Birmingham state herald., December 29, 1895, Part Three, Image 17

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part Three. BIRMINGHAM STATE HERALD. PartThree'
•_ ■ ___ _ —
VOLUME 22r. BIRMINGHAM, ALA., SUNDAY, DECEMBER 29, 1895.—TWENTY PAGES. NUMBER 43.
CALAMITY JIBE ENGINE
That Is What Clara Barton Calls
the Red Cross.
HER WONDERFUL WORK
An OM Woman Now, But Work Among the
Armenian Sufferers Hus No Terrors
for Her—Origin of the Red
Cross Society.
When the world Is all at peace one
bears very little of Clara Barton. When
there Is happiness and prosperity on all
sides the few of the outside world who re
member her at all think of her perhaps
as an old woman, whose days of useful
ness are about over.
When calamity lets loose its wild
shriek for aid the world again hears of
Clara Barton. She may be old, her hair
may be almost white,'and her physical
strength may be small, but she has the
same broad love of humanity which led
her to many battle fields to nurse back
to life the disabled soldier.
For nine months or more the Christian
world has stood practically silent, while
the helpless people of Armenia have be. n
slaughtered. No hand has been raised to
ward off the murderous sword or gun, or
give one iota of aid lo a people whose
only crime is a belief in Christianity.
But when starvation threatens to ac
centuate the horror of wholesale massa
cre, Clara Burton quietly appears and
sets to work in a practical way to lessen
the sufferings of the unfortunates.
It is a serious undertaking for any one
to undertake to Journey to Armenia
these days, and it is a very dangerous
one for a woman of Miss Barton’s age.
She appreciates this, and so do the other
members of the Bed Cross society, of
which she is the president, for she re
cently said' “Not all of us who go will
return. I regard it as the most Important
work of my life, and to this cause I
bed room furniture, usually of oak; one
extension table, six chairs, one mattress,
two pillows, four sheets, two pairs of pil
low cases, one pair of blankets, one com
fort, six toiwels and tea towels, one dozen
plates, three vegetable dishes, one plat
ter, six knives and forks and one set of
mottled granite ware. In this manner
she has already furnished 800 families.
She. keeps four teams and wagons con
stantly going.”
This gives a fair idea of the way Miss
Barton does her work.
A Calamity Fire Engine.
It was Miss Barton’s clear mind which
formulated this principle: "Let the Red
Cross of America be authorized to pro
vide for th<3 relief of national calamities;
let It he a medium through which funds
can he sent to sufferers In disasters too
great to be relieved by local measures,
and by people trained to know the needs
and to understand the alleviation of
great suffering.
"Or," as she unconventionally express
es It, "let It be a calamity fire engine, al
ways fired up and ready, and when the
note of need sounds the collars drop on
the horses’ necks, and away they fly to
the rescue. When once the fire Is out,
though, the big engine hastens home,
not wasting time to sprinkle the streets
or to clear away the rubbish."
To the wisdom of her theory the suf
ferers of the Mississippi floods, the yel
low fever sufferers at Jacksonville, of the
Michigan fires and the Texas drought
can testify. Ready on the Instant with
food, clothing and money, $175,000 being
spent in four months in the Mississippi
valley; quick to comprehend the needs
and know the relief required, she wastes
no time, but flies to the rescue, and so
quickly and quietly accomplishes her
mission and is gone that comparatively
few people know' of the society she rep
resents.
"This, then, is what the Red Cross
means. It is not an order of knighthood,
not a commandery, not a secret society,
but the powerful, peaceful sign, and the
reducing to practical usefulness of one of
the broadest and most needed philan
thropies the world has ever known—the
symbol of a divine humanity destined to
bring universal peace.
And what has Clara Barton received
for all this? In her little Jew'el box there
gleams a royal jewel, an amethyst cut In
the form of a pansy, the gift of the
Grand Duchess of Baden, her personal
and beloved friend; the Jewel of the
American Red Cross, the Servian deco
ration of the Red Cross, presented by
Queen Natalie; the Gold Cross of Re
membrance, presented by the Grand
Duke and Duchess of Baden; a Red Cross
medal, the gift of the Queen of Italy, and
i.
