“What was Wayne like 25 years ago?”, the newcomer asks the old timer. And then, as the latter hesitates in his reply, the newcomer adds encouragingly, “Just tell me about it as it was even ten or fifteen years ago.” But only the old timer realizes the difficulty of adequate answers to questions such as these, for, after all, most community changes come so gradually that it is difficult to date them accurately in retrospect.

The yearly bound copies of “The Suburban” always provide fascinating reading to your columnist in that they record the week-by-week happenings of Radnor township in general and of Wayne in particular. The minute books and other official records of various organizations give the histories of each, but only the local newspaper can give a composite picture of community life over the years.

It was to the 1936 volume of “The Suburban” that the writer turned recently. Amazing as it may seem, the big headline of an early January paper concerned the Philadelphia and Western Railroad and bus service, just as so many headlines of 1956 have done. The story of 20 years ago was very different, however, dealing as it did with a proposed increase in service rather than the recent, much deplored decrease. For in January, 1936, the P. and W. was filing an application with the Public Service Commission for establishment of two local motor bus loops in Wayne to augment its Philadelphia to Wayne service!

The first of these motor bus loops was to make its start from the Wayne – St. Davids station of the P. and W., along Conestoga road to Bloomingdale avenue, which it would travel until Lancaster avenue was reached. From there the route led east to Louella avenue, passing along the business section of Wayne. The end of the “loop” would be south on Louella and along Conestoga road until the Wayne – St. Davids Station was reached again. The route on alternate bus trips would be along Audubon avenue to South Wayne avenue, when, after crossing Lancaster pike and passing the Pennsylvania Railroad station, it would make a rather complete tour of all the streets in North Wayne. But if the writer’s memory serves her rightly this ambitious bus program did not survive for long. In the early months of 1936, just as now in 1956, snowstorms made front page headlines. The first issue of “The Suburban”, in January, 1936, tells of how “the dawn of New Year’s Day found people digging themselves out of the heaviest December snow in years.” Again, in mid-February, “the worst snowstorm in years swept this section.”

Under the heading of “News items Tersely Told”, a column that ran from week to week, were the following bits of news. “A Big Buy-in-Wayne Campaign is being launched by Wayne Business Men… the Wayne Red Cross raised $3800 in money contributions… Radnor High School has a graduating January class of 22… Police and civic organizations “joined in a drive to prevent speeding of automobiles… Strawbridge and Clothier celebrated the sixth anniversary of the opening of its Ardmore store… a four-year-old girl won the Devon Cottage, feature of the Devon Horse Show… Mrs. James H. Lafferty purchased the McCarthy store, one of the oldest business places in Wayne… the June graduating class at Radnor High School numbered 60… a novelty swimming meet was held at Martin’s Dam Club…”

The “Review of Principal Happenings of the year 1936,” as given in an early 1937 issue of “The Suburban,” lists the letting of contracts for the erection of Highland Homes, the $300,000 project on Highland avenue, early in the year… the building neared completion by the end of 1936… tax rate unchanged from the year before with 10 mills for the township and 17½ for the schools… a bitter fight was waged between Weldon B. Heyburn and John J. McClure for Republican nominee for State Senate… at the election in November, Radnor township was one of the new bright GOP spots in the great Roosevelt landslide, the township being carried for Governor Alfred M. Landon by 3825 to 1883, in the largest vote ever cast in the township… with federal aid Radnor High School was enlarged by the addition of classrooms, offices, laboratories, etc. During the year the School District bought the Frank H. Dallett property on Windermere avenue for $5,000 and the lot on North Wayne avenue abutting the Pennsylvania Railroad for $10,000.” (Note: The Dallett property is the site of the school tennis courts and the lot by the railroad is the North Wayne school playgrounds.)

And last, but not least, the Radnor-Lower Merion football game had a score of 2-0, in favor of Lower Merion!

(to be concluded)

This week’s column concludes the story of the great Armistice Day parade, held in Wayne on November 16, 1918, just five days after the cessation of hostilities between Germany and the Allies in World War I. Described then as “the finest parade ever seen in this town,” it can still claim that distinction in the minds of many of those whose memories span the intervening 38 years.

The group or Wayne citizens, young and old, who, with a detachment of Marines from League Island, headed the long parade, were followed by a local Italian band of 24 pieces. Members of this band all wore colorful uniforms with military dress chapeaux. Behind the musicians were the local Italian citizen celebrants of Wayne, some 75 in number. In their midst was a Roman chariot, driven by one of the town’s best known citizens, Hyacinth D’Ignazio, who by the end of the parade had shouted himself hoarse with his cries of victory for the allies.

