The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1867-11-14
What a Woman Did.
The Work of nh American Wom
Soulh America.


South America.
. To those who are wont to smile an
shrug their shoulders when the capabilitie
Of women for something beyond the limit
of gossip and point lace is asserted, we com
mend the following record which is take
from the N Y Evening Posts
Many persons in this city will be grieve
at the news Of the death of Mrs Jenn
White de Bal, the wife of Don Bernardin
de Bal, of Santiago, de Verigus in New
! Grenada, and daughter of the late jaime
w. White, of this city, who died few
months since Mrs de Bal has fallen
victim in the bloom of her youth, to tn
scourge of yellow fever, which has devasta
ted the whole South, leaving her HUSBAND
and two little children to mourn her loss
together with the whole community of San
tiago, by whom she was worshipped, witt
| good reason.
During the four short years that this en-
ergetic and talented young American wo
man dwelt in this South American city, she
effected missionary work which it is vel
worth while to record. Santiago is an ole
| Spanish town of the Isthmus, containing
several thousand inhabitants, but Of late il
has fallen into stagnation through the dis
organized state of the country, Mrs. de
Bal was the first American lady who ever
made it her abode. Possessed of unusual
executive talents and fine accomplishments,
as we'll as a spirit of earnest philanthrophy
and ardent piety, almost Immediately upon
her entrance into the istless community she
set about working social change. The
churches had been closed, the schools dis
solved, and society disorganized She raj
| lied the people together. opened schools; and
| formed religious soceti which labored for
the restoration of the churches and the revi-
val of religion. She visited the sick and
the dying, sought out and relieved the poor,
and so won on the hearts Of the common
people that she became known young as
she was, as the saint" and the ''angel of
Santiago" and she was almost worshipped
as tutelar divinity. On the anniversary
of her arrival in the city, which was also
her birthday, public ovation was given
her; the places of business were closed, and
public sports were held in the plaza, fol-
lowed 10 the evening by fireworks and a
splendid entertainment i'll the public hall,
where her portrait, painted by order of the
municipal authorities, was unveiled, and she
was presented with laurai crown by dep
utation from the Santiago ladies.
In the succeeding insurrectionery distur-
Dances, after the battles of San Brnjas and
San Francisco, when the wounded of both
sides were brought into Santiago, where no
accommodations awaited them, Mrs De
Bal piocured a house from her cousin,
caused the wounded men to be carried
thither, induced the ladies of the city to
join her, and organized the first military
hospital in the charge of ladies ever known
Dickson, who stood by her death bed and
brought the news of her death to her family,
she performed the most heroic services,
standing constantly by my side, aiding
me in amputations and other severe opera
lions, dressing the wounds with her own
hands, and even using the knife herself in
case of need, despite her delicate and Sensi-
tive organization. She became the Florence
Nigh tingale of South America adored by
all the wounded, and such was the public
sense of her services that General Olarte re-
turned thanks to her in the Official gazette,
aud vote of thanks was rendered her in
the Assembly of State.
During the civil war in America, she !
steadfastly advocated the cause of the north
and organized patriotic demonstration on
the Fourth Of July, in honor OF her native
country. She secured various political re-
forms from the Congress of New Grenada,
and induced the Bishop of Bogota to make
divers ecclesiastical changes, for the benefit
of the people Her zeal was untiring in re
form The churches were in ruins she So
licited materials for building new one, col
lected all that she desired. and the edifice |
was half completed at the time of her death. |
She fell a victim indeed to humanity. Two
of her servants were attacked with ye low
fever She was urged to send them away, |
but refused to Send them away to die, aud
nursed them herself, till she in turn was
seized with the scourge which termi lated
her life In the short space of four hours -
The grief caused by her death was intense.
When it became known that she was ill, a |
throng of people filled the square in front of
her house, kneeling and praying for her re-
covery. AT the news Of her death. the air
was tent with their shrieks. Business was
suspended, the stores were
closed, and the whole city hung in mourn
ing as for public calamity. In Panama
the Bishop ordered the bells in and out of
the city to be tolled during the whole day
for her death The Panama journal says
''This llfat ed young lady lived but short
time IN her adopted home, but during that
brief space the country has contracted a
debt towards her which neither our tears
nor our lamentations can pay. In remem
braDce of all her goodness, every eye weeps
her loss and her mama 10 I'm evarv Jnnnfb ,;
1t is rarely that we can chronicle a woman's
life so short, yet so full of earnest effort aud
performance