‘Adarnless Eden’
Is Tliis Hotel for
Federal \\ orkers
Washington’s "Girls’ Town" is an
"Adamless Euen,” a city within a
city!
This manless community is a gi
gantic housing project for girls,
sprawled over 109 acres in the very
shadow of the mammoth Pentagon
building in the nation's capital. Offi
cially it is known as Arlington
Farms. Unofficially it is called Girls’
Town, the first "hotel" ever run ex
clusively by civil service employees.
Arlington Farms is a project of
the Public Buildings administration
of the Federal Works agency, and.
though only opened in March, 1943,
today has more than 11,000 “citi
■zens," including 4,000 WAVES. The
general manager is William J. Bis
sell, of the PBA, and he is the only
man who lives in Girls’ Town! He
and his wife reside in the town’s
only “penthouse," atop the towering
three-story city hall, overlooking the
rest of the development.
Because of projects like Girls
Town, the acute housing conditions
in Washington were drastically re
duced. The citizens of this com
munity come from every state and
territory. Most of them work in the
Pentagon building, a few minutes
walk from home. Only requirements
to live in Arlington Farms are that
|One must be a government employ
ee; must earn a maximum of $1,800
a year; and be between the ages of
16 and 72. The average age is 20.
Has Own Mayor.
Girls’ Town can truthfully claim
to be a complete civic entity. Its
ten huge dormitories, named after
states, each elect one member to
the ‘‘city council,” which in turn
elects one of its members as “may
or.” The present “mayor” is 22-year
old Lucy Alston, of Jackson, Miss.,
a clerk in the department of labor.
Actually, these girls constitute the
Arlington Farms’ recreation council,
which checks and double-checks all
activities on the premises, and is
final authority on the grounds. The
• ! WUak la da i
• i
By PHYLLIS BELMONT I
l
Question: I have some rare old
dessert spoons but never see these
Used in other homes. How may I
Use mine correctly?
Answer: By all means use your
dessert spoons. They may be used
for cereals at breakfast, for soup at
luncheon, except when you use bouil
lon cups, when you must use bouil
lon spoons.
Use your dessert spoons for vari
ous desserts such as chocolate pud
ding, rice pudding or tapioca, but
not for ice cream.
Above all don’t let the spoons lie
idle. Fine silver is a heritage to
be proud of, and should be used
constantly to retain its rare beauty
Use and polishing will keep it lovely
always—it will not wear out.
Ledger Syndicate.—WNU Features.
Scattered about the 109-acre “campus” of Girls’ Town are numerous
“refreshment tables,” where the young: women can eat ice cream and
chat. Pictured are Tat McCloud, Lohrville, Iowa; Dorothy Hannah,
Lincoln, Neb.; Jean Belchrad, Ames, Iowa; and Rosalie Bell, Bedford,
Ind. Notice the comfortable-looking two-story buildings in the back
ground, where the girls live.
last “Court of Appeal” is Mr. Bis- 1
sell himself, who is contacted daily
by the council for official opinion.
The system has worked admirably.
All buildings in Girls’ Town are
built of an asbestos composition in
cluding ground corn husks, which is
fire-resistant. Nevertheless, Girls’
Town has its own fire department,
with one completely' equipped fire
truck! The ten dormitories, or resi
dence halls, more like sorority
houses, are resplendent with bright
chintzes, modern, light-colored fur
niture, and 3,000 paintings and sculp
tured works donated by the fine arts
section of the defunct WPA. Bot
tom rent for a dormitory is $16.50
per month, but 97 per cent of the
girls pay $24.50 monthly for the
“de luxe suite.”
A Dollar a Day to Eat.
Food at Arlington Farms is an im
portant item, and is carefully super
vised by Mr. Bissell and his “gov
erning body.” In a cafeteria seat
A peek into a “dc luxe suite.” Phyllis Nord, Buhl, Minn., is powder
ing her nose before going on a shopping tour, while Rosalie Bell tunes in
a swing band. About 97 per cent of the girls live in the tastefully fur
nished dc luxe suites, but there are dormitory accommodations at a
lower rental.
The Rambling Rhymster
•O.
By LES PLETTNER
ICE AND COAL
Hans Johnson was a businessman
lie dealt in iee and coal.
It seemed that when the snow
began.
He started then to roll.
All through the frigid winter days.