Among those who followed after this contingent in the line of march were members of the various societies of St. Katharine’s Church. Then employees of the Wayne Iron Works, prominent among them “Big Man” Houck, and a small band, featuring the music of snare drums, with about 50 members of the Wayne Men’s Club, followed. The Wayne Plumbing and Heating Company’s seven handsomely decorated automobiles, with their placards proclaiming that “Liberty Will Never Die,” drew rounds of applause from onlookers.

Other representatives in this section were from the Wayne Post Office force, the Luckenbill Company, Counties Gas and Electric, L.K. Burket & Bro., C.A. Lobb and H.J. Collins, who made “a big hit with his forge in full blast, turning out iron for ship building.”

A choice selection of produce from his war garden, inducting a pumpkin that weighed 71 pounds, was exhibited by A.L. Weadley, along with the placard, “Food Won the War.” The Radnor Township school bus and the Township Police patrol wagon were followed by a contingent of local firemen whose numbers were augmented by others from Bryn Mawr, Upper Darby and Newtown Square. At the end of the parade came one of its most applauded features, in the way of a float from the R.H. Johnson Company, on which rode a “bevy of charming girls.”

Once the parade had passed its entire line of march, participants and onlookers alike assembled on the high school grounds. There, to the accompaniment of the massed bands, Edgar L. Hunt led the crowd in the singing of “America,” “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” “Long, Long Trail,” “Marseillaise,” “Over There” and “The Star Spangled Banner.”

Among the interesting sidelights of the story of the Wayne Armistice Day parade is the one of the plane that suddenly circled overhead as the marchers went along North Wayne avenue. At its controls was Lieutenant J. Brooks B. Parker, of Strafford, who had come from Washington, D.C., to take part in the local celebration. Unfortunately the message of felicitation which he dropped from his plane caught in electric wires overhead!

Still another story has to do with the bounteous supper served the visiting Marines from League Island by the members of the Wayne Red Cross Branch. Not to be outdone by the latter, members of the Wayne Saturday Club threw open the doors of their clubhouse that evening, so that the Marines could enjoy a dance with the local girls.

But the story that tops all others because it is so typical of the occasion is the one of the sounding of the fire siren just at the very moment that the local firemen and their guests sat down to supper in the firehouse. Whereupon “in less time than it takes to tell it, the Wayne firemen were on Highland avenue, where crossed wires had started a blaze in one of the houses… the firemen put out the blaze in a jiffy and returned to their mutton.”

To the comprehensive story told in “The Suburban” last week, of the 50 years of service rendered to this community by the Radnor Fire Company, this column would add still another chapter this week. It is not one of fire, accident, disaster, but is the story of this community’s celebration of Armistice Day of 1918, that never-to-be-forgotten November 11 when World War I ended. It was a celebration of which Radnor township was proud in 1918, an event planned for the community by the Radnor Fire Company.

Only five days elapsed between the Armistice on Monday, November 11 and Saturday, November 16, the day on which Wayne celebrated with a parade, in which some 1,500 of Radnor township’s citizens, including its men, women and children, participated. The parade was watched by many thousands more along the line of march, all of whom shared the feeling of happiness and relief that the war was over, and the sense of sadness and loss for those young men of the community who had lost their lives “over there.”

When the parade was over and the last weary marcher and the last almost-as-weary onlooker had gone home, Charles C. Shoemaker, then president of the Wayne Men’s Club said, “We must hand it to our neighbors of the Radnor Fire Company. They organized the finest parade ever seen in this town, and they handled it in a way that no other organization could rival. Our hats are off to the firemen!”

When compared to memories of other Wayne parades of a later date, this one of almost 38 years ago is to many people still that of “the finest ever seen in this town.” Fortunately, a full and colorful account of it has been preserved in the records of “The Suburban.”

The long procession, which started from in front of the firehouse shortly after 3 o’clock was headed by Chief Marshal Charles E. Clark, whose picture appeared in last week’s special anniversary issue for the Radnor Fire Company. Following him were four of Radnor’s “finest mounted,” including Township Commissioner John Kent Kane, “looking every inch a cop”; Sergeant Wilmer N. Clemence (later Captain) and Officers Burke and Harry Hatch. After them came a detachment of Marines from League Island, under the command of Lieutenant Fegley, and a group of “grizzled Civil War veterans and some Spanish-American veterans not so grizzled,” headed by the Bryn Mawr Band of 20 pieces, under the leadership of Herman Giersch.

