Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1889-08-02
THE RED CR0SSH0USE.
MISS CLARA BARTON AsTONIsHEs THE
GOOD PEOPLE OF JOHNsTowN.

urday EVENING" Comfortable Build
ing Containing Thirty-Six Nicely Fur
nished Rooms
At the invitation of Miss Clara Barton,
President of the National Red Cross So
ciety of America, number of residents
and non-residents of Johnstown assem-
bled at P. NJ, on Saturday, in a large
wooden building called the Red Cross
House, erected on the site of the Episco-
palian Church, on Locust street, to par
take of five O'Clock tea given as a house
warming.
Before going into details, we may state
that the editice has been put
up at the expense of the Ma
tional Red Cross Society of Amer
lea, as temporary residence for families
who have been de- wed of home aud be-
longing by the food, until such time
they are able to commence housekeeping
again in their own houses The building
is 116 feet long, so feet wide, and two
stories high, containing thirty-six
large and commodious bed rooms, dining
hall 100 feet long, kitchen, laundry and
two bath rooms, one for the male and the
other for the female residents. Water is
laid in from the main, and every con-
venience that kind thought can suggest,
or money buy 10 make the inmates com
Portable.
The idea is to shelter as many families
as the building will hold The ground
on which the building stands has been
lent by Bishop Whitehead for period
AS the hour of 5 o'clock approached, a
number of Johnstown's leading citizens
commenced to wend their way toward
the building and it was nearly six before
all had assembled.
The Rev. Charles \. Bragdon presented
each individual personally TO Miss Clara
Barton, who received hers guests with that
gracious sweeteess 50 characteristic of the
woman chosen as the President OF the
greatest charitable institution in the world,
and for each and every one she had a
kind word of welcome. Before setting
down to the repast provided for the oc-
casion, at the desire of Miss Barton, the
Rev. Bragdon conducted the guests on a
tour of inspection over the builcing. The
first parts visited were the dormitories,
and these handsome, well furnished
rooms elected quite burst of admiration
from the beholders they were not pre-.
pared to see such u generous evidence Of
the society's goodness. Could Burns
have joined that little throng of specta-
tors, have seen what they saw, surely his
first act would have been to soften the
greatest thought he ever wrote, mans
lnhumanity to man makes countless
thousands mourn" Here was case
where mans goodness to man caused
bosoms to swell with pride and gratitude
Passing on round the gallery, the party
descended to the kitchen; here everything
was neat and shining and all ready for
immediate use. The laundry and bath
rooms came in fol their share of attention,
and as the survey was completed, gen
eral satisfaction evinced itself on all sides
q" What is this building" was
question put TO Miss Barton by one of
the gentlemen present. A soft look
came into her kindly eyes as she replied:
1t is the expression of thought, the
naturalization of an idea" May God
bless such ideas, would that they were
more common with the whole world
A little friendly chatting was then in
dulged in and the merit of the institution
fully discussed. At $3.50 at a signal from
Miss Barton the guests seated themselves
at the tables and set to work with good
will to do justice to the excellent cheer,
many being waited on personally by that
lady herself. When the reaast was over
guests and entertainers proceeded to the
end of the room and seated themselves
in group around Miss Barton, who re-
mained standing, holding in her hand a
bundle of papers. Silence being observed
the first lady of the Red Cross proceeded
to read the apologies for enforced absence
from the following people Bishop White
head, the Rev. II. r. Goodchild, of Beth
lehem, John A. Neff, Philadelphia, the
telegraph operators of the Western Union
of Johnstown, DR.. N. Matthews, John
Fulton, Manager of the Cambria Iron
Works, Captain Kuhn, DR.. G. w. Wagner,
and lastly telegram signed the " Little
Six of Waterford" " Now perhaps some
Of you would like to know who the little
six of Waterford are" exclaimed Miss
Baton, " and it will give me plesure to
tell you"
In 1884, | was in command of steam
boat on the Ohio, chartered by the Ma
tional Red Cross of America, to relieve
the sufferers by what was then known
as the third flood on the Ohio. Money
came pouring in in response to our appeal
from all parts of America.
One morning | received a check for
S52.65 through the editor of the Erie Ga
zetN with letter signed "The Little Six"
The letter stated that the money enclosed
was the result of an entertainment got up
by six little children, who had read
in tlp napprq IF tho tor,;b1a a,,po,;,o., -