Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1873-11-06
MATTE STEVENSON.
The story Of the Illinois Her0iae
Among the yellow Fever PA.
tieuts at Memphis.
Memphis Letter to the New YORK Herald

Memphis Letter 10 the New YORK Herald
Acts of heroism and charity are
many and glorious. Memphis has
promised to erect tall white shaft to
the memory Of young girl who was
Yesterday laid in her grave at Elm
wood. and the name of Matte Steven
son will be more deeply craven in the
hearts Of the citizens OF the stricken
city than il can be on the marble
column which will mark her resting
place. This little girl Of Blooming.
ton, Illinois, aged about Is, was enjoy
ing a summer vacation with relatives
in New England, when, hearing of the
death-dealing pestilence here, She re-
solved TO come and do what she could
for the dead and dying. Fearing that
friends and relatives would stay her
if they knew her intentions, she gave
no intimation of her purpose till she
presented herself to the Towards as
a nurse. A doctor applied for an at
tendant to wait OH poor, diving wo-
man, who was in the last stage Of the
fever, and was suffering the pangs of
parturition. Matte was sent to him
and, though greatly surprised at see
ing this seeming child, her words were
such that he could not refuse her aid.
She went to the bedside of the diving
and the attending physician reports
that she seemed to know what to do
by inspiration. The destroyer, how
ever had too nearly done its work.
That night, with no one near but this
volunteer nurse, the mother aud her
saffron olored babe were added to
the list OF mortality. Reporting the
facts at the headquarters of the How
ards, she was sent to the Lehner
House to await instructions. Before
she had time to rest she was called
upon again. This time there was an
old man and woman sick at No. 49,
Main street. That morning they had
taken in charge four orphans whose
parents had died in the next house.
Two of these children were now
down with the fever, and Miss Mat
tic was asked If she would 90 to them. !"
III will" she said, and in a short
time her conductor showed her the
sick children. One of the Towards
| was placed there t, assist her. The
sick were kindly nursed, and in few
days they, with the other two orphans,
were placed in comfortable homes.
i After this duty was performed our
heroine from Illinois was sent to a
house on Concord street, where man
by the name Of Sullivan was down
with the prevailing malady, and four
others were threatened. Here she
gave assiduous attention until Mr..
Sullivan died. Frustrated by over.
work, she became affected by the con-
tagion, and was carried to the Wal
thall lnfirmary, now patient herself.
AS accomplishing in afiliction as she
was unf1inching in the performance of
her self-imposed duties, she became a
pet OF the doctors and nurses, who be.
slowed upon her every attention, and
used every effort to save her life; but
all was in vain. Her pure spirit has
assembled, and her consecrated BODY
lies in the grave at Elmwood. Twill
quote few passages from her obitu-
airy in the Appeal, which will give
some idea of the esteem in which she
was held by the citizens of Memphis
SPriests, ministers, nurses, sisters of
charity and physicians have passed
away from their appointed posts OF
duty; but Matte Stevenson, a name
hereafter to be craven on every heart
in Memphis, becomes dearest of all
and first because she fills up the
chasm of war, and has washed away
with the tears of sublime faith and
steady charity all traces of its exist
ence. Buried and followed TO the
silent tomb by the largest concourse
Of citizens that has assembled in
Memphis, but buried her memory
never shall be so long as one of the
men, women or children of 1873 live
TO lisp her name. Honors to such a
one are beyond our power to pay.
] We may raise. and -Wa will raise q
white shaft to commemorate her hero
ism; but in our hearts from now
henceforth, she will be with every
one Of us next to the dearest on earth.
She will be to us as lost child, sis
ter, or friend whose goodness is an
holy aroma, q guardian so long as we
possess it, against evil and for good.
Let the shaft be raised and let it be
the highest, the whitest, the most con-
spicuous in our beautiful city of the
dead and let the name, "Mattie Steven
son." be craven deep and deep down,
where it will remain to defy the cor
rosions of time and tell how she laid
down her life for the poor of Men,
phis."
| TOUCHING INCIDENT.
| The following affecting incident was
witnessed yesterday at the Howard
rooms on Madison street:
1t seems that this girl came here
! mi o1o L,,s
fusing pay for her services, she wrote
home for few needed articles, and
the day before she died the box ar
rived. She was then, of course too
i'll to know anything about it, and
yesterday Mr.. Langstaff, President of
the Towards, opened the box to find
some trace of the girls history. The
box contained two neat calico dresses,
some cuffs and under-garments and
several small packages of delicacies
suitable for the sick, and which had
evidently been put up for such pur-
pose. They were carefully replaced
while the bystanders turned away
with tear-dimmed eyes and silently
left the room. The heroine's grave is
at prominent point not far from the
gates Of the cemetery.
| Last nights dispatches give indica.
tons that the Republicans have car.
ried New York, and have also the
Legislature. Massachusetts, Republi.
can by $4,000, also Legislature Repub.
lican. r. p. Banks is elected to State
Senate. New Jersey, Republican by
| reduced majority /; Minnesota and Kan.
sas Republican. The mongrel opposi
ton ticket carries Wisconsin, defeat.
ing Washburn for Governor. The
Democracy carry Virginia, electine
Kemper, Governor, by about $4,000
majority. Detroit, Michigan. is Re-
publican, and Comstock, Democrat, ia
elected to Congress from the Fifth
district to fill vacancy. Chicago is
carried by the O'Hara ticket, ii. d.
Colvin, Superintendent of the L. S.
Express Company, being elected May.
or over Bond, the candidate upon the