He filled each vacant bin;
Enveloped in a sooty haze—
He shoveled it down in.
He was as busy as a bee—
As active as a cat.
From dawn till late in evening
he. . . .
Had neither stopped nor sat.
But then with coming of the spring—
With weather warm and nice—
His business dropped like anything—
He took to hauling ice.
All through the sultry summer days
He hauled it here and there.
Beneath the sunshine's burning
rays . . .
lie climbed each step and stair.
Said Hans, “In winter I haul coal.
To keep the people warm—
To do that is my aim and goal,
In time of snow and storm.
But when the summer days appear, ’
I show I’m no darn fool.
I switch to ice that’s cold and clear, j
And thus 1 keep things cool.
So be the weather cold or hot . . .
Coming or going by . . .
I get ’em . . . to my profit. . .
What a businessman am I!”
ing 2,000 a girl can eat three whole
some, nutritious meals a day for
only one dollar!
Further, food preparation and
servings are along modern, sanitary
lines. Paper eating and drinking
utensils, for example, are almost
exclusively used in the many snack
bars that dot the expansive commu
nity, as well as in the huge cafe
teria. Miss Norma L. Edwards of Al
bany, N. Y., the dietitian in charge
of feeding at Arlington Farms, main
tains that “Thousands of sanitary
paper cups, paper plates and paper
souffle cups for salads and pud
dings are used each week, and that
the annual total reaches astronomi
cal proportions."
Has Civic Center.
Girls’ Town has its own civic cen
ter, built around the administration
building, or “city hall,” as the girls
prefer to call it. A Washington de
partment store has opened an im
pressive branch in Arlington Farms,
and its first job was querying all the
residents via a questionnaire. Prices
were gauged this way, and now the
girls can purchase almost anything
within their budgets.
There are six laundry rooms and
a drug store in each of the ten dor
mitories. Navy chaplains preside
at the only church, an inter-denomi
national one. The local movie the
ater is housed in the huge auditori
um seating 1,200. Plays, too, are
occasionally presented by the local
theater group, and dances are fre
quently held. Girls’ Town has, in
fact, an all-girl band which almost
invariably provides the dance
rhythms at such affairs. There are
beauty parlors and shops of every
type, specially priced, appealing to
girls.
The City is especially proud of
its modern infirmary, with 60 beds
and complete medical and nursing
facilities. Except for major ill
nesses, the "hospital” staff can care
for almost any contingency. There
is no charge for hospital service.
Believe it or not, there is even a
“college” in this no-man’s land, and
regular college credits are awarded
to girls passing the night-school
courses. The classes are held in
the recreational building.
As for sports, Girls’ Town has
just about everything. There are
bowling alleys, tennis courts, minia
ture golf courses, two basketball
courts, soft ball diamonds, and
grounds for badminton, shuffleboard,
quoits and similar games.
Aiinuta Ataka-llfaj
i ByGABRIELLE
It takes an extra minute to do a
pretty powder job—but girls, it's
worth that minute! Pat on your pow
der from the base of the throat up
ward. Soft, gentle but firm pats. A
powder brush will give a smooth
finish. And to keep powder freshly
fragrant, stir it up from the bot
tom. Use a bone spatula or a spoon
And keep the lid fastened to keep
the fragrance in and the dust out! i
Ledger Syndicate. — WNU Features. I
Heroes of Bataan Fight
Will Get Special Ribbon
LEYTE. PHILIPPINES. - The
Philippine government announced it
•would issue two sets of service rib
bons to the defenders of Corregidor
and Bataan, and to the military per
sonnel who fought for liberation of
the islands.
The ribbons for the heroes of Cor
regidor and Bataan will have a red
background with two small vertical
blue stripes at each end and three
white stars in the center.
TEiEFACT
TOBACCO PRODUCTION GOING UP
1,399 MILLION LBS.
^ ,
1,616 MILLION LBS.
1944
"GAY GADGETS"
Associated Newspapers—WNU Features
By NANCY PEPPER
THREE CHEERS
FOR THE BOYS
We’re happy to report that the
soda fountain crowd is doing its bit
toward entertaining the boys both
here and abroad. Here are three
popular teen projects that deserve
special commendation in these col
umns, if only to prove that teen
tricks aren't all stuff and nonsense.
Join the TAGS—You know wha*
“stags” are and you know what
“bags" are, but how about TAGS?
