Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1889-10-18
MISS CLAIR BARTON.

In view of her many benevolent acts
and scrupulous devotion to her life work,
too much cannot be said in praise of this
lady. The flood sufferers of Johnstown
have abundant reason to always hold her
in grateful remembrance, as she has been
instant in season and out of season y
In relieving their distress and in minister
ing to their wants. Among the many
noble, generous hearte men and women
chat fled to our relief ON wings of love
and sympathy, she stands to-day con-
spicuous among the foremost. Her adj
vent was with the first eastern train that
reached Johnstown and was greeted as
an angel of mercy. With her and for
months afterwards, royes, bags, barrels,
trunks, and valises filed with clothing,
shoes and boots, bedding, and food came
by the hundreds and thousands, until the
temporary buildings she had speedily
erected were crow Gcd TO repletion.
Then with an ardor born of the nobest
impulses, and with an energy that knew
no respite she went everywhere on her
great mission Of love, gladdening the
hearts of hundreds OF our destitute and
suffering, asking no questions about
natonalities, creeds, social standing or
color. The one great controlling, inspir-
ing bond of universal brotherhood made
us all akin in her estimation.
NeYeI did a. organization select so
wisely and elect so judiciously as did the
National Red Cross y 1sociation when eit
chose her to preside over its benevolent
work. Such is her national reputation
that the generous donors of money and
goods, had no hesitaucy in putting all in
her hands. All, did we say-great is the
pity that she had not been selected as the
custodian Of the millions placed IN other
hands. Her fine executive abilities. her
powers of discrimination her zeal and
her faithfulness, would have left no
grounds for complaints OF tardiness or
favoritism in the q stribufion of the
princely sums of mnHey contributed for
The relief of the suffering thousands of
che Conemaugh Nalir'.
Approaching her c. lracter, ability and
work as Johnstown .eople now do, We
do not wonder that Charles summers
estimate of her was high. Iauscribing
TO her The highest E. ributcs Of exalted
womanhood, and in saying that she pos,
sessedin marked degleeth the highest grade
OF both craftsmanship tnd suldiership, he
gave utterance to ruth that has been
verified in all our great National disasters,
such as as the forest fires of Michigan in
1881 the Mississippi floods of 1882 the
Ohio floods of 1888 the Mississippi cy-
clone of 1888 the Ohio and Mississippi
floods of 1884 the Virginia epidemic of
1885, the Texas drouth of 1887 the
Charleston earthquake in 1887; the
Mount Vernon cyclone of 1888; the yel-
low fever in Florida in 1888, and last, but
not least, the Conemaugh flood of 1880,
To her timely and heroic work, more
than to that OF any other human being,
are the people of the Conemaugh Valley
indebted for whatever may be their fav-
orable circumstances and condition of to-
day. And as she gor, into new fields of
disasters, she will crrry with her the
blessings of tho hundreds of this
flood-swept district who were ready
to perish" We close this brief
tribute to her suptrlatlve merits as
we began by sayin too much praise
cannot be awarded NJ.