MIBB CLARA BARTON.
have been ready to give the best I have
in the world, and the best I have in my
body.”
To look at Clara Barton unless one
were acquainted with her history, it
•would be difficult to Imagine that she has
lived anything but the quietest of faintly
lives, sheltered from all the rough knocks
which the world gives to all who mingle
in it. She looks as If she had stepped
from some old-fashioned plate of the war
time. Her thick gray hair is parted In
the middle and smoothed down over her
cars.
The strogg features of her face are her
mouth and chin The mouth ts large,
and but tor the placid smile which contin
ually lights up her face It would be
stern Her chin Is well set. large and
prominent. Her dresses are almost In
variably of black, and so plain as to at
tract attention The only ornament she
■wears Is a large breastpin, stamped with
a red cross.
Miss Barton, old-fashioned and vener
able as she Is, Is a hard, systematic
workei and a clever executive officer
She can direct and manage a large num
ber fcf assistants with the skill of a
trained army general, and her long ex
perience at the work she Is now about
to undertake makes her the most fitted
person In the land to conduct It success
fully.
When the dreadful Johnstown floods
swept away thousands of lives In 1K89
Miss Barton, as the head of the Red
Cross, was one of the first to get to the
scene of the catastrophe. In short time
she soon collected about her an able
body of assistants, and the work she did
will live long In the memory of the peo
ple of the Conemaugh valley.
How 81ie Labors.
Her work at that time was graphically
described by Belva A. Lockwood, who
wrote of her from Johnstown:
"Since her arrival she has done all for
the relief of the unfortunate, desolate,
houseless.'homeless citizens that her ma
tured judgment, large experience and
deep philanthropy could devise. Her
whole time, from 8 o’clock in the morning
until 6 o'clock at night. Is devoted to sup
plying the needs of the sufTerers.
"She has possession of a large ware
house situated near the depot, that cov
ers a square of ground, and Is filled with
supplies for needy families. She has a
registry of the city, knows the status, or
can readily ascertain It, of every' family
or remnant of one in the town, and Just
what they are entitled to under the reg
ulations that have been made for the dis
tribution of supplies, and every article
donated is charged to the person re
ceiving it.
"Each destitute family receives, as
soon as application is made therefor and
their status ascertained, one set of good
the Iron Cross of Merit, presented by the
late emperor of Germany. That is all,
save the love, gratitude and veneration
of the soldiers and sufferers of two con
tinents.
Origin of the ltrd Cross.
But. the Red Cross society does not be
gin and end in America alone. It is a
confederation of relief societies in differ
ent countries, acting under the Geneva
convention, whose aim Is to ameliorate
the condition of wounded soldiers in ihe
armies, in campaign, on land or sea. The
Idea of such a society was conceived in
the mind of M. Henri Durant, a Swiss
gentleman, who saw the battle of Sol
ferino and became Impressed with the
need of more efficient and extended
means for ameliorating the conditions
consequent upon war.
Once each year in the city of Geneva is
held a meeting of the Society of Public
Utility, and to M. Gustav Moynler, presi
dent of that society, was presented M.
Durant’s theories. The latter gentleman
also published a little book called "A Sou
venir of Solferlno,’’ where he depicted
the touching incidents and horrible reali
ties of warfare. The battle was fresh
In the minds of the people, the book was
well written, was extensively read, trans
lated into different languages, and awak
ened the Interest and enthusiasm of the
people.
M. Moynler called a meeting of his
society for discussion of this question,
which resulted in their appointing a con
venton in Geneva of delegates from
every civilized nation to consider this
subject and arrange some International
compact or treaty compatible with the
articles of war belonging to the several
countries. An Invitation was extended
to Mr. Seward to send representatives
from the United States, but surrounded
with the realities of a threatened con
stitution and the horrors of a bitter civil
war. he had little time to consider Uto
pian conventions for the advancement
of humanity.
However, Mr. Charles Bowler, an
American banker of Fiance, and Mr.
