The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-03-04

Bitlis and Van. In the latter city DR..
! Grace N. Kimball, an American medi-
cal missionary. began an industrial
work for the purpose of giving employ
( ment to as many of the destitute as
possible i'm the manufacture of cotton
I goods When her work languished for
4 lack of funds, DR.. Klopsch sent for
ward liberal remittances, aggregating
$4,000, TO Van, with the result that DIR.
kimball was able to save many lives.
Hundreds of families were employed in
her industrial bureau, and to those for
whom work could not be obtained she
gave food in sufficient quantities to
keep them from starvation, and cloth
ing where IL was necessary. The Van
relief bureau also supplied medicines
to the sick. According to recent letters
from Dr. Kimball the industrial bureau
employs 9S1 persons. representing over
$50 families, by whose labor 4.750 per-
sons are supported. They are spinners
and weavers, carders, spindle-fillers,
knitters and sewers: and the manufac-
lures are coarse cotton cloth, wooden
goods, carpets. stout jackets. socks and
bedding. The product of the bureau is
solid in different parts of the country a
considerable amount being sent to
the Sassoun relief commission. At
tached to the relief bureau is a bakery,
where free bread is supplied to $500
persons, the allowance. per capita, be-
ing one and one-half pounds per
day.
While the conduct of all the mission
aries has been brave and self-denying.
there is an especial halo of romance
about the relief work at Van. This dis
trict is considered by many eminent
scholars to be the sin of the ancient
Eden. the lost garden of mans happi-
ness; but. to-day, the province is a
veritable desert, and presents the APP
no r-af IF ha VII haaa hxr q
cyclone of destruction. The descent of
the fugitive villagers upon Van was so
sudden and overwhelming as to cause
stout hearts to quail; but Grace Kim
ball. who has proved herself a heroine,
rose to the emergency. This brave
woman, despite official threats and
warnings. went out among the fugi-
tives in the streets. comforted and en-
couraged them, gave them bread with
her own hands. while they were pulling
at her garments, and kissing her hands
and feet in gratitude. She ministered
TO the sick; and, cheered by her exam
pie. her missionary associates took
heart of grace and Joined I'm the work.
Again and again the Turkish pashas
and wallis insisted that the relief be
stopped; the Armenians were dogs"
better let them die" but the greater
the opposition, the higher rose the
courage of the American girl. Her first
step was 10 nlrS a Siilah odheTy WITH
her own personal funds; then a small
remittance came and a second bakery
was added to the facilities. and on New
Years day, just when the work seemed
about to drop. she received the first re-
mittance OF $1,000 from DIR. Klopsch,
who also cabled that sufficient funds
would be supplied to meet all the neces-
stiles OF the work. One can imagine
the spirit OF joy and gratitude i'm which
she wrote a week later: How sorely
we needed the money! Perhaps YOU
may be able TO dimly imagine what a
tremendous relief we experienced when
your telegram come on New Years
day. Many and many a poor villager
has said 10 me. You have saved this
province from a terrific famine The
praise belongs not 10 me. but to the