The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1909-12-12
Notes and News
Of Interest
**** BY m. +. ". %*A*

The admirable address made by Mrs.
Hoyle Tomkies, president of the Wom-
ems National Rivers and Harbors Con-
gress at the convention of the water
ways association which met at Jackson
vile, Fla, November 10, has been print
ed in pamphlet form and intelligently
answers the question frequently asked
How does all this concern women?"
referring to their active interest in for
estry and waterways. The answer is
unanswerable Let us hear. women
stand for the home whatever touches
that, touches a live wire in woman's
heart. 1t has been found that the ques-
ton enters into the construction of the
home, and to everything that pertains to
the home, yes even to the human life
sheltered by the home
Yes, it is in even larger sense that
women are concerned, lie. as the moth
ers of men, desiring not only for the
present generation but for posterity, the
most healthful, the most prosperous
abiding place.
The Woman's National Rivers and
Harbors Congress was born in an hour
of travail of soul. The great rivers of
the Mississippi Valley were swollen to
their utmost limitations, were indeed
crushing the levees, submerging homes
and property, and sweeping fortunes in
rich soil out to the sea.
Every one was heartsick and in the
Valley of Despond.
The country contiguous to the Red
river was included in that suffering the
ravages of the flood, and when during
the height of the distress, the Congress
ional Red River Improvement Associa-
ton met in the city of Shreveport, the
women testified their interest in Red
rivers condition by a regclar and per-
sistent attendance.
Some of the statements made at that
convention were: That Red river once
carried large and lucrative commerce;
that it could be controlled and again
made to bear rich cargoes and blessing
throughout its course; that the Federal
government having assumed control of
the navigable streams of the country is
unequivocally bound to develop and i'm
prove them to the utmost practical
limit. The question as to control of
the rivers was answered at that conven-
tion not alone for me, but fortunately
for other women of more experience
and wisdom than myself, for when the
Hon. Joseph E. Ransdell from the plat
form of the convention, suggested the
need of woman's help in this great
movement for national welfare, the seed
fell on receptive soil and resulted in the
organization of the Woman's National
Rivers and Harbors Congress June 28,
1908.
1t has been said that mo one can be |
a leader who mas hot had a vision"
That equipment for work in the case of
these women was complete, for setting
in that convention they had looked into
the future inspired by the illustrations
and statistics given by the authorities |
on waterways and forests. In the vision
they saw Utopian conditions-streams i
in the full flush of improvement with |
water as clear as crystal bearing crafts |
of commerce and of pleasure on the |
connected system of inland waters, on
the banks were grand old trees and
poisoning vines, amongst which sing
ing birds made sweetest mcsic
The Womar's National Rivers and |
Harbors Congress was organized for
the Improvement and development of /
the waterways and forests in interde-
pendence. Womens part in this work
is purely educational, but that is the
fundamental part, for men will not sup
port a bill until they know why that
bill should be passed. Women are en-
gagged in this work because they are
citizens and patriots and because the ac-
complishment of this object will hand
down to posterity the fair land won by
the blood of our forefathers, in all the
glory of its wealth and beauty
PELICAN CHAPTER D. A. R.
The December meeting of the Peli-
can Chapter was held Thursday after
noon with Mrs. Henry Yocree at her
beautiful home on Jordan street
How the frost raging abroad and
the rough wind endear the beauty and
the warmth enjoyed within" was the
thought expressed in Cowper's lines