The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1915-12-31
WHAT ONE SOUTHERN
WOMAN HAS DONE.

We confess, to our shame. that We
never heard of Mrs. G.. II. Mathis be-
fore. TIL issue for November of Theo-
dore H. Prices excellent weekly. Com
merce and Finance" tells us that she
is one of the demonstrators OF the Ala
bama State Department OF Agriculture,
and prints a delightful address which
Mrs Mathis made at the second an
nual convention of the Farm Mortgage
Bankers Association, held in st. Louis,
October rs She is evidently a very
remarkable woman, as we believe our
readers will agree when they have read
the following extract, which we quote
from the stenographic report Of her ex-
temporaneous address to the Farm
Mortgage Bankers:
In the Girls Tomato Canning Club
there, in the county that l happen to
own farm in, that was Etowah coun-
ty, Miss Bankston was in charge OF
the Canning Club work. She is a very
estimable woman. She knows the way
to run country people, and she was
telling me that she had thirty-five girls
in the canning club business, but they
were the daughters of wellto- do peo-
pie. said: Miss Bankston. this money
that the Government is furnishing us is
not for the weIl-to-do people, but par
ticularly for the poor, and you go out
and get the daughters of the poor; you
go out and get the girls in the hills,
and out in the mountains, and get them
to take these seeds that the Govern
ment has furnished, and let's get them
to growing tomatoes and show them
how to do something" Well" she
said, Il haven't any way to go"
said, How far do you have to go?"
She said, About one thousand miles
up and down those mountains and hills
there" We'll" | said, take my buggy
and horse" She said: NO. l wouldn't
do that; | would break that buggy all
to pieces" / said. Miss Bankston, il
you tear up that buggy trying to help
the girls of this county it will be the
best buggy that ever was sold SO she
took it, and five weeks later she called
me up and said: Mrs. Mathis, l am on
the way home. but the buggy is all in. =
[Laughter.l / said, Lets try to help
our girls"
WE'LL she said she didn't know how
they were going to get the cans to can
the goods with. She said How viii
we get the cans?" | said: Il don't
know" So we went over to the Cham
Der of Commerce and asked Nj. Lee II
he thought the Chamber of Commerce
could help US get the cans for the girls.
He said: mo" | said: You call the
society women of this town down here.
am going to raise those cans, or raise
this town" He sent for them and they
came down, and l talked to the ladies,
just like / felt about it. | said: "Oh,
my ladies', you are all members of mis-
sionary societies and l have nothing
against that, but you know more about
China and Japan and every place on
the face of the earth than you know
about Alabama" and l said: you have
heard the call of distress from across
the ocean, but have you heard the still
small voice of the suffering women and
girls of Alabama?p l said: "The time
has come when we need to do some
thing at home" / said: You ladies get
all this money and get these cans.
And they said "How will we do II;
you get everything else you want. get
that" ILaughter.l | said: go sign a
note and carry 1t TO the bank and get
about three or four hundred dollars
whatever It is you need" And they
did a
And we bought the cans and we lei
the cans out TO the girls. and the girls
signed notes for the cans. and when
they had them filled with tomatoes they