The letters stand for Teen-Age
Group and the idea is to have a spe
cial weekly party for servicemen
under 20 years of age at the local
USO with the Teen-Age Group act
ing as hostesses and dancing part
ners. Our first report of the TAGS
comes from Newport, R. I. Why
don't you suggest a TAG evening
to the directors of your local USO?
News From Home—Lots of high
schools are printing special news
papers for the boys who have left
school to join the armed forces. Usu
ally the editorial staff of the regular
school paper handles the job. Local
gossip about the Soda Fountain
Crowd and plenty of gags fill the
columns. The paper is mailed out
to the boys, whether they are in
American training camps or already
overseas. Just imagine how they
enjoy hearing about the kids they
left behind them!
Get In The Scrap—And you can,
too, by making scrap books for the
servicemen in hospitals, the way
lots of teen-age girls are doing. Give
them plenty of pin-up photos, car
toons and complete magazine seri
als. Here’s something for your club
or sorority to do the next time you
get together.
HEADS AND TAILS
If you’re planning to make some
novel lapel gadgets, consider these
new ideas in animals and birds with
long tails. They’re much newer than
the funny faces you’ve been making
in cork, powder puffs, walnuts and
what have you.
Our Feathered Friends — Cut
pieces of felt or fabric in the shape
of a parrot. Stuff
well and sew neat
ly together. Finish
with long narrow
strips of multi-color
felt in fantail effect
or make a realistic
looking tail out of
little multi-color
feathers. Use se
quins for eyes that
really sparkle!
I'ur run — r ur
tails make wonderful trimmings for
lapel animals, especially little dogs
of leather or oilcloth scraps. For
real glamour, try white leather
gadgets (the white leather from old
kid or suede gloves) with ermine
tails. For sports wear, black patent
leather or oilcloth with brown fur
tails. You will find fur taik at any
trimming counter. Ransack the
family scrap bags for pieces of fur
If the scraps are big enough, cut in
shapes of animals and sew together
to a piece of fabric of the same
shape, with slight padding between.
Scotties are particularly doggy. Use
beads or buttons for eyes and nose,
and out-of-this-world dog collars
made of leather embroidered in
beads.
BOY CRAZIES
We’re always talking about girls’
fad-shions. How’s for giving with
the goo on boys’ drapes? We don’t
sa. that any boy in his right mind
and GI haircut would adopt all |
these fads, but we do guarantee
that each one is an authentic teen
trick for which the wolves howl.
Coming: or Going?—What copy
cats those boys are! Just because
the girls wear their cardigan sweat
ers buttoned down the backs, the
boys are wearing their loafer or foot
ball jackets backside-front.
Scarf Snatchers — The boys are
still snatching hair bows from the
girls and wearing them in their
beanies or in their hair, but it's
even newer for a boy to wear girls’
babushkas as a scarf around his
neck.
Hot Feet—We’re referring to the
socks the boys are wearing. Wow.
what colors! And. it’s considered
extra sharp to wear two different
socks, one brighter than the other.
BAG WITH A SAG
A teen-age gal has strange ideas
On fashions smooth and sporty,
Her dresses may be size 14,
Her sweaters are size 40!
She calls a coke a “little Joe,”
A ear is a "Jalopy.”
She calls her beau her “O.A.O.”—
WE CALL HER SWEATERS
“S LOPP V”!
Son of a Borrower
Pays Up Old Debt
HOLYOKE, MASS. — Thirty
three years ago Joseph Skinner
loaned a mill hand $100 to pay his
son’s college expenses. When the
borrower died, Skinner thought no
more about the money. Recently
he received a letter from his for
mer employe’s son containing a
thank you note—and a check for
$100.
STAGED SCREEN RADIO
Released by Western Newspaper Union.
By VIRGINIA VALE
IT’S the real Deanna Durbin
whom you’ll see in "Can’t
Help Singing"; the picture’s
in technicolor, so Deanna’s
hair is golden, not the darker
shade created for her black
and white films. But the star
will have to vie with the landscape,
for this super-Western was made
against the spectacularly beautiful
scenery of Utah. The turquoise blue
Navajo lake could offer competition
to any actress. Deanna rated the
best in music, too; her songs were
written by Jerome Kern, author of
the music for “Show Boat” and
DEANNA DURBIN
many other hits, and the lyrics are
by E. Y. Harburg, who turned out
the verses for the songs in “Bloom
er Girl,” New York's newest mu
sical hit.
