—
(By Barton Blake)
The fat New York journalist was
visiting the village of Grecourt in the
department of the Somme. He had
come in a comfortable motor car, and
be smoked a big pipe.
It is at Grecourt that a group of near
ly twenty graduates of Smith College
have camped in portable houses round
the ruins of the Chateau de Robecourt.
This ruined castle, that was for thirty
months a Bavarian field hospital (the
■Germans blew it up when they re
treated), is a center now for social and
medical repair work in the neighbor
ing villages. The American Red Cross,
no less than the alumnae of the college
at Northampton, has gladly taken a
band in financing the colony—the
nurses, the “social workers” and “chil
dren’s workers,” the motor cars which,
with a stock of necessaries, tours the
neighborhood and sells at two-thirds
<nf cost price; the farm department,
with its cows supplying milk for a
nearly milkless neighborhood, and all
the rest of the activities of these
strenuous young women.
une oi me smun coiiBgiaus, wuu
Is classed on the roster of the Gre
,court conoly as “Social Worker, head
of Children’s department and Carpen
ter,” told the New York journalist
that one of the sad facts about the chil
dren of the neighborhood—whom she
bad come to know very well when
they came to listen to story telling,
and to classes, was that during the
period of nearly three years of Ger- 1
moan occupation they had very nearly
forgotten how to play.
"Our doctors say that they are un- 1
derslzed,” she said, “and you can see '
that for yourself, when you ask them '
their ages, and the boy you had taken 1
for twelve proves to be fourteen, and '
the girl who seems only ten says she is 1
twelve. That is one of the results of
undernourishment, I suppose. But that
isn’t all. They have forgotten—or
have never learned—how to play!
"We are changing that. They are
learning to play. French games and
American games, too. We are restor
ing childhood to these children of
France! I
'* f it is a pity that they haven’t
, .**' 'oks to read during the last
bad Uv The intellectual iife tif
three years- ... . . , , J
the region 8lWted the j
time the Gertifa/rS were hwre This e
■was more serious foY the children ,s
than for the grown-upsr. e
“Unfortunately, we ha\£ very few a
books to give them, or to lend them, t
What we have, they devour! They a
are so grateful, these children, that t
you want to do more for them than
you can afford to do!”
So spoke the “social worker,” who is -
proud, also of being Grecourt’s car- i
penter. *
The newspaper man said nothing— -
but took notes.
Twenty-four hours later he was back (
in Paris. He took a morning off, and
let his typewriter have a rest while he <
sauntered along the Seine. No one ,
who loves Paris has forgotten the
book-boxes which line the river banks.
France may be an empire, a kingdom,
VI a I o^uunv-. * --- r
or may be fighting off the invader of
1793, of 1870, of 1914—remain always
the fellows who fish in the Seine
I though no one ever saw them catch
anything!) and the old men in cordu
roys who sell old books and old prints
and wretched copies of paintings in
the Louvre, from their zinc boxes built
ohto the parapets of the riverside.
So this New York newspaper man
hastened to the Quai Voltaire, and
worked his way gradually up to the
Quai de la Tournelle, where stands the
restaurant of la Tour d* Argent—the
wonderful old restaurant where Wil
helm II counted on having his Christ
inas dinner in December, 1914.
And bought books—not many, but
the few that he deemed suitable for
*he children of Grecourt, and not too
dirty either.
That newspaper man has had a let
ter from “the carpenter’’ who is also
head of the Children’s department.
He is rather proud of the letter. He
knows that it is not easy for a tired
carpenter to write letters by candle
light, in a portable house, after a hard
day’s work with hammer and nails—
and children!
“You didn’t forget those books!” his
letter begins. “I thought you were
only a ‘journalist’—after ‘copy;’ it
never occurred to me that I was beg
ging for my kiddies when I told you
that they were hungry for good things
to read. The books you chose showed
sense in shopping, too. You touched
on religion, patriotism, pleasure (ir
the good old stories), and art. The
Bouchor folk tales are just what I was
hoping to buy at my earliest oppor
tunity. As for the Boutet de Monvel
edition of Jeanne d’Arc—I can scarcely
tell you my joy at seeing it. Before,
we had only two of this wonderful edi
tion—Fontaine's ‘Fables’ and a book
of Songs and Roundels. I have longed
to be rich enough to buy every book
of this edition for the children here—
but it seemed wiser to get more quan
tity—for the money we can spend. I
rather aspire to own those1 Bbutet
books myself, some day!
‘The children are borrowing the
books with such eagerness that the
end of the week saw me bookless
again; and if your package had not
come today, I should have had to go on
my rounds tomorrow bookless. I can’t
quite make out which is the greater
emotion these book-hungry children
rouse in me—pleasure or sadness. Any
way, you did a good bit when you
helped the children to these books.!”
The newspaper man smokes his pipe
almost contentedly this particular eve
ning. His shopping the other morn
ing puf him behind with his week’s
work—coming as it did right on the
heels of his long trip through the de
vastated provinces, where he took
copious notes, but finished no articles,
i'et I don't think he minds.
I just left him, and while I was in his
itudy he showed me the letter and
old me the story I have told you, and
le seemed rather cheerful about it all.
"1 have adopted those children at
Irecourt,” he said.
“I can’t play with them as often as
he carpenter does, and I doubt if I'd
>e heroic enough on their accounts to
ive in a portable house in a very damp
ilimate—but they’re going to get some
nore books as soon as I get my next
heck from America, or I'll break my
>ipe!”