Wayne’s own Company “B” of 60 men came next, headed by Captain Winfield L. Margerum and Lieutenants Norman Coudert and Herbert Plimpton. Of this group “The Suburban” writes, “The members of Company ‘B’ never made a better appearance on parade.” Company “B” was followed by the “Red Cross phalanx” comprised of about 100 members of the Wayne Branch, all dressed in their “garbs of mercy.” Next was the local Girl Scout Troop with their leader, Miss Nancy Hallowell. They passed by “in perfect columns of fours, looking very natty in their uniforms of brown.” Grouped with them was a troop of Boy Scouts, led by Scoutmaster Arthur E. Post, nearly 100 strong and led by the color guard and bugle corps of five pieces.

Among the several groups from local schools the first in line was a squad of Radnor High School boys, led by Dr. Albert L. Rowland, then superintendent of schools. who wore the uniform of an officer of the Home Defense Corps. Following them was a group of some 125 pupils of the Radnor grade schools, headed by J. Kenneth Satchell, principal of the high school.

Other school groups included pupils from the Mt. Pleasant School, headed by John Hobson, rural mail carrier, marching to the strains of a small band from Philadelphia. And last among the school celebrants was the one with the hugest number of participants, St. Katharine’s group of about 200 pupils, all wearing the patriotic red, white and blue. Led by Monsignor Charles F. Kavanaugh and marshalled by Peter Dunne, they were “received with hearty applause all along the line of march.”

(To be continued)

As related in last week’s column, the Saturday Club immediately offered the facilities of its clubhouse for an emergency Red Cross Hospital when influenza reached epidemic proportions in Wayne and its environs in October, 1918. As soon as the main assembly room of the clubhouse had been filled to capacity, a “tent” was added.

Actually, the “tent” was a frame building, quickly put together. On Monday afternoon, October 14, orders were given for “a weather-proof wooden structure 40 x 18 feet, with sash windows, steam heat, electric light and telephone service.” Four days later, on Friday, October 18, this building was completed and in operation. It stood on ground to the rear of the Central Baptist Church parsonage, and adjacent to the clubhouse. Credit for the accomplishment of this seemingly impossible task went to J.D. Lengel and his workers, who labored both day and night.

For the most part, this new section of the hospital was devoted to children ill with influenza, while the main building was given over to adults. All questions in regard to admission to the hospital for patients were referred to the social service workers at the Neighborhood League, once their doctors had recommended such admission. It was these workers who supervised transportation to the hospital as well as return home afterwards. There was frequently much follow-up work to be done, as well as the temporary use of hospital blankets, hot water bags and other comforts.

One of the outstanding features of the Red Cross emergency hospital was the diet kitchen, set up in the basement of the main building under the supervision of Mrs. Phillipus W. Miller, Mrs. E.W.S. Tingle and Mrs. Frederick Embick, all active workers in the Wayne Red Cross branch. Not only did all the food for the hospital patients come from this kitchen but, for a time, an average of 125 meals per day was sent to the homes of those who were too ill to cook for themselves or for others in their households.

Donations of money, as well as food supplies, were welcomed by those in charge of the diet kitchen. Volunteer motor messengers saw to the delivery to any who could not come for it themselves, regardless of whether the patient could afford to pay. The feeling which prompted this spontaneous movement is well expressed in “The Suburban” of October 18, 1918, which reads:

“At this time there is an outpouring of community spirit and good will that makes us proud to be residents of Wayne… It is not charity that is being offered… everything that is being given is proffered in the spirit of neighborly helpfulness. It is being done in the face of the greatest scourge that has ever attacked our home. And there is no man too rich and none too poor to accept aid so freely tendered with each making what recompense he can.”

(To be continued)

Front page news in the October 1, 1918 issue of “The Suburban” was a terse and dramatic account of the onset of the most terrifying epidemic this community has ever known. In late September and early October of that year influenza swept the community, as it did many neighboring sections.

The story of how Wayne met the crisis is contained in the annals of two of the township’s outstanding organizations, the Saturday Club, and the Wayne Branch, American Red Cross.

In the clubhouse of the Saturday Club on West Wayne avenue, an emergency hospital was set up early in October, 1918, by government orders, and it was through the efforts of the local Red Cross that it was equipped and manned.

