The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1899-02-17

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the least Of these, ye DO it Also unto
me-
The churches represented on the
committee were the Methodist, the
Presbyterian, the Cumberland Pres
byterian, the b iptist aud Episcopal
ian. The town was divided into
wards, six committeeman icing ap-
pointed for each ward; as follows:
lst Ward, Il. Il. Gordon, Rev. Bak-
er p. Lee, w. B. Greenlaw, John
Latta, Ed Turner, f. D. Lander.
2nd Ward, Maj. J. T. williamson,
Rev. w. A, PrOvine, George E. Me-
Kenuon, II. l.. White. w. w. Dem
mis-, Frank Shoup, II. Il. Ewing.
Bird Ward, J. ?. Street /. j. Rea,
J d. Wright, w. a. Voss, w. 5.
Fleming, ID. f.. Dortch.
4th Ward, }. p. Brownlow, Rev. j.
F Beasley, Rev. w. Y. Ussery, w.
d. Cameron, N. NJ. Jones, 4. j.
Stewart.
Mr.. j. P. Brownlow was made
Mr.. o. P. Rutledge, Sec'y. and Treas.
These gentlemen divided their
wards into three parts, and worked
by twos, making thorough canvass
of the town and its immediate
suburbs, and relieving distress wher-
ever found. And they found plenty
to do; and bravely did they do it.
All of Sunday afternoon, when they
might have enjoyed the comfort of
their own blazing fires and the pleas
ure of their families, they were fac
ing strong north wind and trudg-
ing through snow and zero weather.
Early again Monday morning, while
the mercury was 10 degrees below
zero, they again responded to the
call of christian duty, not man
failing, and from hut to hut and
hOvel to hovel they went, leaving or
sending food and fuel wherever it
was needed.
The urgent need Of this work and
the good that was done, will hardly
ever be fully realized by the COM
munity at large. Some three or four
hundred families were assisted.
Many of them needed only little
fuel to keep them warm until the
weather moderated and they could
get to work again; they needed just
little, but without that little they
would have suffered intensely; in
fact, many of them had suffered be-
fore the Relief Committee found
them. A few exceptional cases may
be mentioned. A woman was found
| in house all alone, sick In bed
without morsel of food or spark OF
fire in the house; she had not seen
fire nor tasted food for two days.
A man, confirmed invalid was
| found all alone in a house, without
fire or food; his last had just
been eXhaused, and he had gone to
bed to freeze or starve.
Several cases were found where
they had burned up their tables,
chairs, ETC., and one case where
they had burned their bedsteads, to
keep from freezing the night be-
fore.
1t was no uncommon thing to find
half the family in bed, for the lack
of fire, trying to keep warm. The
relief visitors would knock on the
door; a disheartened, weak voice
would say "come in" Inside the
room would be found an old man or
woman, perhaps both, shivering
over few smoldering Goals; when
questioned they would say they
were caring for four or five, some
times seven or eight, grand-chil
dren, orphans, or deserted by their
father, their mother being dead
when asked where these children
were, they would point to the bed
and there would peer forth any mum
ber of curious little eyes and black
heads.
All such cases-and there wer'
hundreds Of them--were relieved
not in time to prevent some suffer
ing, but in time to save them from
much worse.
In addition to this work, the sew
eral churches have been doing work
of their own, as have also the King:
Daughters aud the City Chart.
Committee. In all some six or seveI
hundred dollars was spent.
The Committee met at the HERALl
office yesterday morning, and afte
making reports, showing that the.
: had relieved all the cases found
without disbanding adjourned, sub
ject TO the call of the Chairman. /
: the weather continues moderate s
/ that the poor people can work, the
will be left to their own efforts, an,
3 no idleness or begging will be en-
} couraged, but il winter ties up busi
ness again and they become unabl
to help themselves, then, in tn
) Masters name, the Union Relic
l Committee will resume its labor {
3, love again.
3 This committee, and its work,
the direct blessing from the Unio
= services recently held in the Fir;
Q Cumberland Church. Last Satur
1 day, the weather having become s
: intensely cold, the question wa
e sprung at the morning service,
more good could not be accom-
5 plished right then by work tina
Y prayer; the suggestion met with
2 quick affirmative response; the
= and there a committee was al
pointed, which committee prompt
met, organized and went to wOrl
and neither the care of uriyai