Greeting:—Count on us; will send one thousand caps and one thousand fever belts.
Oregon Emergency Corps.
Work was at once begun and in a few days the supplies were shipped to 16 Post street.
The Sewing Committee has continued its labors, hundreds of articles being made and furnished to the Second Regiment Engineer Corps Oregon recruits and Washington volunteers, etc.
It has been the privilege of the Oregon Emergency Corps to entertain all troops passing through Portland en route to different stations on the coast. This was at first done at the Union depot, where the soldiers were met by committees and served a substantial lunch, consisting of coffee, sandwiches, cake, fruit, etc. In this branch of work the Flower Mission, composed of twenty or more young women, have rendered valuable assistance in serving refreshments and decorating the trains. Tons of flowers have been donated for this purpose and the departing soldier has been given a bouquet of Oregon roses in addition to his box of lunch. Frequently has a letter accompanied by a box of flowers been sent at the request of husbands, brothers and sons to their distant homes, and replies received from many have made sweeter the saying, “Small service is true service while it lasts.”
After the use of the armory was tendered the corps by the State Military Board, the soldiers were met on their arrival at the depot and escorted to military headquarters and lunch served in the spacious drill hall. The freedom of the building was extended, the gymnasium, bowling alley, reading room, etc., affording rest and recreation for all.
In July the work was found to be increasing so rapidly that it was necessary to enlarge the executive staff. To this end the president made the following appointments: first assistant, Mrs. Levi Young; second assistant, Mrs. H.W. Wallace; assistant to treasurer, Mrs. Wm. Patterson; assistant for correspondence, Mrs. Edmund Nollain; assistant for recording, Mrs. Lischen Miller.
Headquarters were again established at 137 First street, to meet the request of business men and others who wished to contribute to the society and found the armory at an inconvenient distance.
An honorary membership list was opened with the fee fixed at one dollar. This list at present numbers over 300, and among the named recorded are those of Captain C.E. Clark, of the battleship “Oregon,” Hon. Edward Everett Hale, General Longstreet, Hon. Jos. E. Sheldon and Mrs. James Shafter.
The total membership of the society is 1557. Of this number 553 are members of auxiliary corps, leaving 1004 members for the Portland organization. The membership of the various auxiliaries is as follows: