The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1948-03-04
RED CROSS HELPS
Abby FAMILY

On August 7th our home, barn
md other out-buildings were de
,troved by fire. l had done /all !
could before help arrived(l STOOD
alone, watching all that had been
ours rapidly going up in flames,
when a car drove up, stopped near
me a man got out and said, I'm
from the Red Cross, IS there any
thing we can do?"
He saw that I was burned some
and as there was nothing we could
do he insisted that we 60 into town
10 the doctor and hospital After
setting me into the hospital he went
for my sister.
When he arrived by first tho't
was how in the world they got word
To the Red Cross so soon. 1t seemed
he had been up in his plane and
after FLYING over he went lmmedl-
atelv to the air port which is
couple of miles away, got his car
and came right up.
In a few days my husband and l
were called and asked to meet with
the chairman of the Red Cross
Disaster Committee He told us that
thew had wired headquarters at st.
Louis and had received instructions
20 see what we intended to do about
rebuilding. We told him, size OF
house, type and etc.
In q few days he called again and
said that the Red Cross had allotted
us $500 to help rebuild.
We began making enquiries about
building materials, etc. We soon
found that 100000 would be only a
drop in the bucket when it came to
building a completely new house.
There was in the neighborhood
an old 2-story house with an L-kit-
chen on it. We went over and looked
it over. To me it looked hopeless.
No doors or windows, dirty beyond
description. Too many doors and
the windows were long and narrow.
However the men soon discovered
that it was a we'll built house, still
solid, that it could be used by re-
moving the kitchen.
It could be bought for $780, The
County Commissioners would move
it when we had it on skids. We got
it to its new location and down on
a foundation of cement blocks, these
cost $3.50 CeloteX was put on the
walls of two rooms. 8 windows were
UOuBlAL dlAA OAAC NAOOAs L AOOA AAA65 AZ
front room. Good flooring salVaged
from front room was turned over
and laid in room upstairs that need
ed new floor
Since we couldn't get windows to
fit the original window places
we had windows made and filled in
above and below the new ones to
make them look right
A new chimney was built from
the bricks of the two chimneys in
the old house. A chimney liner was
used to make the chimney safer.
The house had been plastered. Some
was already loose and more of it
fell when the house was moved. We
fixed it as best we could. All of the
work was done by my husband and
sons and his two brothers as they
could spare time from their own
work.
There is considerable material
from the old kitchen that can be
used for porches and to help with
other things.
We have new roofing to put on
when it warns up for we found the
old roof leaks pretty badly.
So thanks to the Red Cross we
have a new home ready to live in
while it still needs considerable
work it is a much better house than
we could have built for many times
$500 at present prices
Account of money used:
]. Neils flooring, chimney
liner, quarter round, ce-
ment, plaster, siding, roof
ing, door, windows, cello
tex .....................-............... S212.84
c & r Farm Service, cement
blocks REHABILITATION. $3.50
Libby Sash & Door, windows 2285
Geo. Woods, paint nails,
hinges, stove ........................ 8765
Geringers, wall board ....... l400
K. NJ, paint, brushes. bed BITS
Kellys Furniture Store, table $500
Mrs. Vanderpool, house . 10000