Evening star., 1899-02-02
THE RELIEF GIVERS
Work Among the Soldiers by Patri-
otic Women.
GENERAL INFORMATION SUPPLIED
Report of Mrs. Dckins, Chairman
of Committee, D. A. r.
listing NECESSITIES

+ Y S II n q n &c e IS 1T / E S
Mrs F. W. Dckins chairman of the COM
nlittee of nine of the National Society of
the D. A. r. charged with relief work in
the District of Columbia during the Spanish
War has made report of the general op-
erations OF the various organizations en-
gagged in that commendable work. from
which the following extracts are taken:
You have heard of the methods of Sc
curing ard appointing women nurses for
the army, SO l will not touch upon that
further than to say that our army must
by this time be convinced that nursing is
won1an's special province and if they wish
that duty well done-if they wish enough
nurses to tend our army-they must use
women, and accommodate themselves to
the fact. The old saw that the way to a
mans heart-amended SO as to read. the
way to his eternal salvation-is through his
stomach appealed to the resident Woman's
Christian Temperance Union. and they pre-
Pared for work by furnishing their head
quarters on street as a restaurant. Ger
tain members were told off for duty each
day, and all summer long, as we'll way
INTO the fall any man wearing our uniform
who went up those stairs was fed and sent
away cOmforted Good food, well served
letter paper, pens, ink, magazines, and,
what they often seemed to crave more
than all else. a woman to whom they could
talk of home and tell of those left behind
were always there. The money for this
came from their own treasury until 1t was
exhausted, and then, like the rest of u.s.
they begged.
Another Band of Workers.
Another band of earnest workers opened
rest rooms on Pennsylvania avenue and
CT in at1n f,,1 OH
al were welcomed who wished to rest
There were easy chairs, lounges, papers,
books, a place to wash, another to write
letters and a simple stock of medicines
kept. These two places were of inestimable
comfort to the men. Often have / seen
tired soldiers on street corners who would
brighten up VIXEN told where they could go
and eat or rest, without entering the grog
shop. Many a man with aching head or
limbs, or faintng after sickness, has been
cared for at each place and given car tick
cts to take him back to camp. He was sup
piled with fan and all the books he could
carry.
Soon tales of the eeds of soldiers going
through on the cars began to circulate, and
the clerks in the pension office answered
nobly to that appeal. A building corner of
9th street and Maryland avenue southeast.
where most of the trains We're side-tracked
was hired and fitted up. 1t consisted of
two halls, each capable of seating 100 men,
with a room at one side, part of which was
used for cooking and the remainder
eating room for officers of the companies
who were in the halls. Here meals were
served at all hours of the day and night.
Faithfully was the work done. The meals
were simple, but carefully served and the
materials the best. For those men who
Were too i'll to leave the cars, baskets of
food. pitchers of milk, handkerchiefs and
fans were taken through each train, and
stock of whisky. We'll as brandy, ready
when a doctor asked for it.
Here is where sights We're seen that sad
deued us ALL here and in the camps. sights
and scenes which lie buried in the breasts
of all of US. Yet will haunt us always. only
to be borne because we know we did our
utmost to alleviate. These clerks in the
pension office long bore all the expense,
and it was only when they, like all others,
were forced to appeal to the public that !
had the privilege Of assisting a little here
and there.
"Of visits to camp and hospitals 1 will
not speak, for / went as a private indiyid-
raj simply as an American woman, whose
heart ached and hands lOnged to do some
thing for her countrymen. Among those l
met and heard of often was Surgeon Adair
for many months in charge of the arsenal
He will, in the hereafter, find his name
written high upon the honor list of heaven.
Others. no doubt, did as well, but of his
work / know.
Daughters of the American RevoIu-
tiOn.
THE National Society of the D. A R., of
which each member is part. did national
work, and local chapters were expected to
meet local needs as we'll. There are nine
chapters in the District. The Mary Wash
ington, with Mrs. Elizabeth Blair Lee as
regent, took the lead. The regent proposed
the matter in the local board, and in the
general meeting. l made the motion that
we take as our share of work the care OF
the women and children left behind. 1t was
adopted, and the regent appointed me
chairman of a committee of nine. We did
and are doing the work. We found that
LAO men had gone from here on the first
call-1.uO in the 1st Regiment, 300 in the
4th lmmunes and 240 in the Sd Engineers.
The large response to the call will per
haps give you some idea Of the great num-
Der of unemployed who We're walking our
streets seeking work, and incidentally of
the families We found in need of succor.
Hungry women, with garments that
scarcely covered their thin bodies. pale
children, little babies tugging at empty
breasts 1t was dreadful Altogether about
one hundred applications, almost every one
involving families, have been received and
relieved. We secured money for food,
chiefly by begging, and for clothes, a
room in my house became the old clothes
shop whence were gathered the garments
OF every one We knew and every one our
friends knew. We had no conscience or
scruples about taking, and the tales we
could tell would bring the clothes off any
womans back who had others, or cause her
to scan once more to CLEAN again the family
wardrobe. Thus over $50 people were
clothed in summer and many in the fall
1T was Il very hot season here but we
soon settled down TO system and pursued
it uDfiinchinsly. case reported in any
way to us investigated for us first by
the police. From the chief down to the
private, all helped with hearty good will
and intelligence. Their report made we
visited the case, decided in committee the
extent of the relief and bought everything
ourselves, finding We could get better terms
by buying together. The Associated Chari-
ties cheerfuliy aided and every one showed
us such sympathy and desire to aid that we
could not falter or tire, even If the pleasure
of seeing thankful faces had not continual
ly cheered us on. About 81 400 has been in
trusted TO US and careIu..y spent-at least
almost all of II.
We still have work to do for the 4th
lmmunes are yet in Cuba and the Sd Engi-
neers en- route. There are nine families
now entirely under our care and it is hard
when we have TO say to a mother with lit
the children, or to a sick woman, We cannot
pay your rent this month, our few dollars
must be saved for food The pay of the
soldier is small for family and Com
gress, knowing this. has declared IL
would make it large enough by passing
law that regular shall not have a wife
and no volunteer is enlisted with one. If II