H INK GREEK IS
AWARDED CITATIONS
By W. S. Forrest, United Press Staff
Correspondent.)
WITH THE FRENCH ARMIES IN
'HE FIELD, Jan. 4 (by mail).—Nick
torhies, 24, today the most honored
nd most decorated living American
merican volunteers in the big war.
ign Legion; an unscathed veteran of
11 the Legion’s terrific battles during
tie past three years and a half, has
lade up his mind he wants to continue
lie struggle with the American army.
Of Greek parent, but born in New
'ork and an American citizen, Kor
ies was seen by New Yorkers selling
lananas at the corner of East 23d
treet and Avenue B when the great
vorld war began.
There was blood of the ancient
1 reeks in the veins of the dark haired
.’oung banana seller for all the wrath
>f his uncle and all t)*e love of a black
>ved maiden in the Greek colony could
lot stop him from "making his way to
France where he joined the Foreign
Legion in August, 1914.
Personally modest and timid but an
ardent fighter, the youthful Greek
American has covered himself with
glory every time the Legion has pass
ed to the attack. His latest citation,
won at Verdun, is a document probably
more eulogistic than any honoring an
American voluntters in the big war.
crivAn fnr the first.time, it reads.
“Kornies (Nick) Legionnaire,
11th Company de Marche, Foreign
Legion—elite grenadier; 20th Au
gust, 1917, won the admiration of
all his comrades by his courage
and contempt for danger. Led his
comrades to the conquest of a
trench which was defended with
energy and which was captured
along a distance of 1,500 yards
after several hours of bloody com
bat; took single handed numerous
prisoners; already twice ci:td in
Army Orders.”
Starting out in the above attack witl
his comrades of a bombing squad
Kornies saw them all killed or wound
ed around him. Undaunted even b;
this, he crawled forward, from shel
hole to shell hole, reached the trench
hurled his grenades among the Gei
man defenders and forced the remair
der to take refuge in a deep dugoul
He immediately blocked the entranc
so that when other soldiers of the at
tack came up they captured about 10
Germans, survivors of the entire con
pany which had held the position. A
the result of this feat the conquest c
further trenches was possible.
On the young banana seller's breas
today is the war cross with severs
The FIRST BANK OF CORDOVA
| izzzz__^=—-~ ESTABLISHED 1909- - ■ . —= I
I CONDENSED STATEMENT
8 Of the Financial Condition of the The First Bank of Cordova at the close
of business February 14, 1918
I . RESOURCES LIABILITIES
Loans and discounts.$209,499.39 Capital stock.$ 50,000 00
Bonds and warrants. 203,850.04 Undivided profits.1 1,234.82
Banking house, furniture and fixtures... 22,987.13 Deposits . 513,580.89
Cash on hand and due from banks. 131,104.54 prufmd checks. 425.73
U Total.$567,441.10 Total.$567,441.10 jj
E -;
RESERVE
Reserve required by law, $102,528.00
Actual reserve held by us
(Cash on hand and due from banks) $131,104.54
Secondary reserve
(Liberty Bonds, bonds of govern
ments, county, municipal and high
^ grade industrial bonds). 199,459.57
. Total Actual and Secondary Reserve $330,564.11
The First Bank of Cordova |
SECURITY SERVICE SATISFACTION
I ? • I
palms atnl, more- important, the touch
coveted Medaille Mtlitaire. a
Now that there is an Americsnl^jfcmy '
in France, Kornies has made formal 1
application for transfer under the
American flag.
--
WILLIAM i. KARRIS 1
William J. Harris, chairman of the
federal trade commission, may resign
that position soon In order to oppose
Thomas W. Hardwick of Georgia In
the race for the United States senate.
-*
Teddy Herrington of Fairbanks re
cently received news of the death of
one of his brothers in France. His
other brother was killed in action in
France some time ago. Teddy would
have been over with them were it not
1 for a physical defect which makes it
> impossible.
-«
r It Is an absolute sin to waste food.
1 Food has become sacred.
, -«
For sale at a bargain, Walker’s Inn
at Alaganic. For terms apply to Cor
• dova Abstract & Realty Co., Adams
J Building.
FISH OF ALL KINDS
HALIBUT, CODFISH and
f RED SNAPPER
Ice Box for Perishables. Big Stock
t Always on Hand
1 CORDOVA FRUIT MARKET
NOTICE.
Owing to the danger rrom trains and
earns skiing and coasting is probibit
id on all streets west of the east roar
;in line of First avenue.
J. J. MURRAY,
Chief of Police.
--♦
Your eyes fitted. Compound and
istigmatic lenses replaced. See Os
borne.
-»
Commercial printing at Times office
The Red Dragon
CORDOVA. ALASKA
Headquarters of Cordova
Chapter American Red Cross.
Club House founded in 1903
by Episcopal church. Open
from 1 p. m to 10 p. m.
REV E. P. ZIEGLER
Supt
^---—TITW1IMI Hill 1 ■■■!■! I II . .
I
If You Want
FRESH
CHICKENS
Springers and
Hens
CALL UP
JOE FRY
Fresh Eggs tor Sale Phone 22
...-■■■■■, I— ...
Sixty Steam Heated Rooms Eletric Lighted
Hot and Cold Water in Every Room
With or Without Bath.
Cordova House
DOOLEY AND GREEN1G
Headquarters for Railroad and Mining Men
Satisfaction Guranteed
Rates Reasonable
j ■ --—-,