The Forrest City times., 1897-04-16

asSlSteu Dy MeSSrS. III. y. knight,
Murray Hambleton. Frank Chew, Troy
Sanders, Tom Bufoid. Lewis Daven.
port, John Winfield, Joe Sanders, Celia
Ayent and Gus Sweet, who acted as
clerks.
As far as possible the residents Of
the overflowed country had been noti.
lied OF the distribution and simuliaut-
ously with the arrival of the cars came
the black squadron from all points of
the compass. The proportions of
whites to colored WAS about one to
twenty.
The supplies were issued from the
cars at the depot building of the Little
Rock and Memphis railroad, which is
situated near the of the river and was
surrounded by water at depth of
about three feet. and afforded water
crafts good opportunity of holding
close communion with commssionary
department. Water crafts of every
description, from the ferry boat 10 "A
dugout or batteau, was made fast TO the
building which had been converted
into lunch counter.
1t was quite a novel sight to view the
arrival of applicants as they came in
singly and in squads from up and
down the river, and from the regions
across the river The majority of The
applicants showed by their seriousness
OF speech and action that the hand of
help had net been rendered too early
several declaring they had not tasted
food for twenty-four hours, while
others merrily jested over the situation
The quantity of groceries issued to
each family of five WAS one-lalf side
of meat 10 to 20 poundsl, one sack Us
pounds) meal, one gallon of moasses.
five pounds beans and i've pounds salt
10 each COW one bale hay; to each
horse or mule, one bale hay and half
Dnshel of corn.
Out of this lot sixty five bales hay.
one barrel molasses, two boxes meat,
one sack beans, fifteen saks corn, sixty
seven sacks meal and one barrel salt
was loaded on the county ferry boat
which does service at Madison, and
consigned to the Rawlinson aud Ash
worth settlements in Blacklist town
ship, in care of Alfred Ashworth. one
of the committeeman. The boat did
not start, however, on her mission till
Tuesday evening, owing to needed re-
pairs to the stearmer Fletcher, Which
conveyed The boat and cargo to the
Rawlison mound place on Fifteen Mile
bayou.
Two hundred and eleven rations
were dished out to parties on the spot,
which were taken in the crafts of the
applicants and conveyed to their homes.
; The novelty of the occasion drew Il
large crowd.other than the sufferers to
the spot until the depot platform was
working mass OF humanity. NJ casual
ties happened, other than the ducking
Of two crafts which became fouled by
other crafts in attempting to leave the
platform.
Many ludicious incidents happened
during the distribution. One colored
man WAS detached to dish out molasses
and when he knocked in the Mead of a
barrel and handed ont the first bucket
the ivorys and optics of hundred
black faces lit up the surroundings
| m II nj g : Lii
unfortunate assembly. One little dug
out, its two occupants and their allow
ance was ready to leave port, when
asked by "A TINES representative as to
the absence of tue molasses, stated that
they faileo to bring "A receptacle for the
favored article. This remark touched
IA sympathetic chord in the breast of
pencil shower, for that poor destitute
couple to return 10 their families,
many miles into the interior of the
woods and water, minus their fayorite
auid would crush his heart. lie at
once surveyed the surroundings aud
was fortunate to procure for them a
tin bucket, which upon presentation
was met by thank you boss, we wont
bother wild 'em cause deys black any
! h0w.n
Good humor and general satisfaction
prevailed among the big crowd and
the supply Was exhausted by noon, but
| fell short OF going round" ABOUT
seventy-live boats composed the Sect
aud quite an interesting occasion it
WAS.