-*
During the first eight weeks of
“To Have and Have Not,” at a New
York theater, 350,000 persons paid
to see the Humphrey Bogart-Louren
Bacall opus. The Bogart admirers
swarmed in by thousands, many
others came to see the new starlet.
-*
Johnny Coy and Miriam Franklin
rehearsed for three and a half
months for the dance they da In
"Duffy's Tavern”—two weeks long
er than it took Fred Astaire and
Marjorie Reynolds to prepare their
routines for “Holiday Inn." Inci
dentally Johnny, recently signed by
Paramount, is being hailed as a
combination of Astaire and Gene
Kelly, because of his performance
in “Out of This World.”
-*
John Cromwell has a reputation
as a director who brings out hidden
talent and develops stars; he’s the
man who made Bette Davis a star
in "Of Human Bondage.” In "Since
You Went Away” several newcom
ers give outstanding performances.
Now along comes “The Enchanted
Cottage"—see it and keep an eye on
Eden Nicholas. Martha Holliday.
Virginia Belmont, Nancy Marlow,
Robert Clarke, Bill Williams and
Carl Kent. Maybe you’ll be in on
the development of a new star.
-*
Wally Cassell, playing a light
hearted G I. whom the girls go for
in “G.I. Joe,” the Ernie Pyle pic
ture, ovy<»s his screen career to
Mickey Rooney. Rooney saw him
in a Los Angeles cafe, got him a
screen test and a contract with
Metro.
If you attend a broadcast of “Mr.
District Attorney” you see Ethel
Browning toting a box about three
inches high; she stands on It when
ever it’s time for her to say her
lines. The voice of a tough gun
moll comes from a tiny gal who
can’t reach the mike!
"Brother Al" Heifer, former Mu
tual Broadcasting System sports an
nouncer and honorably discharged
lieutenant commander of the navy,
has the latest Cinderella story to
tell. While strolling through the cor
ridor of New York’s 20th Century
Fox office to audition as a commen
tator, he was spotted by a talent
scout. Result, a technicolor screen
test and a long-term contract for
the handsome, six-foot five Al. But
don’t look for him on the screen
under that name—it’ll probably be
changed before he faces the
cameras.
Larry Stevens, the 21-year-old lad
who replaced Dennis Day as singer
on the Jack Benny program, is ex
tra pleased about that contract be
cause now he can marry his high
school sweetheart, Barbara Wil
liams, Universal contract player.
You’d think Dick Haymes would
be content, what with his “Every
thing for the Boys” air show over
NBC and his starring role opposite
Betty Grable in 20th Century-Fox's
“Diamond Horseshoe.” But now
he's studying short-story writing!
ODDS AND ENDS—Danny Kaye is
now starring on his own air show on
CBS. . . . We're told that Cornelia Otis
Skinner and Roland Young may come
hack in a radio series like their “Wil
liam and Mary.” . . . Archduke Felix of
Austria told Jean Fontaine that the best
movie he'd seen was “Going My Way.”
. . . Judy Canova is now appearing on a
new series over NIIC. . . . There’s still
popular demand for another Bhil Baker
show with Beetle and Bottle; Beetle is
Ward (Stage Door Canteen) Wilson, and
Bottle is llarry (It Bays to Be Ignorant)
McNaughton. ... No need to identify
Bhil (Take It or Leave It) Baker.
Corduroy and Velveteen Make
Cunning Frocks for Little Girls
Ry CIIERIE NICHOLAS
CHILDREN play a delightful role
in the fashion picture. They are
dressed so cunningly these days it
would seem as if they had stepped
right out from the colorfully illus
trated pages of a story book. De
signers who create such adorable
clothes surely have a talent all their
own.
It is interesting to note the mate
rials these designers favor most in
fitting out little folks with pretty and
practical clothes. If a vote were
taken there is every reason to be
lieve that corduroy would score first
in favor with velveteen a close sec
ond. Corduroy has a way of being
sturdy and utilitarian with prac
tically “no wear out about it" at
the same time that it makes up
beautifully in dressy little frocks
and coats. When it comes to hard
wear, corduroy meets every test
unfailingly, and when it comes to
fashioning pretty-pretty dresses this
winter, it is proving a fabric ideal.