According to this early October issue of “The Suburban,” the local situation had already become critical, with several deaths on record. By order of the Board of Health, schools and churches had been closed and all public gatherings, including performances at the Wayne theater, were forbidden. The police force was hard hit by illness in its own ranks, with only two officers and Captain Martin Mulhall on duty. The ranks of the postoffice personnel were also much depleted.

It was in this crisis that the Saturday Club made the offer of the use of its clubhouse to the government. The building, with its high ceilings and ample ventilation would prove well adapted to the purposes of a temporary hospital. Arrangements were soon under way, with Mrs. Marshall H. Smith acting in her capacity as president of the local club group and by Mrs. Robert G. Wilson and Miss Grace Roberts acting for the Red Cross.

Next came the matter of equipping the new hospital. Cots and other supplies were brought from Red Cross headquarters in Philadelphia by Wayne Iron Works’ trucks, and a Red Cross ambulance was placed at the disposal of the newly established hospital. Within short order, the Bell Telephone Company and the Counties Gas and Electric Company had installed additional facilities where they were needed.

Within 24 hours of the inception of the plan, the emergency hospital was completely set up, with 29 beds in orderly rows and ready for occupancy. In a few hours these beds were all filled, several of them with patients whose influenza had already turned into pneumonia. Many more, who should have been hospitalized, had to be refused through lack of beds.

Facilities were then increased by the erection of a large tent on the Saturday Club grounds, with beds reserved for children, and an emergency diet kitchen established in the basement of the clubhouse. “Invalid food” was given away at cost, or even given free when family financial circumstances warranted. All food was contributed by members of the community.

In all, there were now 50 beds in the clubhouse itself and its adjoining tent. Mrs. Robert G. Wilson, herself a trained nurse, was in charge for the Wayne Red Cross. Other local trained nurses volunteered their aid, as did four deaconesses from the Presbyterian Deaconess House in Philadelphia. Among others who helped were those who had taken home nursing and first aid courses with the local Red Cross branch.

(To be continued)

A perusal of the bound copies of “The Suburban” of some 40 years ago shows that even as early as 1916 and 1917, the first years of World War I, the home town paper carried each week a column of Wayne Red Cross information under the heading of “Red Cross Notes.” In concise and to the point paragraphs this column brought to the reading public the news on various classes being held at Wayne Branch Headquarters.

There were also items of other types of Red Cross news from time to time, none perhaps more interesting than the story of the big Philadelphia Red Cross parade as given in the column recently.

The above picture, recently brought to light in present Red Cross headquarters, is evidently that of two adjoining rooms, in which home nursing and probably also first aid were taught. There are three large medical charts on the wall, and notes on the blackboard which indicate that a class might have been in session shortly before the picture was taken.

It is interesting to try to connect this picture with a notice in the Red Cross column of January 12, 1917, in which announcement is made of a class in home nursing and hygiene, to be given at Red Cross headquarters. The instructor was Miss Nellie May Rennyson and the class was to be limited to 20 members. If enrollment exceeded that number, a second class would be formed for the evening of the same day, as the instructor was willing to “stay over.”

The titles of these lectures seem quite different from those of present day “home nursing” classes. The first was “Bacteria and their relation to health and sickness.” Among the others were “Causes and transmission of diseases, and quarantines,” “The house, the effect of furnishing and arrangement on health,” “Care of house, suggestions for weekly cleaning and laundry,” “Use of tea and coffee,” “The household medicine cabinet,” and “Poultices, Plasters and Compresses.”

By this time two “emergency” cases had been treated in the emergency first aid room, a picture of which was shown in last week’s column. The first was that of a sprained ankle, which was bandaged by Dr. C.W. Truxal, who was assisted by a local Red Cross volunteer. And, according to the “Notes,” “After this demonstration of the practical work of the Red Cross, the patient desired to become a member of the Branch at once.” The second casualty to be treated was that of a ruptured blood vessel, when Dr. Joseph Egbert was assisted by Mrs. William Henry Brooks, chairman of the local branch. So impressed was Dr. Egbert by the importance of Red Cross first aid that he immediately volunteered his services for the future.

Later, four classes in first aid were in progress with plans for a fifth one under way, an evening class for chauffeurs and mechanics. Instructors for these classes were Dr. Alexander H. O’Neal and Dr. Truxal with Mrs. Robert G. Wilson as chairman from the Red Cross branch.

By March, 1917, lack of sufficient room in the Red Cross headquarters, which had been located in the O’Neal house, forced a move to more spacious quarters, in the former Bonniwell house at 122 West Lancaster avenue. Here, activities filled each week day beginning from a group on Monday mornings working under Mrs. W.H. Lawton to cut out surgical shirts, to Saturday, when Mrs. Brooks, Branch chairman, was “on hand to welcome any child who may wish to work with her in the making and filling of comfort pillows.”