Fogg. United States minister to Switzer
land. constituted themselves delegates to
this convention, which was held October
26. 1864, and which, after a deliberation of
four days, resulted In the arrangement of
a set of resolutions whereby the "ambu
lance and military hospital in battle shall
be considered neutral, and as such shall
be protected; persons employed In hospi
tals or ambulances, surgeons, chaplains,
servants, etc., shall also be neutral, and
even after occupation of the field by the
enemy may continue to fulfill their duties
and not be retained as prisoners; inhab
itants of the country shall be allowed
to bring help In to the relief of friend and
foe alike; houses opened for the recep
tion of the wounded shall be protected
and relieved from the quartering of
troops; commanders in chief shall return
wounded soldiers to the outposts of the
enemy if desired, and send back all dis
abled soldiers when recovered to their
own country, and the evacuating troops
of a field shall not be fired upon while
In retreat.”
This treaty was signed by twelve na
tions in less than four months, and now
all civilized governments (thirty-two in
number) adhere to its regulations. It
was deemed expedient to adopt a univer
sal badge, which sign shall be recognized
by every nation, and in honor of the
Swiss republic, where the convention as
sembled, and whose banner is a cross of
white upon a scarlet ground, was adopted
the emblem of red and white, with colors
reversed, a cross of scarlet upon a ground
of snow. Something of its potency is il
lustrated in the fact that if the general
or any officer or soldier of a victorious
army lays violent hands upon the hum
blest hospital servaht of the enemy, or
little boy who carries water to his sick
lieutenant's tent wearing the scarlet
cross, he has broken an international
treaty, and at the risk of his head.
The whole of Europe is marshaled un
der the banner of the Red Cross, and
wherever the din of war is heard is
planted the white banner that bears the
blessed sign of relief. The ensign waves
in Siberia, on the Chinese frontier, in Al
geria, Egypt and Oceanica, and even in
Turkey, where the emblem is a red cres
cent.
The International Committee.
The Society of Utility was made the
international committee of the Red Cross,
with M. Moynter as president, a wealthy
philanthropist of unlimited means, a
great earnestness of purpose, singleness
of object and strength and integrity of
character, devoting his entire life to the
Interests of the society he represents.
The first act of a country after giving its
adhesion to the treaty is the establish
ment of a national society to act in ac
cordance with its provisions. The na
tional societies form others as associate
cr auxiliary societies, the purpose of their
members being largely to perfect them
selves in every branch of humanitarian
work connected with the prevention or
CATCHES OM.EAP TEAR
Golden Opportunity for the New
Woman in 1896.
CHEER FOR THE OLD MAIDS
A fine List of Men Who Might Be Had if
Women Were Brave Enough to Do the
Proposing.
Eighteen hundred and ninety-six
should be a great and wonderful year for
the new woman.
It is leap year.
Leap year has many meanings to many
kinds of people, but to woman it has but
one meaning—that of the privilege of do
ing the proposing for marriage. It is not
on record that any woman ever took ad
vantage of the leap year to press her suit
upon some eligible young man. Some
venturesome bits of femininity may have
done so, but it is noL in their nature to
talk about it.
But the new woman may work a won
derful chknge, for leap year affords her
an opportunity to strike out in an entire
ly new field. If she has the courage to
ask for the hand of some man in mar
riage and bravely make the fact known
to the world, she will establish a prece
dent which should cheer the hearts of
her lonely sisters. Such a system would
certainly boom matrimony, for if the la
dies have the power and the sayso, there
will be mighty few old maids.
To give the new woman some encour
agement In following the matrimonial
THE PROPOSAL-A LEAP YEAR POSSIBILITY.
relief of the suffering, contingent upon
war. Their second, and also a very im
portant one. Is the raising of funds for
the sudden needs of the society, and a
yearly fee Is exacted of each member.
Miss Barton’s Advice.
’’Get rich in any legitimate way you
can, for we can do nothing without
money,” says Miss Barton. "But never
beg one dollar. The sorriest sight J know
is a beggar giving alms. I never begged
a penny In my life for any object, and
If you cannot give yourself let those give
who have the means,”
The societies are usually composed of
earnest, benevolent people, whose ready
offering, together with the voluntary
contribution® from Interested people, fur
nish the funds requisite. Besides the col
lection of funds, necessary material is
Collected for sanitary service, clothing
is made, bandages, lint, etc., prepared,
practical improvements and inventions
in all sanitary relief apparatus are made
and perfected, and training schools for
nurse® are established, whose members,
upon graduation, seek employment al
ways with the understanding that with
the first note of war they go to the front.