The prestige of this practical as
well as most attractive material^
has been greatly enhanced during
the last several seasons with the
introduction of an especially fine pin
wale corduory called cordurella,
which is voguish both for chil
dren and grownups. You can see,
centered above in the illustration,
how prettily cordurella makes up
into a cunning bolero suit with hat
to match. It was a clever move on
the part of the designer who took
mother's and big sister’s favorite
fashion, the bolero suit, and copied it
in miniature for little daughter. The
tiny jacket ties at the neck and has
a beanie to match. The ensemble
is trimmed in gay peasant flowers to
the delight of the youngster that
wears it.
Another type of dress that should
be in every little girl’s wardrobe is
the jumper. Youngsters love to wear
their pretty jumper frocks of bright
cordurella, and mothers like this
fabric because it can be easily
washed over and over again, com
ing out as smart-looking as ever.
With a change of blouse each day it
gives variety, to the delight of the
little wearer. Then too, it solves the
what-to-wear to school and at-play
problem so easily and simply.
Ice cream makes a party for most
every little Miss, and so does a cun
ning red velveteen dress, as pic
tured to the left. Especially does it
look “partyfled” when trimmed with
dainty Irish-type lace, as you see
here. The nice thing about cotton
velveteen is that while it is practi
cal and comparatively inexpensive,
it tunes perfectly to Sunday-best
wear and to all sorts of important
occasions in a child's life. Soft string
bows, sweetheart neckline and
puffed sleeves such as prettify this
dress, are gay little details wee
young ladies like.
A cotton oxford cloth jumper dress
is shown to the right. It is gaily
trimmed in narrow bright embroi
dered banding which outlines the bib
effect and gives an extra fillip to
the graceful simulated pinafore that
is sewed in as a part of the*dress.
Cotton oxford cloth is attractive in
any color, but in navy or wine,
trimmed with gay embroidery it
looks more than an ordinary wash
dress. You can easily get inch-wide
Mexican - embroidered band trim
ming which adds just the right dash
of color to the dress pictured, at
lace or dress-trim counters. Since
peasant fashions are so popular, this
type of trim is appearing on both
dresses and sheer Mexican - type
blouses for youngsters.
The young fry just love the new
checked taffeta that is being made
up into sprightly little dresses.
They also like the gay plaid taffetas,
for the rustle of taffeta is music to
the ears of a little girl who likes
to feel dressed up.
Released by Western Newspaper Union.
Whimsies for Tots
Made of Bright Felt
Of course you can buy these little
whimsies in way of bonnets and bo
leros and cunning suspenders and
bags done in the quaint Tyrolean
way that make little children look
like fairy-tale characters, but it’s
fun making them, too.
Material needed for these pictur
esque items are a remnant or so of
felt in the basic colors, red, brown,
green, navy or French blue. Felt
by the yard can usually be found in
any upholstery department Then
lay in a supply of cutout felt flowers
and amusing motifs which are easily
available in various sections, either
among the dress trimmings or some
times at the pattern counter.
You will also need a skein or so of
wool yarn to finish off the edges of
the little garments with crochet or
buttonholing. There are patterns to
be had of wee sleeveless boleros,
suspenders to attach to little skirts,
for bonnets of every type and bags
tiny or large to carry to kindergar
ten or school. Older little girls like
these bright fancies as well as tots.
Jumper Dresses Now
Made in Larger Sizes
For a long time the jumper dress
worn with different blouses was re
garded as a fashion for the slim
and youthful figure. The dress is so
practical with the change of blouses
it affords, designers decided to turn
it out in colors and cuts that would
flatter the larger-sized woman A
deftly designed jumper in dark
green, navy or brown gabardine
with well built-up under-arm treat
ment and a slenderizing deep V
neckline is available in the better
stores in the larger sizes.
Bustle-Back Drape
The rustle of taffeta is in the air.
This sprightly rayon taffeta that is
making such a splurge in the fabric
realm is as fashionable in plaids
and stripes as can be. and it is just
as smart in plain colors. The bustle
evening gown pictured is of taffeta
in a lovely cerise shade. The eve
ning formals made up with the huge
bustle bows with corresponding
bows at the shoulder give a new sil
houette which is growing in favor
right along. It’s part of the revival
of Victorian modes.
