Page Twelve 



The Construction Department Sends an 

 Expedition into the Field 



(From our Special Correspondent) 



The wave of rising prices which has been sweeping all over the 

 country has not spared, in its mad course, even the lowly sand. That 

 sand is much more expensive now than it was before the war is to most 

 people a matter of small concern, but it presents a vexing problem for 

 those who have occasion to purchase this commodity. 



In order to combat the high cost of sand, the Construction Depart- 

 ment decided to send out an "expedition" of three men to locate and 

 bring back fifty bags of this precious material, suitable for use in the 

 sand-blasting machine. Andy Putnam, Jack McGrory and Joe Tyson 

 were selected. 



llalf-Moon Cove, a little sandy spot just beyond Cow Bay on Long 

 Island Sound, was the objective of the expedition which left Judge's 

 Beach early one morning. After about an hour's sail in Andys little 

 motor-boat, the destination was reached. The anchor was heaved and 

 the three explorers went ashore in a row-boat, armed with shovels and 

 cement-bags. The search for sand that was gritty without being full 

 of gravel was begun at once, and it was not long before the three were 

 working as if under fire to fill the bags. 



A bag of sand ordinarily ought to weigh about llo pounds, i)ut these 

 seemed more like 300. They were lugged down to the water's edge, 

 lifted into the skiff, and rowed out to the motor-boat and placed on 

 board. This operation was repeated time and again until there were 

 about 24 bags on the little craft. That was all it could safely hold, so 

 the voyage homeward was begun. 



The party arrived at Judge's Beach at about half-past four, so 

 another trip that night was out of the question. The fact remained 

 that fifty bags was the quota, and at a soviet meeting it was decided that 

 another day should bo spent in obtaining the balance. 



The next day dawned nice and murky, and the prospects for a pleas- 

 ant trip were conspicuously absent. Of course this did not daunt the 

 veterans of the day before. They cheerfully (?) donned their oilskins 

 and made their way through the thick fog to the scene of operations. 

 The bags were much heavier than they had been the day before, accord- 