(To be continued)

As stated in “Your Town and My Town” last week, the Wayne Branch of the American Red Cross was the pioneer among the Philadelphia area Red Cross groups to set up an emergency first aid room. According to the first minute book of the branch, “this Emergency Room is expected to be open day and night for the benefit of any who may need it.”

As shown in the picture at the head of this column, this room was evidently a very pleasant one, and quite as adequately furnished for its purposes as any hospital room would be. The old minute book records that this was done under the direction of Mrs. Robert G. Wilson, who contributed the hospital bed and bedside table, large cupboard, chairs and small gas stove. All this is particularly interesting in view of the fact that, with all of the emphasis placed on first aid during the second World War, there was still no attempt at this later period to establish such a room for a local emergency. Incidentally, this emergency room had no connection with the first aid classroom of World War I.

Highlights of the activities of the Wayne Red Cross Branch in its very early days have been listed in a brochure, material for which was assembled by Miss Grace Roberts for the opening of the present Red Cross headquarters Party in November, 1941. Among the outstanding accomplishments of the 1915-17 period were the endowment of a bed, in 1917, in the American Ambulance Hospital in Paris, in the name of the Wayne Branch.

There was the presentation of an ambulance for use at the front lines at about this same time. The very first gift of money from the Branch went to Queen Elizabeth of Belgium, for Christmas presents for destitute children in that country, in December, 1916. The Branch’s first gift box went to Soissons, France, packed with knitted garments, surgical dressings and comfort pillows, and, not to forget those Americans who were defending our own borders, many blankets were sent to soldiers stationed on the Mexican border.

This lists but a few of the accomplishments of a rapidly growing group, organized in 1916 for wartime relief. Soon auxiliaries supplemented the work of the main group. The first of these was started at the Cathcart Home in Devon, later ones at Wayne Presbyterian Church, St. Katharine’s Church, Wayne Methodist Church, the George W. Childs Library (of Wayne), Devon Manor School and Strafford Grammar School, in addition to groups from Mount Pleasant and from the Miller Memorial. All these small organizations combined their efforts with those of the Wayne Branch of the American Red Cross to meet the emergency demand or World War I.

(To be Continued)

Last week’s column of “Your Town and My Town” described Wayne’s participation in a tremendous Red Cross parade that took place in Philadelphia on June 22, 1917, as part of the “whirlwind campaign” to raise three million dollars for American Red Cross work overseas. Illustrating the column was a picture of one of the Wayne floats used in the parade. A picture of the other float is shown with today’s column.

According to the graphic description in “The Suburban” of June 29, 1917, this second float illustrated the practical work of the Wayne First Aid room, the pioneer one to be established along the Main Line under Red cross auspices. This room was in the Headquarters at 105 West Lancaster avenue in the house that once stood on the site of the Anthony Wayne Theatre.

A replica of the room was produced for the float shown above. The scene depicted is one that might have taken place following a “reckless joyride” along Lancaster avenue. “The awful example” of the consequences of such a ride is depicted by Mrs. Charles Beatty, who lies on the cot which is almost hidden in the picture by Red Cross nurse Mrs. F.B. Embick. She is helping “Doctor” Lloyd Roberts who is patching up the patient in various places. Standing at the side of the young victim’s cot is his “badly shaken up mother who fortunately seems to have escaped any other damage in the ‘accident’ ”, to quote from “The Suburban” story. In this case the mother was Mrs. Robert Wilson.

The picture was obviously taken in Wayne while the tableau for the float was in rehearsal, as is indicated by the large shade-trees and the hedge. The two small boys standing on the sidewalk have been identified by Miss Roberts as her nephews, William E. Roberts and J. Shipley Troth. It is interesting to note that Mr. Roberts, the “doctor,” left within a short time to go to the U.S. Base Hospital in Nantes, France, where he served as a volunteer for some time.

Marchers on foot from the Wayne Red Cross Branch could not have the honor of escorting their two floats along Broad street, since all floats were massed in a body in the first division of the parade. Said “The Suburban,” “Broad street never saw a more effective sight than the solid column of women in Red Cross uniforms. They extended four city blocks without a break… the effect upon the crowd was remarkable, there was no cheering, only generous applause…

“They were 3,000 earnest Red Cross women marching with but one idea, and that was to help raise the three million dollars Philadelphia owed the Red Cross Fund. Men turned thoughtfully and silently away as the last white rank passed… Many of these men stopped at the Red Cross booths and emptied their pockets into the glass bowl…

“As ‘The Parade,’ it will be known for many a long year after this war is over, when women of the Wayne Branch shall look back with pride and satisfaction to the part they took in the Great War for Country and for the Red Cross.

