Page Three February 11, 1943. THE CENTRE DEMOCRAT, BELUEFONTE, PA. PINE GROVE MILLS fl - a —— (with to work. It makes the trip {seem much shorter, I find that the romantic adven- ru ak A Stenographer Goes to Washington (In the following article will author gives us a word picture of By KUTH M. BICKLE, Pine Grove Mills, of a Centre County girl who answered the call for office work at the Nation's Capital. With no attempts at fancy flights of rhetoric, the venture of going to Washington as a stenographer, which, she de- clares, applies to many more girls than herself.) be found the intimate experience her emotions in meeting the ad- (Continued from first section) | I liked my work there very much as two of my classmates also work- ed there. One of these girls had also taken the examination and passed, but she would not even con- sider leaving home and going to Washington to work. I tried to per- suade her to come with me but to no avail. I resigned from that job and made preparations to come to Washington I was terribly excit ed at the thought of coming way down here all by myself to work and the $1440 a vear salary looked aw- fully Mrge to the girl from the small town just out of school. I looked upon this as a romantic venture I really didn't realize { what IT was undertaking. I had no idea what the future held in store for me Little did ‘I dream what I would go through before I would be home again I didn't think that I would ever wish for that small town that I considered SO unimportant I sald “Goodbye” to all my friends relatives and was all ready to August 6, 1942. The night » T was to leave, I suddenly had feeling in the pit of ready to crawl bed for the last time onths, I didn't want to which had been mine VEeAars As 1 looked froom and noticed all things that meant so much the tears rolled down my ; It wasn't that I didn't want eave, but was something that I t explain When my sister n and found me crying, she too Although she was 8% unger than myself, she was sister I had and we were se to each other, ried myself to sleep that night d woke up the next morning feel- qt blue. We had to rush to that morning. I was at the tears and tried to keep } back I managed to do so, intil my father said “goodbye” to me and gave me some money in case hould get short. I really cried rd then. My mother and sister » me to the station in a neigh- z town. I could easily tell that ther hated to see me go for r eves were full of tears, too. I iad never been away from home be- ore except on visits to friends and relatives, After I had boarded the train and found a seat, I began to rv again and tears fell steadily un- til the train reached the next town. I tried to enjoy the trip and did to some extent. I was very excited and could hardly wait until we had reached our destination. My father had some friends in Washington at whose home I was 1» I reached there. The I in the city about 5:45 I had never done traveling, seemed to me as if all the the world were there in tation. Hundreds of people i in all direction: I wonder- re they all came from. | taxi and went straight to » of my father's friends. 1 seen them and did not what they would be like, they would act toward me-— or to them. When we had the apartment, I paid the er and took the elevator to third floor and reached the tment without any trouble, I the knocker and hesitated, knocked very gently. A very looking young man opened the r and said, “You are Ruth Bickle, t you?” Before I had time to lady came and em- me as if she had known me life. She knew who I was away. They both treated me lovely and made me feel very home, She had prepared dinner, and, after I had and freshened up a little af- long and tiresome trip, we lown and ate. It was a deli- and pleasant meal. No one will know just what it meant to me, nely and discouraged girl, to be ited so nice when I felt s0 blue ill never be able to thank them no n After dinner, the lady's niece came over with a girl-friend. This girl came from about 25 miles away from my home town and had been work- ing here for about six weeks. She staved at a private home and there wmppaned to be an opening there, wid T went there to stay that same i I could not room with that but roomed in the next room th two girls who were sisters and une from Wisconsin, There were six other girls there besides myself, I was very tired and was glad to retire for the night. My heart was heavy that night and I cried myself to sleep again that night. All the girls at the house but one were up and off to work before I woke up the next morning. The | girl I slept with went to work in the | afternoon. She was very nice to me. She took me out for breakfast with her that morning. I could not eat for my heart felt