A Home-Made Basket.
An exquisite bureau basket can be cre
ated from the most unpromising mate
rial. Take a common chip basket, round
and deep. If there be hone in the house
a few cents will procure one at the shops.
The handles should be at least an inch
broad a,id very high. Such a basket
often comes with fruit. Cover It with
flowered silk. White Bilk with pink blos
soms Is a pretty Idea. Gather the silk
softly around the sides of the basket and
puff it daintily around the rim. Line the
basket with pink silk or silkoleen—not
too bright a shade. Cover the handle
with the flowered material, and buy a
small spray of artificial apple blossoms
to twine around the handle. It would be
hard to And a prettier thing for holiday
fancy work or bureau odds and ends.
roadway so crudely mapped out, a list
of eligible men Is given herewith. Some
of these men might refuse, but the wo
man must not be discouraged. If one
turns a deaf ear and marble heart an
other may prove more agreeable. The
ladles, when husband-hunting, must re
member that persistency Is a great thing.
Two or three rebuffs amount to nothing
In the long run, providing, of course,
that success finally crowns the effort.
Borne of these gentlemen are politically
Inclined and it would be well tu begin
on them, as few of them would be rash
enough to antagonize femininity by re
fusing to grant any polite request. If
any jyoman should be greeted with a
stony stare and the stereotyped "No, but
I'll be a brother to you," she should
blacklist that man.
Here is the list:
George Vanderbilt, worth $25,000,000. Is
32 years old. of a retiring disposition and
steady habits. Is studiously Inclined
and should make a good husband. Owns
the finest country place in America and
will inherit all of his mother's money
and art treasures, worth about $10,000,
000. Is the youngest son of the late Wil
liam H. Vanderbilt and has a delicate
constitution. Is interested in all kinds
of educational projects and gives away
barrels of money yearly. The mammas
of all the marriageable girls In New York
have tried for the past twelve years to
land him, but he has outwitted them.
He must be approached with rare skill,
for he is no novice at fighting matrimon
ial Intentions. If possible,learn Japan
ese and talk to him In that lauguage. He
has been a student of Japan for the past
five years and anything pertaining to the
country will be certain to interest him.
A Double Attraction.
Chauncey Mitchell Depew—Is 61 years
old, but doesn’t look it. Is a widower
wkth one son almost grown. His a sala
ry of $100,000 a year as president of the
Hudson Rlvsr railroad and fame to burn.
He also has $2,000,000 stored away and
the Income gives him $100,000 a year more.
IDs life Is Insured for $500,000 and all the
assessments are paid up. He has one of
the finest houses In town. Financially
he Is most attractive. But that is not the
best of it. He can talk on any subject
and may yet talk himself Into the Wh.te
House. He is always smiling and pleas
ant and should make a first-rate hus
band. Rumor has it that he is already
engaged, but rumor may be wrong, and
he is well worth trying for. He will be
most difficult to approach, for long ex
perience at squelcidng free-pass callers
has made him peculiarly skillful In dis
posing ol' unwelcome subjects. He is ap
proachable, however, and might be
caught napping. Tell him a funny story
about Peeksklll before he has time to tell
you one and the shock may be so great
that he will be at a disadvantage.
Howard Gould—A nice young man of
24, who has shaken hands with the Prince
of Wales and has a bank account of
$12,000,000. He is the biggest spender in
the Gould family and cares more for fun
than finance. He owns a yacht and
knows how to sail. He is only 5 feet 4
inches in height and weighs less than
125 pounds, and according to all prece
dent. will probably marry some lady of
abnormal height and weight. He can
only spend about one-tenth of his in
come and his brother George sees that
the other nine-tenths are well Invested.
He has no town or country home of his
own and is probably waiting for a wife
to select them. He is affable, but tre
mendously shrewd, and should be ap
proached with rare diplomacy.
