The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1903-06-10
SUFFERS HEART IS TOUCHED.
Purse Strings Loosened and Mon
ey Freely Given for Relief Of
Piedmont Flood Sufferers.

Piedmont Flood Sufferers.
A mass meeting of the citizens of
Sumter was held in the Court House
Monday at I2 O'Clock in response to the
call of Mayor Stuckey. There were
present about two hundred OF the re-
preventative citizens OF the town, mer-
chants, bankers, physicians, preach
ers. clerks, and mechanics, and quite
number of ladies.
The meeting Was called to order and
the object briefly stated to be to raise
money TO relieve the Immediate needs
and to alleviate the suffering of
the 1900 destitute mill operatives,
Clifton and Paeolet mills village whose
homes, household defects and means of
livelihood were swept away by the
disastrous food OF Saturday morning.
Judge z. O. Purdy, was elected chair
man, and Mr. G. NJ. Hurst, Secretary
OF the meeting.
Judge Purdy made few remarks
touching upon the necessity Of i'm
mediate relief for the homeless and
destitute people Of the Spartanburg
mill district, and expressing his conh-
dence that the people Of Sumter would
respond literally, as ever, to the call
of the needy.
Hon. &. I Manning, made a short
and feeling speech giving in a few
graphic sentences an outline OF the
terrible disaster. and stated the
monetery loss inflicted upon the most
prosperous mills In the South with
in q few moments of time by the food
OF waters pouring down Pacolet River
and Lawsons' Fork from the noun
sains of. North Carolina and the high
hills of Spartan burg. He told Of the
destitute condition of the thousands or
mill operatives VINO not only lost their
little all in the way of household goods,
but worse still were deprived of
their sole means Of earning living
by the destruction OF the factories in
which they labored from day today.
He appealed to the people TO give at
once and to give as freely and literally
as their means would permit.
He offered resolution that a COM
mittee of men be appointed by the
chairman to canvass to the city for
contri buttons of money and committee
Of ladies to solicit nbributions Of
clothing, the money and clothing to
be forwarded at the earliest possible
moment
Mr.. j. A. SehWerin moved that be-
fore the appointment Of the COM
mittees collection be taken up from
among those present and that all pre-
sent be given an opportunity to sub
scribe. Carried.
Hon. AItamont Moses offered re-
solution that the mass meeting petit
tion the City Council to meet I'M
smediately in special session and ap-
propriate 500 to supplement the
fund raised by private subscription.
Carried.
M. a. B. Stuckey offered resolu-
ton that the county officials be re-
quested to meet at the earliest date
possible and at that meeting appro-
pirate $500 to supplement- the fund
otherwise raised for the food sufferers.
Carried.
The following committees were ap-
Neil o,Donnen, ". B. Boyle, j.
A. SchWerin, l. I. Parrott, Altamont
Moses.
Begin, Miss Lucia Roach, Mrs. J. 6.
DeL,orme. Mrs. G. Z. Stubbs, Miss
Louise Bright.
The subscriptions poured in on the.
Secretary until nearly every person In
the Court House had given something
for the good cause. More than $500
was subscribed within a few minutes
and the greater part was paid at once.
Immediately after the adjournment
of the meeting Mr.. Hurst wired
$3.50. SAthe amount collected-to the
relief committee in Spartanburg and
notified them that more would fol-
low.
A special meeting Of the City
Council was held as o'clock to con-
sider the question Of making an ap-
preparation for the food sufferers.
The matter was discussed st some
length, part Of the council favoring
an appropriation of $500, as requested
by the mass meeting, and others an ap-
preparation Of $3.50. A vote was taken
and sbe majority decided to appro-
pirate $3.50. This sum was made
Immediately available and it will be
forwarded with the next remittance
from the citizens committee.
Among the contributions that will
be noted in the list is one from the
First Methodist Sunday School Of
s26. IS. This sum had been raised
for the annual picnic to be held this
week, but at the meeting Of the
Sunday School Sunday afternoon
the children voted unanimously to
give up the picnic and send the money
to the people Of Clifton and Pacolet
whose sad and destitute condition ap-
pealed to the sympathies Of the children
more strongly than desire for
picnic.
The committees met and organized
Immediately after the mass meeting
and the canvass of the city for money
and clothing will be undertaken with
vigor and earnestness this afternoon.
The subscriptions to the relief fund
made at the mass meeting were as fol-
lows:
Game Cock Lodge, z. of P, s25 90
Hollywood Camp, W. of W, 25 90