like it was made of lead. She called a taxi for me and gave me the address where I was to report. I spent nearly all that day going through all the red tape that is in- voled with working for the govern- ment at the Civil Service Building, I met several giris from my home State of Pennsylvania. Two other girls and my self had to report to of the girls had someone with them, but I was not so lucky. It would have been a lot nicer if I had. We reported to the other building and | there we had our pictures taken and | ipriivieges in the basement. [Was a room in the basement fixed to report for work, but it was too late to report that day, so I was allowed to go home for the rest of the day. I had no idea how to get back to Washington that night, After sev- eral inquiries, I found the bus which took me back to the main part of Washington again. When I got off the bus in there, I was completely lost. I had no idea where I was or in which direction to start for home, I inquired from a policeman who was standing on a street corner how | to get home. And can you imag- fen! He had never heard of the street which I spoke of. I finally found another policeman directing traffic and asked him. He looked in a ltitle black book to find where the street was, and he finally managed to get me started in the right di- rection, at least I rode for what seemed miles to me and then got off the street car I walked up the street a couple of blocks thinking I was near home. I didn't notice anything that looked familiar and decided that I wa lost. I finally called a cab and the driver told me that I was only three or four blocks off. I reached home a very tired and discouraged girl I had one whole day in Washington I don't think I was ever so tired in all my life. I went to bed early that night and arose the next morn- ing feeling very refreshed and ready for the first day's work. With the help of two other girls from the house I learned how to get to and from work I am going to skip over the first few weeks very briefly. The first two weeks were the most miserable I have spent or ever hope to spend I never knew what homesickness was, but I learned fast. I felt like I was going to die, and in fact pray- ed that I might die. I could not eat or sleep. I cried so much. I never wanted to go home so much in all my life, I could not understand why I had ever left home. I longed for the small town that I had laughed at when I was there. I wrote my folks very depressing letters and thgy wrote and told me that if I wanted to I should come home. I wanted to resign and go home on the first train I could get, but my pride kept me from doing that. I i finally overcame this homesickness and began to like my work and even Washington. I was assigned to work in the Navy Department in the Discipline Of. fice. My work consisted of taking dictation and general office work I enjoyed my work immensely. My bosses were all very helpful with | there, another girl came into the | office. She was from South Dakota and was very nice. We began eat- | ing lunch together and soon became good friends. There was one other girl in the office at this time. The girl from South Dakota was sever- al vears older than I and had some experience working before, while I was fresh out of high school. She gave me a lot of help After T had been there seven weeks I was given permission to have three days off to go home over a weekend. One of the girls from the house who lived near my home and I went home together. I wrote my parents and they met us at the train at one o'clock in the morning I was never so glad to see anyone in my life. I enjoyed a wonderful visit with my folks and friends over the weekend and returned to Wash- ington on Monday Over Labor Day weekend two of my very best friends from my home town and two other girls came and spent the weekend with me. One was the girl whom I had tried to get to come with me when I came She was very much impressed with Washington, and after she had gone back home, she began talking about coming here to work as she still had the opportunity. About the mid. dle of October she and an older sis- ter came here to work. They lived quite a distance from me, so I really didn’t see much of them. The young- est girl liked it right from the first, while the older girl didn't like it quite so well. Five weeks after I had been home I had one day off and went home for the weekend again. It was only a short visit but I enjoyed it very much. My folks wepe glad to have me home and I to be there During the last of October, short- ly before 1 went home, Mary, the girl who had found me a place to stay, and I became very dissatisfied with where we were staying and began to look for a new home. We searched