William C. Whitney—Widower with
three children. Has been reported en
gaged Beveral times, but rumor was
wrong. Has $20,000,000 at the least and
perhaps considerably more. Has a l»eau»
tiful New York house on Fifth avenue,
is tall, slender and intellectual-looking.
Wears eyeglasses and has a nervous dis
position. May be president of the United
States some day. Can have the nomina
tion at the next democratic convention
If he says the word, but he declares he
doesn't want It. Is probably waiting (o
hear what his friend, Mr. Cleveland, is
going to do about it. Is one of the lead
ers in New York society and one of the
soundest and ablest business men in the
country.
inchest of Them am.
John D. Rockefeller, Jr—Only son of the
richest man in America, and will inherit
n stupendous fortune. Is 2.1 years old, a
regular church-goer, doesn't smoke, chew,
drink or swear and is a model young
man. Attends to business with the regu
larity of a $10 a week clerk. Will suc
ceed his father as the head of the Stand
ard Oil company. Will probably be the
richest man In the world. Dresses plainly
and cares little for society. Has only one
diversion—that of driving fast horses.
Is fairly good-looking, but not handsome.
Is not very approachable, and dislikes
frivolous young women.
David B. Hill—Tall, slender and bald,
and said to be a confirmed bachelor. A
difficult man to propose to. He can freeze
any one with a stare, but is genial when
you know him. He hopes to be president
some day, and has just leased a fine res
idence in Washington. He Is the ablest
machine democratic politician in the
country today. Has a fine country home
near Albany, N. Y.. and is moderately
well off in the world's goods. Is shy in
the presence of women. Politics Is meat
and drink to him.
A Socieiy C«tch.
.Tomes J. Van Alen—A gentleman with
a past. Is close to the 5ft-yoar mark, but
doesn't look It. Is a widower with sev
eral children. Is one of the best four-in
hand drivers In the country, and has
chummed with Wales. Has a fine place
at Newport and a goodly income. Is
short, fat and jolly.
Willie K. Vanderbilt—Another gentle
man with a past. Is divorced and for
bidden to marry In New York state, but
there are other states. Has about $80,
000,000 and the finest steam yacht on this
side of the Atlantic. Is one of the best
poker players in the country, and is good
looking. Is the father of the Duchess of
Marlborough, and rumor says he may
marry the Duchess of Manchester.
Worldly mammas with daughters are al
ready on his track.
A Literary Light.
Richard Harding Davis—A gentleman
witti literary aspirations. Has written
some good tilings and some others. Is an
athlete, and was decorated by the Sultan
of Turkey with tlie order of MedjidI be
cause lie gave the sultan a copy of one of
his bonks. If he wont to Constantinople
and wore the Insignia of the order on
his broad chest, some of the sultan's
m
As Theodora.
guards would bow to him. He Is not
overburdened with wealth, but earns a
good Income.
Paderewski—>A widower with one son.
Is between 3E and 40 and plays the piano.
Thinks a great deal of art and h!s hair,
but mole of money Ladles have thrown
bouquets at blm for so long that he has
been almost spoiled. He Is a posstibillty,
though.
Cornelius Vanderbilt, Jr.—Is 23 years
old. and will come In for more than $100.
000,000 some day. Is the eldest son of
the head of the famous family. Has
sound business sense and U a fine, level
headed, manly young fellow. He Is the
target of more matrimonial schemes than
any other man in New York.
There are snores and scores of others,
but this short list shows what a fertile
field awaits the new woman If she had
the nerve to cultivate It during leap year.
I-ace enters Into the composition of
most waists, and Is either appliqued on
the reverse or fluffed around the collar In
some way. It Is never out of place, no
matter how much trimming may have al
ready been used.
BERNHARDT JMES BACK
The Great Actress Laughs at
Father Time.
_ t
A GIRL YET AT FIFTY-FIVE
As Eccentric as Ever, and Her Temper Has
Lost None of Its Explosiveness—Her
Latest Ideas on Plays and
Playeri.
Bernhardt, the divine, with her dogs,
her eccentricities and her wonderful gen
ius, will be in this country again, the
first week of the new year.
