The Morning Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1919-1927, 1921-12-24
RIOT SUFFERERS
HAVE CHRISTMAS
star of Blazing Light
Heralds Event to the
Dusky Children
ABOUT 1000 OF THEM
Negro Children to Sing Car
OILS for the Inmates of
Hospital

big star OF blazing light will
herald christmas Eve to the little
children Of dusky town tonight. II
IONS the Christmas tree that stands
in front Of Red Cross relief head
ouartcrs and the negro hospital and
,onlght It's branches will bow be-
neath the weight OF hundreds Of
white bags through whose thin
walls gleam the gold Of oranges and
be brown and white or nuts and
candy
Tho Rcd Croes relief committee
members mean that the children Of
riot sufferers will have a Christmas.
There are 1000 of them. Last week
the long wooden building that is
relief headquarters hummed with
industry. Sewing machines were
eolng full tilt, and in tho rear were
busy groups of colored women Yes
terday there were big boxes OF
oranges and candy and nuts whose
contents were being depleted as fast
as the white bags that the women
had made could be made and filled.
Filling the shelves Just behind these
workers were rows upon rows Of
neat white packages. Next TO them
we're piles Of comforts flanked on
either side with stacks of cot pads
and pillows.
Means Christmas to Them.
All this means Christmas to-
night. Gathered aroung tho tree
that will blaze, like a brilliant flowe-
er In tho midst Of the sea of brown
mud that surrounds the Red Cross
buildings, will he hundreds OF little
black children who will sing for the
inmates OF the hospitals nearby a
few OF the we'll known Christmas
carols
THE people of Tulsa cant real
lze' said Maurice Willows, direr-
tor of Red Cross relief, conditions
as they exist out here. We are
fighting pneumonia from the ex-
posure that Is inevitable. Sixty
per cent OF the riot sufferers are
still sleeping on issued cots last
June. Hence. these cot-pads that
will at least keep them little
warmer. There were approximately
5000 quilts burned in the riot fire
and we have been trying. up to this
time, to ward off as well as alleviate
suffering. by at least providing
warm bed covering. The negroes
haven't thought interms of pillow
cases or sheets yet. 1t has been a
question rather OF place to sleep
and something to cover them. Now
they are getting to the place where
they can think Of pillows. We
heard today Of some little children
who couldn't get here tomorrow
night because they didn't have
shoes or stockings. We can GO:
them stockings. but shoes come too
high for us to buy them. our aim.
and Just about all that we can do. is
TO keep suffering down and the
morale up"
Make Own Comforts.
The negro women have been
making their own comforts and
quilts and pillows, etc. They buy
the materials at cost. then work on
them at headquarters. In the diff
terent packages TO be given out to-
morrow night are underwear for
the children. material for two
sheets materials for quilt, dresses
for old women and invalids. petp-
coats, children's dress material.
blankets, etc.
There are "a patients in the hos
pltal now One of them IL a boy
hurt in the riot who has never vet
been out OF he'd. a little girl died
from pneumonia yesterday morning
exposure was the cause, II was
said There was a major operation
every day last week and the white
doctors In charge there are kept
constantly busy. Although the re-
lief headquarters will be closed the
first of the year. Wilson said. the
hospital will be kept omen as
permanent institution. filling a long
felt need in that part of the town.
The central idea in the working
out Of the relief plans has been TO
make IS possible for the negroes to
help themselves just as much as
hey possibly can. The adult ne
groes have done the major portion of
The work in getting ready for the
Christmas celebration tonight, al
though all the members Of the re-
nef staff have entered hole hearted
y into the task and have given gem
erously of their time and effort to-
ward making it possible.
Serious Times Ahead.
" don't know what Is going to
happen out here this winter" said
willows. TULSA people don't real-
he conditions here and nobody
seems to care. We care, of course.
blt II We can Just bridge over
these few months OF winter, things
VIII look much brighter"