day and night and all of our spare time for either a room or an apartment. We could find neith- er. At last one of the girls moved to her aunt's residence until we could find somewhere else to live. } The house where we were staying’ was always cold and there was nev. | er any hot water. We had to do our | laundering in the bathroom and | that was most inconvenient. We | finally found a lovely place quite a! distance out from the main part of town, but yet convenient to trans- | portation. We had a lovely room, a nice landlady, and had laundry | There up so that we could dance or play games down there. We could en-: fertain any of our friends there, ! too. That is where I am st i another bullding in another part of | : npg | town, 50 we all went together. Most | now, About the first week in Novem- | [ber we got another new girl in our | {office. She was near my age, being | about a year older, and hailed from | California. She was staying in Bal- | timore with some relatives’ and | coliected ture that IT had anticipated faded the first week I was here and the glamour just isn’t here, I have very little time to do any sight-seeing. I work 8 hours every day and spend 2 hours traveling to and from work, 50 by the time I arrive home at night, I am ready to turn in for some rest, Sundays we always sleep as late as possible, go to church, and do various things in the after noon. One of the worst things here, I think, is the transportation prob- lem, I have gradually become used to waiting for everything such as buses and street cars, and then when one does finally come, you nearly get killed trying to get on. You just have to learn to push right back. You forget your manners in Washington; there doesn't seem to be any place for them I must admit that I have many good times here as well as hard- ships. 1 am not sorry that I came here. 1 have met many nice friends that otherwise I would not have known. I am sure the experience will be invaluable to me in the fu- ture. Someday I hope that I may gO back to a small town and have a home of my own, that is when the world is free again RUTH M. BICKLE - - — BLANCHARD {1 the Mar antie paral reported. Most funds were returned by the variou chools. As vet the third and fourth have not reported. The high. The proceeds from Dimes | arive are ¢5t honors go to the first and second grades, teacher, Mrs. Willlams, who raised $3, next i 1 grade Mr. Kamp Other ! " and eighth tenth grades, school, $1.60. Some other card returned, T. M. Kunes, $1.30, ; named doner, $2, W. H. Vonada Me latter amount wa the highest, the fifth an Pic. Paul Bowe dictown, spent a few davs Inst week here with his parents. His trip home mainly because of the {ll- ness of his motl John Coder ] n Hospital, wa home on Sunday tationed at Mid- Was made Marybelle Miller has been quits an attack of rheumatism. She been unable to work for the last weeks nr obert Davy enlisted the Air Corps. He ha hen he if to report for duty Mrs. Clyde Bowe 4 ering from her rec ationed atl Pvt. Paul Gardner Quantico, Va., spent the weekend with hiz mother, Mrs. Lulu Gard- vy net Mrs. Alice Harter was taken sud- denly ill on Thursday and has not ime. A few days after I had been ifuiiy recovered as yot. Mr. ant Mrs. Harter Vonada of Bellefonte, were Saturday visitors in town William Spangler reports that he expects to bring his son, Richard, home from the hoepital on Satur. day Richard waz the victim of very seriou Pvt. Wilbur Rupert returned Fort Devens, Mass. on Sunday spending a short furlough with tives and friends in Lock Haven Beech Creek coasting accioont Apprentice S8caman Edward L. Ru- pert, undergoing training at the U 8S Naval Station at Bainbridge, Md. spending a furlough with his wr, Joshua Rupert, of Beech Sunday forenoon callers at hohe of Mr. and Mra. Bey Neff were Pvi. Wilbur Rupert of Fort Devens, Mass, and Seaman Edward L. Ru- pert of Bainbridge, Md: also M Jean Carpenter of Jersey Shore L. FRANK MAYES General Auctioneer Real Estate Sales A SPECIALTY! CALL STATE COLLEGE, 2342 Why not have the benefit of competitive bidding in the sale of your property. Past experiences have proven that public sales of real estate demand higher prices, A number of Farms and several Residences will be offered at public sale In the near future Watch for Dates! DECORATE in the Morning ENTERTAIN in the Afternoon with Sunflex WASHABLE WALL PAINT ® Paints Over Wall Paper ® Dries 1 Hour—No Odor ® Easy to Apply ® Wide Choice of Colors Corene Copley locomotion with crutch and cane on’ Liczly from his recent injury fn fall on the ize last week Gearhart is nowy employed Thursday in State highway to replace the home with them two new All Mrs. Allen Rossman are but they all trust for his rapid