The picture shown here will bring back to many an old time resident of Radnor township long forgotten memories of a day in June, 1917, when members of the then newly formed Wayne Branch of the American Red Cross participated in a tremendous parade in Philadelphia. This parade was part of a “whirlwind campaign” to raise three million dollars for American Red Cross work overseas, during the early days of World War I.

Representing Wayne in this parade were those who marched and those who rode on the two floats. Pictures have been carefully preserved by Miss Grace Roberts, who was one of the marchers.

A graphic story of this event appeared the following week in “The Suburban.” Participants were “60 strong, headed by the chairman, Mrs. William Henry Brooks.” In addition to local Red Cross representation there was a “detachment of Wayne Girl Scouts under the command of Miss Nancy Hallowell.”

The 9:57 train from Wayne conveyed participants in the parade to Philadelphia, where they mobilized on Spring Garden street near Broad. Marchers and floats together formed a moving group four solid blocks long as they made their way along Broad street to Rittenhouse Square, where a tremendous Red Cross rally was held.

As described in the columns of “The Suburban” of June 29, 1917, the Wayne float pictured at the head of the column “bore two groups, one allegorical, representing America extending liberty and aid to the world through the Army, Navy and Red Cross, while the other group illustrates Red Cross Social Service. The allegorical group was made up of Miss Gladys Lawton as Columbia, with her liberty staff and her shield; Miss Neail Randall as the Red Cross carrying its banner; Master John Johnson in khaki with the national flag representing the Army, and Master Thomas Willey in white naval uniform carrying the Union Jack, representing the Navy.

“On this same float the Red Cross Social Service was depicted by Miss Lillian Beatty as a Red Cross Social worker, bringing aid to a distressed family composed of Miss Marian Weckerly as the despairing mother, holding in her arms a baby (name unknown) with another child (Miss Emma Beatty) sitting wonderingly at her feet.” (Most of those mentioned in this list still live in Wayne or nearby, while others are well remembered.)

Early Friday morning, June 22, the arrangement for this float, like the one to be shown in next week’s column, were prepared in Wayne under “the enthusiastic and indefatigable supervision of Mrs. Robert G. Wilson.” After the rehearsals for position in the tableaux, participants proceeded by train to Philadelphia, while the floats made their way along Lancaster pike.

(To be continued)

In going through the files at the present Wayne Red Cross headquarters, located in the Masonic building on South Wayne avenue, the writer found some old pictures that would not be recognized by the present generation of Red Cross workers.

It is a different story for Miss Grace Roberts, whose service goes back to the summer of 1916. To her, the picture in last week’s column brought back memories of the first permanent headquarters at 105 West Lancaster avenue, and the picture shown with today’s column will be equally familiar.

In the room shown above, Miss Roberts spent much time during the years of World War I, making the wide variety of dressings to be sent to Army hospitals overseas by the American Red Cross. In contrast to the output of the present surgical dressings group, which is limited to the making or 4½ x 4½” gauze pads, the variety of dressings made from 1916 to 1918 was extensive. Under the joint chairmanship of Mrs. WillIam Allen Barr and Mrs. William Henry Roberts, Jr., the Wayne group was then preparing such articles as T-bandages, tourniquets, slings, gauze compresses, laboratory pads and head bandages, all to be sent overseas.

The packing was fully as important and time consuming. Huge wooden boxes were sent out from Chapter Headquarters in Philadelphia, and Miss Roberts recalls that much of their packing took place in the spacious front hall of her family home on Windermere avenue, with the committee of four often working until midnight. Albert Nichols, son of Mrs. William A. Nichols, one of the founding members, was chairman of the committee. Miss Roberts kept all the records of the work.

In retrospect, a light hearted touch to this scene is added by a humorous verse sent to the committee and preserved by Miss Roberts in her book of Red Cross mementos. The first two verses are as follows:

The Packing Committee consisting of four
Worked like Trojans all during the war.
They worked in the morning, they worked at night,
They worked every minute with all their might.
The Packing Committee consisting of four
Was composed of two men, two women, no more.
One, Nichols, as chairman, was the boss of the show
While the other three members helped make the thing go.