The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1910-05-28
FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE.

1t was during the famous Crimean
war that the ministrations of Florence
Nightingale on the field Of battle first
thrilled and electrified the globe. More
than half a century has since elapsed.
Quite naturally, therefore, associate
her in point Of time with the remote
historic background against which she
first began to move like an angel OF
light.
For this reason It is difficult to cred
| 1t the statement that one whose fame
has come to be so classic is still amerg
the living
Nevertheless, it is true-and or May
IL last Miss Nightingale celebrated her
Goth birthday at her home in England
The occasion has served to revive
the beautiful story of her unselhsh ca
reer and modest though she is, dis
Ginning even the least credit for her
&, it nevertheless remains that for
true nobility Of CHI. racter she has rare p
ly bee excelled among the women If
history. In an age like the present
when men are worshlpping at the
shrine of lf-indulgence-it is well
enough to be reminded of this gentle
heroine, who, born to luxury and ease,
deliberately chose sacrifice and service.
Literally, it may be said of her that
she quit the lilies Of life to tread on
its thorns"
! Miss Nightingale was co-heiress with
her sister to an Immense estate. She
was given an education which well be-
fitted her station-and at the age of
Is was presented by her parents at
court. What seemed to be a career of
rare social brilliance thus opened be-
fore her-but meeting with Elizabeth
Fry led to Miss Nightingale's deter
mination to devote her life to the i'm
provements Of the hospital systems of
Europe. Says writer in The Phila-
delphia Public Ledger:
When the Crimean war broke out in
1854, there was no one so we'll quail
fed to take command of the horrible
chaos of the barrack hospital at Sou
tart She offered her services, and her
letter crossed in the mails the formal
tender of the position by Sir Sidney
Herbert, of the war department..
The death rate at Scutari was AZ per
cent. In one hospital it rose to Sc.
Eighty per cent Of those whose limbs
were amputated died of gangrene. The
sick list amounted to over $4,000 In
the Turkish barracks on the Bosphor-
US there were two miles of sick beds
in double file along the corridors The
rats ran over the wounds of the help
less patients
Miss Nightingale assembled a party
lof Al volunteer nurses. including ten
Catholic nuns and eight Sisters OF
Mercy of the Anglican church. and
took them out to the Crimea. Upon
her arrival at Scutari the Lady of the
Lamp" went straightway to work to
bring order out of chaos, life out Oh
the jaws of death, heaven on earth
from a veritable hell The day after
her arrival they brought in the wound.
ed survivors of the charge of the Ligh,
Brigade at Balaklava the next DAY
they brought in the wounded
from the bloody field of Inkermann
RED tape" insisted that all store.
should be inspected ere being issued t.
the troops. When she found that thu
inspection would take three days. Mis-.
: Nightingale broke down the doors anC
commandeered the supplies. She hat
Isoon reduced the death rate from AZ Il
II per cent The wounded and the dy
ing followed her with their eyes In he
progress from cot to cot as though sh,
were an angel visitant When. at tn
close of the war, dinner was givel
the military and naval officers. tbos
present voted for the one whose serv
ices would longest be remembered b.
posterity. There was but one nam
on every slip Of paper--the name o
Florence Nightingale.
she went back to England under q
assumed name, and reaahed her horn