proud parents of a baby girl, born cover) Wednesday in the Philipsburg! word comes from Chicago State Hospital. Her nome is Anna’ Rev, Albert D. Minich is now Allen Is a former resident of | Jain in the U. 8. Army. The R township, now caretaksr| gy former pastor of the Spruce on the highway In Halfmoon Valley. | preshyterian church and f william ‘Bill’ Copley of years at Cresson D. C. and Argentina Carpenter R. L kneecap injury by o Messrs, Alexander Johnsto Edward Frank were busines Harrishui g 11] WwW. Randall Poust, who mers tractor now employed in Altoona Farmer and school bus di: ] omewhat lam spring sales t Johnsen il section ar Sol HH. Lol njury stained Hoy farm, March 4 a <, and Sam Hon th * M. Dal arm i the lmpy order wit) B bad ca Musser ret who is spending the winter with his to hls home Saturday from making burgh hospital and is recup bringing ~Chnl- ee that chap- reck ome ned Pitt inating 's Good stands of well fertili take from the air and return to $A » a. WE, OGEN - a» F wll ny 1} A “ \ y, the soil than 100 pounds of fixed nitrogen per and efficiency a balanced fertili providing for lime, phosphate mus! be followed feeders on potash and remove of it from quthorities fertilizati and literature LN. Incorporate 115% Sixteenth St., N. W WOODWARD B i : } This is IDI. This is a year of great Allied offensives— cernunshing blows at the enemies of onr wag of life. "Fooay. on the threshold of all-out attack. America needs every able-bodied fighting man for combat duty. The full strength of our Army can be used decisively only when the places of many thou. sands of soldiers now at work behind the lines are taken by women, When the Army called for men to volunteer, even before Pearl Harbor, the instant response broke all previous enlistment records. Now the President has authorized 150,000 volunteers for the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps — imme. diately, The sooner these women are trained, the sooner the men they replace can help to win battles, Tens of thousands of WAAC auxiliaries and officers already are enrolled. They are proving that the American woman can do a man’s job in a man = army and do it magnificently, They are taking over important duties in the Air Forces, the Signal Corps and other branches of the Ground Forces and the Service of Suppl Some already are eorving abroad Before this crucial vear ends, the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps will need more officers than there were inthe Regular U.S, Armvin 1939 Days are passing days vital to American vie tory. If vou have heen thinking about joining the WAAC, the time to do it i= af once. If vou are a healthy United States citizen, age 21 to 44, inclusive, any race, color or creed, go to the near. est 1. S. Army Recruiting and Induction Station today, and get full information on the openings, pav. promotions and training in the W AAC, Total War won't wait, Your country needs vou now! 8 sii consult swrerrclines reqgara Washington D "AAC Ofcers Foviv. Ronk Director Asst. Director Field Director int Officer 2nd Officer 3rd Officer Enrolled Member: Chief Leader ist Leader Technical Leader Stall Leader Technician. 3rd Grode Leader Technician. $th Grode Ir. Leader Technician, Yh Greode Auviliary. lot Clas ARuxiligry wince legumes To have the plants operate at full IT y Pe idel Ne ( FAY SCALE Pore Monthly Pay Colonel £333.33 it, Colonel ba FOE 3 Major 250.00 Captain 200.00 ist Lieutenant 155.87 2nd lieutenant Master Sergeant Fire! Sergeant Technical Sergeant Stall Sergeant Technician. 2rd Crede Sergeant Technician 4th Grode Corporal Techntbden. Sth Grode Private, let Class Private « In addition to sbove pay. enrolled members are provided with food Womens Army Auxiliary Corps quarters. clothing. dental ond medical care again were asked a lot of questions: | traveled from there each day which | some of them the same ones I had made quite a long trip. There was a | answered a hundred times before. vacancy at the house where we Redecorates Aver- $2 65 | age Room for . * % dh fh kN ob oR koh hr oh S Finally I was separated from the stayed, so I asked her if she would | : psa other two girls. I was told to re- like to come out and look at the! / port for work at Arlington, Virginia. room. She went along one night! CL | ' hrs 4 « v I took a bus from that building and and liked the room very much. ight | —l | 'e S. A n M h RECRUITING AND INDULOTION SERVICE reached Arlington, where I was put moved in just a few days later, It! { geeppr through the third degree again.| was and still is very nice having’ \ Finally they gave me a certain room 'someone to travel back and forth POST OFFICE BUILDING BELLEFONTE, PA,
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers