The record-union., 1891-10-06
A LADY VETERAN.
Miss Clara Barton Pays a Visit to
Sacramento.
Reception at the Golden Eagle Hotel
History of the Red Cross Order
Miss Barton's Services.

I
Red Cross, and J. B. Hubbell, the GEN
eral Field Agent of the same order, ar
rived in this city yesterday at noon on
their way East
| They were introduced to Mayor Com
stock, who procured a carriage and
showed them the many beautiful homes
about the city, and escorted them through
the different offices in the State Capitol.
Miss Barton, at the request of several
officials, registered her name several
times. She expressed surprise at finding
here such magnificent Capitol building,
whose massive character and elegant
architecture surpassed her expectations.
RECEPTION LAST EVENING.
Last evening from to 10 o'clock an in
| formal reception was held in one of the
! large parlors of the Golden Eagle Hotel.
Many who were aware of the fact that
Miss Barton was in the city called to pay
their respects, and the result was that
the lady was kept busy during the even
| ing making new acquaintances. She
entertained her guests delightfully."- by re-
citing portions of the work that the or
! ganlZation she represen. e had achieved,
and relating incidents of her trip through
| the United States.
During the evening several State Off
Gals and many prominent men and
women of the city were noticed among
those who called.
Miss Barton departed for the East on
the overland train at midnight.
ORDER OF THE RED CROSS.
The Red Cross is an international or
ganization, the result Of a treaty among
all nations for the relief of the sick and
! wounded of armies and the mitigation of
the sutferings incident to the exigencies
of human warfare. The treaty originated
| in contention called in Geneva, SWitz-
erland, in 1864, composed of delegates
| from the heads of all the national govern
| ments Of the world, which convention re-
suited in code of articles. since adopted
by all governments, which has practically
remodeled the methods of the medical de-
| partment of all armies, creating an active
neutral force on the battlefield. The
| United States gave its adhesion to the
| treaty in 1882.
In the formation of the constitution of
| the American Red Cross the privilege
was asked of the ratifying powers abroad
| to admit our nation with power to act in
/ the relief Of great national calamities
other than war, as fires, floods, famine
| pestilence, drought, earthquake or any
calamity so great as to be beyond the aid
of local relief, thus becoming national in
extent. The American order was so ac-
cepted. and this feature is recognized
abroad as the American amendment to
the Red Cross. No nation has since
adopted the treaty without the amend
ment as well.
The headquarters of the American Red
Cross are in Washington.
Miss Barton worked under the flag of
the Red Cross in Europe through the
| Franco-German war of 1870 and 1871.
Later, on her presentation of the subject of
the adoption OF the treaty by our Govern
ment: she was named as National Presi-
| dent Of the American organization bV
President Garfield, which position she
still holds, being the only woman in the
world presiding over a national organiza-
ton Of the Red Cross. She has repre-
! Sented the Government at two interna-
tional conferences abroad, one in Geneva.
| Switzerland, 1884, and one in Carlsruhe.
| Germany, 1887.
The American organization has for
tunately found no field for its labors in
war, but under its own amendment it has
not been idle. 1t has performed efficient
| as we'll as marked service on twelve fields
of national disaster, from the floods of the
Mississippi and Ohio through pestilence,
drought and famine to the disaster of
Johnstown, where its services will be
chronicled with the history of the dis
aSter itself.
Miss Barton, although so actively iden-
titled with the Red Cross Association
and its duties, is also an active member
of the Woman's Relief Corps, having
! joined it at the National Convention in
San Francisco, in August, 1886, since
which time she has been member of
| Potomac Corps, Washington, d. C. She
was elected National Chaplain in De-
troit, although not present during the en-
| tire sessions of the National Convention.
| Miss Barton left Detroit and started
| West when the convention took action,
and when she arrived in San Francisco
| she was rendered a reception and there
installed, the official papers having to be
! forwarded from Detroit to one of the
Woman's Relief Corps at the metropolis.