of the year, a gift that supported 10 children for the entire period. The crest of giving came on Saturday, March 6. 1918, with a response of $4,222.00 San Jose's entire Armenian subscription during this "Judge Brown drive" took care of 1598 children, 1000 men and 1000 women in the destitute country that looked to us for help and did not look in vain.
The second drive for allied relief, headed by Charles M. O'Brien, chairman, and carried out with the machinery of the War Work council began January 14, 1919. With a quota of $22,000 asked, over $23,000 was given. The armistice silenced
the guns, out in that silence the cry for help from the people reaching empty hands to America came with clear insistence. San Jose met the appeal with splendid generosity. Charles M. O'Brien led his humanitarian campaigners straight over . the top to a swift victory in a righteous cause, recog- nizing no geal, but a full quota flying the honor flag of oversubscription.
From the beginning of the war the tragedy that was France never appealed to America in vain. Hearts ached for France-and money that went to her swift relief was blessed with tears and an agony of prayer. The Joffre club, Club La France, the San Jose branch of civil and military relief, under the direction of Mrs. Victor Cauhape, at Twelfth and Virginia streets, sent hundreds of dollars and tons and tons of clothing and supplics. Societies and individuals adopted French orphans. The quaint, precise English of the letters of thanks that came from time to time did not disguise the" intensity of feeling and the depth of understand- ing with which the French received the relief.
Every interval of time between bond and relief drives seemed to be occupied by war savings stamps, thrift stanips, sales of Smileage : Books, and collection of money for "mess funds." Noth- ing was too big to attempt for our own or for others, nothing too small to receive grave attention if it were for "relief."'
No history of local participation in the world- war is complete without a sincere tribute to the men who served on the three draft boards of the county and the physicians who made the physical examinations of the men and also the attorneys and laymen who labored late and early assisting the men to fill out their questionairs. It was a grilling work and held no glow or promise of glory. Day after day, to the utter neglect of private business interests, these men and women kept the nation's intricate machinery of war running with- out friction. Draft boards, called also examina- tion boards, were made up as follows: The city board-David Burnett, Everett Bailey, and Dr. J. U. Hull. Examiners-Drs. C. M. Richards, M. D. Baker, J. C. Blair, A. T. McGinty, L. V. Saph, E. E. Porter, S. B. Van Dalsem, E. A. Filepello, A. W. Conner, and H. J. B. Wright. County board No. 1-G. L. Downing, J. S. Mockbee and B. G. Allen; with Drs. D. A. Beattie, N. H. Bullock and W. L. Newell examiners. County board No. 2- Dr. A. E. Osborne, Paul F. Clark and F. T. Wat- kins. Examiners-Drs. L. Cothrain, C. A. Way- land, Geo. W. Fowler, E. E. Holbrook, E. H. Dur- gin and W. Adams.
Almost every attorney in Santa Clara county assisted in the work of filling out the questionairs and the following persons-layman-worked, under the persistent, faithful, intelligent, heroistic guid- ance of Mr. Martin Murphy, from 8 o'clock a. m. in the three shifts to 10 p. m. for many, many days, in fact for a month, assisting in this arduous work:
Kate Devine, Cecelia O'Neil, Genevieve Horne, Belldon Gallagher, Maxene Cox, Olive F. Francis,
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WAR HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY
Bertha Odell, Bess K. Beverson, Adelaide E. Gra- ham, Clara Ulrick, Jessie Webber, Flora S. Math- ews, Alice V. Beckwith, Emma Holtz, Mrs. V. A. Benson, Victoria Shiliue, Mettie Pierce, Adelaide Valine, Ruth Spinelli, C. Kate Holt, Nora E. T. Coffin, Marie Rowan, Ruth De La Rosa, Mrs. Rich- ard Healey, Frank A. Leslie, E. B. Huntington, C. W. Cutler, G. Marguardt.
From the first heart throb to the last tear it was all humanity-all a war to preserve the best things in the world and that by personal sacrifice.
Santa Clara county gave her sons and grieved with those who were nearest when blue stars turned to gold to mark the ultimate sacrifice. She gave of gold-abundantly and with full measure- heaped up and running over. Not in pride of possession is the heritiage that San Jose gives to those who will hold the destiny of her future. Her glory lies in the things she gave up, in the sacrifices voluntarily made, in the beauty of the elose brotherhood of her dark days, in the un- questioning and whole-heartedness of her response to the world's needs in the great world war. *
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