The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1918-01-31
RED CROSS TROUBLES
A Young Womans Efforts and Millionaie's Gift
Arouse Latent Interest in Good Cause
By Mr.. 3.
By Mr.. B.

MMYNMMMMMGMgMzMEMMMMs
young, was business woman her.
self on small scale. owning and
operating a neat little notion and
confectionery store in the busi-
ness center of Marchville, which,
by her good management and at
tractive personality, she had
brought to a point where it made
comfortably living for her mother
and herself, and nice little bank
balance besides.
i One morning, several days after
the conversation she had with her
mother about the disinterestedness
of the community in the Red Cross
fund, she made her usual call at
the post Office before proceeding
to her store. Among several letters
from wholesalers was one in a
plain envelope addressed in a rath-
er bold business hand, and woman
like, while she proceeded onward
to her store, turned it over several
times wondering from whom it
was and what was in it. Upon ar
irving at the store she opened it
and drew forth letter, written in
the same bold hand as that on the
envelope, folded around check.
She examined the check first and
nearly lost her breath when she
saw that it was a certified check
for $4,000 on a large New York
bank, payable to herself and signed
by Jefferson Phillips. whom she
we'll knew to be one of the big
financiers of the country. The let
ter accompanying the check was
short and read:
Dear Miss Newman:-Hearing
that you have formed Red Cross
circle in your town and that you
are not meeting with the success,
financially, that you should, l beg
you to accept this small offering of
mine in hopes that it will help
swell your fund to more respectable
proportions, and also have the ef-
feet of making your business men
loosen up little more in helping
along most worthy cause.
Respectfully,
Jefferson Phillips
Tessie was 'flabbergasted" for
few moments, as she expressed it
} afterwards; but she didn't stay in
that condition long. Grabbing
pencil and paper she wrote out an
article for the Clarion" mention
ing the small amount of money
subscribed to the Red Cross fund,
and calling attention to Jefferson
Phillips $4,000 donation to the
Marchville circle, and the letter,
which she pinned on the article for
, reproduction in the paper.
There" she said to herself ''the
Clarion will run that if l have to
, pay them for it. And 1 bet that'll
bring some of our tight-wads to
time"
, The Clarion" published the ar
, ticle and letter without asking for
J pay, and after the next edition of
the paper was out, the business
men. upon seeing what Jefferson
, Phillips had subscribed, opened up
their purse strings and one by one
came in rather sheepishly and
, banded Tessie their checks along
. with their apologies, all of which
we're thankfully and graciously re-
| ceived by her.
! The Red Cross booster meeting,
held few days after Tessie's ar
ticle appeared in the "Clarion,"
was great success. both in point
i of attendance and the amount of
, money subscribed toward the
fund, and as Tessie was retiring
/ for the night after the meeting she
said to her mother:
Our boys needn't feel ashamed
of their home town now, mother
/ dear. Just think, $4,000, and
J Jefferson Phillips S., ,OOO-$ 900!
Huh! / guess the Kingsburg people
| will sit up and take notice now!"