Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1912-04-29
Heroic WORK OF
CLARA BARTON
How She Carried Philanthropy
Throughout The World.


Famine and Floods-Her Activities
Enumerated-Died at Ninety,
The name of Clara Barton, who died
recently at the age Of ninety, was
known wherever famine or war or
disaster visited the people Of a coun-
try, from Armenia to Cuba, from Rus
sia to the United States. She wore the
Iron Cross of Germany, and the decora-
lions and diplomas OF Baden, Austria,
Servla, turkey, Armenia, Switzerland,
Spain. Russia and Belgium were con-
ferred upon her.
Some Of Miss Barton's friends be-
heve that her decision to undertake re-
lief work among the soldiers at the
time of the civil war came about
through an accident. Her brother, who
owned a distillery on the James river,
mad been captured by Federal troops,
and she was very anxious to get him
out of prison.
She managed to go through to the
headquarters of General Butter i'm Vir.
GINA. There. first of all. she accom-
plisheI her brothers. release and then
started upon the work to which she
had committed herself She continued
with the soldiers in Virsinia almost
throughout til" war, and in leG4 Gen
eral Butler appointed her head nurse
in the hospitals of the Army of the
James.
Her First Red Cross Work.
1t was in 1860. when she was max
Ing trip To Europe. that she first be-
came acquainted with the Red Cross
AT Geneva she was waited upon by Il
delegation of the International relief
committee foi' he wounded in the war
They presented to her III" treaty which
had been signed by most of the civiliz
ed nations except the United States
BY this treaty those who wore the
badge of the Red Cross were allowed
to 20 on the battlefield to care for the
fallen. She became greatly Interested
in the treaty and started ut once to
advocate its adoption by thi; country.
Miss Barton was 1T Hcrue when the
Franco-p rlSsian war BEGAN. and she
was invited by the Red Cross to enter
upon its work in this conflict. She
went Immediately to StrasSburg and
became very active in nursing and
helping wounded soldiers. With her
aids She went from battlefield to bat
tlefieid. and within the German lines
she came to know the Importance of
having trained helpers and ready sup
plies For her services in this war
she received the Iron Cross Of Merit
from the emperor and empress and
recognition from the Grand Duke and
Duchess Of Baden.
She went on to Paris and was there
in the wretchedness that followed the
fall of the commune.
Reminders Of Her Work.
In her home at Glen Echo. Md. over
looking the Potomac not far from
Washington. Miss Barton had many re-
minders of her work abroad. The Ser
Wan Red Cross medal presented to her
by Queen Natalie was one. and the &c
neva medal Of honor from the Comite
International was another. She was
surprised to find upon her return to
this country that her own country was
treaty. For several years she pressed
upon this government her beliefs in
this matter. The years 1877 and 1878
were spent at Evansville. n. Y. where
she waited for the authorities to act.
In 1881 she went to Washington and
took the matter up with President Gar
field. She went to Secretary of State
ho
and after her audience with him
meeting was held, May 81. 1881. in
Washington which resulted in the for
nation of the American association to
take the place Of the informal commit
tee which had existed since 1877.
An enumeration of her various activi-
ties at the time that she was at the
head Of the Red Cross will follow very
closely list of the disasters that came
to this country and others
In the year of the society's organiza-
ton came the Michigan forest fires ana
the following year floods along the Mis-
sissippi and cyclone over the same
territory within another tWolVemonth
Her Later Activities.
Money was sent to the Balkans when
war broke out there in 1853, and in the
next year relief went 10 the Ohio and
Mississippi valleys on account of the
floods there. There was famine in
Texas in 1885 and an earthquake at
Charleston in the next year. Mount
Vernon, Ill.,, was visited by big wind
In 1888. and Florida had to fight yellow
fever.
Then came the JohnStown flood in
1889 when Miss Barton was especially
active. There was the Russian famine
N 1912, and the following year Pom
vroy, Ia. wa, in need of relief after
,yclone. \ tidal wave over the sea
islands OF South Carolina meant send
ing more supplies 10 destitute persons.
After the Armenian massacrcs in lS'd
Miss Barton organized relief eXpedi"
tons and went to Constantinople her
self.
She did much work in the Spanish
war.
The last relief work in which she