While here she may not sleep In a
coffin, nor wander about the corridors of
her hotel with a couple of lion cubs Jump
ing around l:er, but she can be depended
upon to do something unique, and do it
well, too. Age has not dampened her
love of the unusual. She is 55 now, and
perhaps more, but she has the vitality of
a girl of 21 and the appearance of a
woman of 30.
The closest scrutiny will not reveal any
wrinkles, crow's feet or other mark of
years on this extraordinary woman. The
wrinkles may be there, and they proba
Mn
Sarah Bernhard Today.
bly are, but she knows well how to hide
them. She laughs at Father Time, and
laughs merrily, too—not the wheezy
cackle of the old woman, but the musical
laugh of the girl. Daces always cover
her wrists and portions of her hands,
and some wonderful fabric is always
wound round her neck when she is off
the stage. Her throat immediately below
the chin and her wrists may be heavily
wrinkled, but no one knows it but her
self. Her eyes have the liquid sparkle
of the school girl, her figure has the
delicate curves of the society debutante,
she walks with the grace and vigor of a
Diana, and she takes a healthy, active
interest in everything.
A Volcanic Temper.
Her temper is as volcanic ai ever. It
takes but a little to cause the divine
Sarah to explode with th» force of a
100-ton gnu. .She takes pride in the last
ing qualities of her temper. Her rage is
not the impotent grumbling of old ag.^,
but the mighty war whoop of an aroused
Amazon. Bernhardt do. s not want her
temper 10 diminish. She would regard it
as an advance sign of physical and men
tal dissolution. Many years ago she
horsewhipped a sister actress who wrote
a nasty book about her, and if occasion
again demanded similar action on her
par* those who know her best sav that
she would meet the emergency.
Hut with eccentricities and strangeness
galore. Bernhardt is diplomatic, and her
diplomacy is as artistic ns everything
she undertakes It is dollars to cents
that when she meets the crowd of New
York newspaper reporters on the arrival
of the steamer in port she will ex
claim :
“Ah. how' glad I am to be bock hrre
again. America is so new arid fresh. It
is an inspiration.”
Her Early Career.
At this particular time It Is interest
ing to look back upon th? early stage
career of Bernhardt. She was 15 years
old when her mother took her out of the
Convent of the Grand Champ at Ver
sailles and placed her at the Conserva
toire Bernhardt's mother was not bur
dened with riches at the time, and the
child knew that she must earn her own
livelihood. She worked hard, but there
were few indications In her early life of
the genius which was to distinguish her
later on. She managed to divide the sec
ond prize in elocution with her chum,
Marie Columbler, alihouph every one
agreed at the time that Columbler was
entitled to It In Its entirety. It was
Columbier who In later years wrotp the
book which caused Bernhardt to chas
tise her In public.
A Poor Actress at PlJ*t
Of her first appearance Bernhardt has
said; "i have never thought that I was
born to be an actress. I have always
known that I was born to be a painter
and nothing else. If I had had my way
I should have been a painter. Of all
things In this world I love painting best,
and did love it best then, aiid always shall
love it best.
"But circumstances made an actress of
me, and at first a very bad actress, for all
the critics could not have been m staken,
and there was not one who did not join
in my condemnation. I sank into com
plete obscurity, but I worked. What
was before me I did not like, but I would
not consent td being a failure. I was
forced to do something which 1 did not
want to do, but I made up my mind to do
It well.
“I played minor parts at the Gymnaa?,
sang in tile chorus at the Porte Si. Mar
tin and did general drudge work. But I
never stopped my study for a moment.
At last I got another chance. It was the
night of January 14, 1SS7. I played Ar
halie In 'Les Femmes Savants.' I suc
ceeded mildly. I was no longer utterly
obscure. Two years lgter 1 won a real
triumph In the part of Zarnette at the
Odeon.
"This was'really the beginning of the
time when the public saw fit to be good
to me. There has been no cessation of
its pleasantness since then. Some of It,
I think, I have deserved, some of it I
know I have not deserved. My place In
the Comedle Francalse wag ottered to me
after I had created the part of Marie de
Neuborg In 'Huy Bias,’ by Victor Hugo.