Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-07-14
FLOOD SUFFERERS
District Citizens Will Help the Starv-
ing Thousands in Texas.
REPRESENTATIVE MASS MEETING
Situation Described and a Com
mittee to Solicit Funds Created.
NJ P r E S SIVE REMARKS

In response to a call issued by the Commits
sioners quite a number of the charitably in
clined people of the District assembled in
Masonic Temple last evening for the pur-
pose Of assisting the thousands of people
in Texas who have been rendered home
less and hungry by the recent floods in that
state kilograms were read and state
ments Were made setting forth the deplora-
BILE condition of the sufferers, and a repre-
sentative committee was selected to make
an appeal to the people of the District on
behalf of the distressed people of the lone
star state. This committee will meet at
the board of trade rooms, 141O G street, at
40 o'clock this afternoon.
Mr.. John B. Wight, president of the
board of District Commissioners, called the
meeting to order, explaining that the Com
missioners had issued the call in response
to an appeal made to them on behalf of the
affiicted people of the flooded district. No
appeal Tor assistance, said Mr. Wight, was
ever allowed to pass unanswered by the
people of the District, and when they are
brought to realize the true condition of the
suffering Texans, he felt sure. the citizens of
the District will do their full share in re-
lieving them
Real Conditions Not Appreciated.
Unfortunately, said Mr. Wight, the people
of the country do not yet appear to appre-
ciate either the number of people in distress
in Texas or the extent of their distress.
They stand in urgent need of instant relief
and the Commissioners, said Mr. Wight,
would suggest that whatever is done for
them by the people of the District be
done systematically and the funds and sup
plies furnished should, to insure their
prompt and effective distribution, be for
warded to the governor of Texas or to those
i'm In 4 y.yiI,,
them.
Mr.. Wight then called for nominations
of presiding officer, and Mr. Henry Clay
Evans, the commissioner of pensions was
nominated and unanimously chosen as
such.
Mr.. Evans said. upon taking the chair.
that he was glad to participate in the
meeting, and recalled the meeting held
here to relieve the Johnstown food suf-
ferers. THAT event. he said, was ter
rtble, but it was small in comparison with
the calamity which has befallen the state
of Texas. That was local flood.
Thousands fn Distress.
This one covers many thousands Of
miles of territory. and thousands of per-
sons are in distress. Many of those af-
fected by the flood are persons who went
to the great west with small fortunes to
make homes for themselves. Lives have
been lost by the hundreds and crops de-
stroyed for miles around. What we do now
we must do quickly. 1t is time for ac-
ton. and not for words. The people are in
distress, and they must be helped imme-
dfately, if at ALL and helped they must be-
An Auxiliary Committee.
Mr.. Evans stated that a number of la
dies interested in the relief work met at
the Office of Representative Hawley of
Texas yesterday afternoon, when the fol-
lowing were selected as an auxiliary COM
mittee: Miss Bessie A. Dwyer, Mrs. Will
lam Terrell, Miss j. N. Strong, Mrs. w s.
ham, Mrs. Charles Tansill Mrs. j. B. Will
Jams, Mrs. w. E. Hamilton, Miss Edna
Robinson, Mrs. Margaret Pool, Mrs. Cor
Qua, Miss Grinnfdge. Mrs. W. A. L.. Camp
bell. Mrs. Ruby, Mrs. Leo Turner, Mrs E.
A Patten. Mrs E. L. Scott Mrs. Johnson,
Mrs. knight, Mrs Anderson, Mrs Harris,
Mrs. H. B. Weston, Mrs. Mcneil, Mrs.
isaac Toliver' Mrs, Ga NV MISS Gar MN
Stanley, Miss Smith, Mrs. Georgiana Dom
nan, Miss Gatewood. Mrs. Joseph A. Settle,
Mrs. Callahan, Mrs. T. c. Cooney, Mrs.
Nichols. Miss Nichols, Miss Annie Law
renee and Mrs. Patterson.
At Mr.. Evans suggestion, a secretary for
the meeting was next chosen, Capt. W. ).
Scott, L. S. army, being selected. A number
of kilograms from prominent Texans were
read, showing the extent of the suffering in
the state, and placing the number of people
in distress at between twenty and fifty
thousand.
From One Who Knew.
Rev. Isaac Taliaferro, a colored minister,
and a native of Texas. was invited to adj
dress the meeting, and he said that he is
well acquainted both with the sufferers
and with the flooded district.
II lived in Texas most of my life" he
said, land would rather live there than
anywhere else in the world. The flooded
1iSt ipr Of jS
people, by men who have made d territory
of 500 miles one of the most beautiful in
the world by their labor. You are not
asked to help by your aid a shift1ess or idle
people You are doing whatever you do for
people who demand your sympathy. The
conditions in Texas are such as to make
help imperative, and l hope this meeting
will go long way toward accomplishing
this need"
Agricultural Department Help.
Mr. ]. H. Brigham, assistant secretary Of
agriculture, also briefly addressed the meet
ing, saying that his department would send
the sufferers all the seed at its disposal.
But he said that much more will be needed
There are" said Mr.. Brigham. "a num-
Der of crops which can be raised between
now and fall II they are planted at once.
We are going to send out seeds, but we
cannot send out food, and in the meanwhile
the people must have something to live on.
furnish all the seeds that are necessary"
Mr.. H. w. Szegedy, president of the Plate
Printers Union, stated that & ,1Sl had been
collected among the employees of the bureau
of engraving and printing, and that of this
amount 800 had already been sent to Gov
ernor Sayers. from whom the following
telegram of acceptance has been received:
please extend to the members of the
Plate Printers Union my highest apprecia-
ton of their contribution for flood sufferers.
Also say to them that 1t keeps fresh in my
recollection our very pleasant relations
while l was in Congress.
Other Addresses.
Mr.. E. J. Roche spoke of the work of the
American National White Cross Society,
and promised that organization prompt aid.
R L. Claiborne said the Morton Cadets
will give an excursion the 2Sth instant,
when 25 per cent of the receipts will be de-
voted to the assistance of the sufferers.
Miss Bessie A. Dwyer said: Texas needs
money first, clothes second and seed third.
Texas is deserving of help. She has never
taken a backward step when other states
have been in need. During the great
droughtS in the west several years ago she
stepped to the front and gave generously
carloads of seed to help the farmers of the
stricken sections. Now is the opportunity
open for other states to step in and help
Texas and thus return the compliment
Citizens Committee Selected.
After several other Short a6draSsac in