Middletown transcript., 1896-01-11
MISS CLARA BARTON.
rHE sToRY OF 4 NOBLE LIFE.

whose suffering the world has. thus raj
been unable to relieve. As soon q
the necessary money is raised, she an
her assistants will start for CONSTANT
nople; Although between 65 and z
years old she enters upon the dificul
undertaking with the ardor and zeal o
her youth. No one has yet been abb
to penetrate to the suffering districts
One man, entrusted with Si5, 900 TO
distribution among the Armenians
has within month, returned hom,
with the money, having failed to ac
complish his mission; but it is believed
that the Red Cross, protected as it is
by its international treaty, of which
Turkey is one of the signers, will &C
complish what no one else can. II
connection with this new undertaking
a sketch of Miss Bartun's life will be
read with interest. The following il
taken, in rart, from the ''New YORK
Tribune"
MISS BARTON'S LIFE-wORK.
For more than forty years Miss Bar
ton has made her home at the National
Capital, where she is a well-known and
familiar figure, although she lives a
quiet and retired life, devoting herself
entirely to the administration of the
affairs of the Red Cross Society, of
which she is the director. Many of
these years have been spent away from
here, wherever duty called ber, on bat
tlefelds, in hospitals, succoring those
made destitute by foods and fire, and
nursing the victims of pestilence.
She was born in North Oxford, Mass,
in 1880. She was only sixteen VIII en-
she began teaching school and from that
time until now her life has been lived for
the good Of Others. 1t was when re-
covering from an illness induced by
overwork in establishing free school
in Bordentown, N. j., that she came
in 1858 to visit relatives in Washing
ton and to rest. Miss Barton possess
es the nervous strength which is SEEM
ingly inexhaustible. She burns hel
candle at both ends and accomplishes
an incalculable amount of work. Her
indomitable will supplies the power
after her physical strength is gone, and
invariably finishes the work she has in
hand: but, that done, she gives out
like the swapping Of a watchspring, and
must lay by for season to rest. From
these periods Of rest she has again and
again been called to undertake other
work, and during her first visit here,
when she came to recuperate from her
labors at Bordentown, she was per-
suaded to take charge of a division of
The Patent Office, the affairs of which
were In inextricable confusion, owing
10 the duplicity of certain clerks who
had given out information concerning
the patents.
Miss; Barton's wonderful executive
Ibiiity was shown in her work here,
and che succeeded in bringing order
,ut of chaos, although every possible
tumbling block was put in her way by
men. who resented her presence among
hem. Miss Barton is said to have
'een the first woman appointed to a |
'osition in the Cover nment' depart
nents. There is no record Of any one
proceeding her, but this is a subject |
rolific Of disputes. She was discharg-
d in Buchanan's Administration for
or intense Republican sympathies, /
ut which she took no pains to conceal
7as recalled during the same Admin
'tration, it having been impossible to.
nd any one to continue the work she
ad begun, and at the beginning of the1
'ar she still occupied this place, which
he at once resigned to serve her country
q The field. A general of the Army
nee said that during the whole war
lere were no better soldiers than Miss
arton and those devoted women like
Or who went to the front to nurse the
ck and wounded.
DURING THE CIVIL WAR
f Il
In the early days Of the war women
nrses were not permitted to go to the
ont, and their field was very limited f
70. but Immediately OH entering the
,sptial service Miss Barton set about
,nyincing her division commander,
eneri j. G.. Rucker, Of tile value her
rvices would be there, and finally sue
eded in persuadiiig. him to furnish
II with transportation, and received
5 permission to go wherever there was
,ed of her. From.this tine untilwith- ,
q year Of the end of the war, when
Q was called home by y death in her
miiy. Miss Barton was active in field
ID hospital work, organizing i.nd
recting, training people to help her; r
cumming up snpplies-doing every
ling, in word, that her strong and
pable hands found to d.; and with
II clear and logical brain, her syste-
attic methods and her unselfisf devo-
IN to the. work, making herself a
'wer and establishing reputation
hicll spread allover the world.
Her eminent ability was recognized
! her appointment as superintendent :
the Tenth Army Corps hospital. .
ar City Point, and hert experiences
re, her work on the battlefield. her
hole war service, in fact, would make
thrilling volume. It is doubtful if
" one was mora tenderly loved or
ore popular with the .'boys. :" Inher 8
mans courage. fortitude and energy :
ere united with q womah'stenderness !
ndness and sympathy, and she became b