The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1883-03-20


A very brief history OF the work of thu
Indianapolis board of trade will be appro
pirate in this connection The Board il
composed of one hundred leading bushes
men OF indianapolis and other cities imme-
diately surrounding. The object of this
board is similar to that of all such boards
the commercial advantage of the city in
which it exists But when, on the 18th of
last February the first cry of distress came
from the flood stricken town of Lawrence.
burg, the board departed somewhat from
its rules of action and assumed the charac-
ter of benevolent society. 1t was then
the first committee was sent out with in
struction to solicit from the members of the
board and the business men of Indianapolis
generally, enough money to purchase cou-
pie of car loads of provisions and clothing
for the sufferers. The committee met with
unexpected success. Calls for aid came from
other points and the committee continued
Its solicitations. The action of the
board was heralded abroad over
the land and contributions of money
and necessaries were sent to it from every
direction, with instructions to please for
ward them to the needy This caused the
board to make its work more general; it
sent out distributing expeditions, one af-
ter another, six in all, composed of some of
the leading business men of Indianapolis,
who were instructed to investigate the con
dition of things, report the the truth, and
render aid wherever necessary, not conin-
ing their good work to any state line or
making any distinction. These committees
did their noble work well; they
reached inland towns by rail and visited
every settlement on the bankless stream,
found nakedness, starvation, sickness and
death everywhere, and in each case lent
helping hand, giving clothing to the
naked, bread to the hungry, medicine
to the sick, shrouds, coffins and
decent burial to the dead. Besides the
large contributions OF money. over FIVE
thousand dollars worth of provisions, cloth
ing and medicine were thus distributed
and this, with the contributions sent TO the
several cities direct by neighboring cities
and towns, including Cairo's modest sum to
Shswneetown, was ample to afford all those
in want sufficiency of all they needed.
The last committee, that which landed
here last evening, is composed of gentle
men with whom it is q pleasure
to meet. Mr.. N. s. Byrum
is chairman; Mr.. V. T. Malott,
treasurer, and Mr. w. P. Gallup and Col.
S. A. Cosser are the general utility mem
bers of the committee. Mr.. Maott is pres
ident of an Indianapolis bank, and large
identified with the railroad interests of the
city, and the other members of the com
mittee are members Of leading business
and manufacturing firms. The committee
was accompanied by DR.. E. L. Elder sec
rotary of the Indianapolis board of health
Col. P. r. Stroupe, Capt. H. S. Watson,
Mr.. J. W. Alexander, Mr.. Jap. Turpin of
the Indianapolis Daily Sentinel, and Mr.. j.
B. ThomE son of the Indianapolis Daily
News.
The committee made its trip down the
river slowly and found many isolated cases
of suffering. The case nearest to Cairo
was family near Brooklin, just below Pa
ducah, who were furnished with bedding,
food, clothing etc. At New Liberty also a
large supply of everything was left for the
needy in that vicinity. But the committee
had considerably Of supply left for which
it found no use, and il has decided that the
work of the board of trade is done and asks
that generous communities and individuals
do now withhold their contributions for
future call, which, it is to be hoped, will
not be made.
Tuy ord Mavnr nf Top1op mou onlv q