The weekly soliphone., 1917-08-16

During those succeeding days at his bedside the future work of
 Clara Barton was planned and dis cussed. The daughter fully advised with her father in the matter of going among soldiers and camp fol- | lowers of every nation and officers | of all grades and character. Furth- CT. she knew if she failed to main- l tain a character proof against in uendoes she would not break the bridge over which any successor should pass. All these matters she prayerfully considered and her faith CT on his death bed advised his
 daughter to go wherever sfe felt 1t
 her duty to go; that he had been
 soldier and that all true soldiers
 would respect her.
 Clara Barton. l said above, was the daughter of Royal Arch Ma son and l might say here that she had been initiated into the Eastern
 Star and throughout all her work on the battle field she wore upOr her bosom a Masonic emblem which proved in many instances talis- man. In March, 1862, Clara Barton laid her father i'll his last resting place in little cemetary at OK ford, Mass, and returned to Wash ingtOn City to begin life of public service.
 During the year 1861 men and women at various places in the eastern states were attempting to perfect an organization for the work of caring for the wounded sol
 diers and providing other necessary relief. The women at Bridgeport, Conn, organized themselves ilt0 q
 soldiers aid society. 4 similar or.
 .,anization w2e perfected at Charles ton, Mass, under the management and supervision of Miss Almena
 Bates. Two months after the fall lof Fort Sumpter an organization
 was perfected throughout che north under the management of the Rev. Henry w. Bellows and approved by President Lincoln which was called the United States Sanitary Com
 mission. Fairs and other benefits were held all over the northern states, the purpose of which was to raise money for the army. Men, wO- men and children joined heartily in to the work. At one fair held in the city of Chicago. more than $75.OOO was raised. The state of New York gave to the cause more
 than $1,OO0,O00. Under the auspices of this commission women of cul- ture and refinement went to the front 10 nurse the wounded. Among | the women who distinguished them selves for such work on the battle field and in the hospitals was DorOthea Dix. Julia Ward Howe Mary A. Livermore, Clara Barton, ! Dr. Mary Walker and many others
 equally distinguished President Lin | ary manifestations of this war, none has been more remarkable than
 these fairs. l must say that if all that has been said by orators and poets in praise of women were ap- piled to the women of America it would not do them justice for their conduct in this war"
 The women of this commission di- rected the work of caring for the
 sick, directed sanitary work, di- rected the work of seeing that
 wholesome food was served to sol diers, saw that the wounded were carried to the rear of the army, col
 lected bedding, bandages, clothing and all sorts and kinds of delicacies
 for the sick and needy. They gath cred up books and papers for the men to read while off of duty and did every kind of work of humane character.
 During the four years of the war the commission spent 5000, coo in way of materials and $5,000,000
 in money. The sanitary commission organized during the Civil War is the prototype of the American Red
 Cross. The work of the one is iden-
 tical to that of the other. Of course
 there were people then who thought that such work ought to be carried
 out by the government, and even
 President Lincoln thought at first
 that such organiza tion would be
 the fifth wheel to the carriage, but
 before the commission had been at
 work long, he. together with all
 others, saw the intrnsc value and openly acknowledged it's value throughout the press of the coun-
 try. The work of this commission
 was entirely done by volunteers, so is the work of the Red Cross.
 Whenever any person talks of en-
 forced service in the Red Cross it is ignorance, pure an simple.