The Red Cross in Peace and War :: THE MICHIGAN FOREST FIRES.

THE MICHIGAN FOREST FIRES.

It may be necessary to recall to the mind of the person reading these pages hastily, the fact that the National Red Cross of America was formed nearly a year before the accession to the treaty. This was done by the advice of President Garfield, in order to aid as far as possible the accession. “Accordingly a meeting was held in Washington, D.C., May 21, 1881, which resulted in the formation of an association to be known as the American National Association of the Red Cross.”

Several years of previous illness on the part of its president had resulted in fixing her country home at Dansville, N.Y., the seat of the great Jackson and Austin Sanitarium and the acknowledged foundation of the hundreds of health institutions of that kind which bless the country to-day. The establishment of the National Red Cross in Washington had attracted the attention of persons outside, who, of course, knew very little of it; but among others, the people of Dansville, the home of the president, felt that if she were engaged in some public movement, they too might at least offer to aid. Accordingly, on her return to them in midsummer, they waited upon her with a request to that effect, which resulted in the formation of a society of the Red Cross, this being the first body in aid of the National Association formed in the United States. It is possible I cannot make that more clear than by giving an extract from their report of that date, which was as follows:

In reply to your request, given through the secretary of your association, that we make report to you concerning the inauguration of our society, its subsequent proceedings and present condition, the committee has the honor to submit the following statement:

Dansville, Livingston County, N.Y., being the country residence of Miss Clara Barton, president of the American Association of the Red Cross, its citizens, desirous of paying a compliment to her, and at the same time of doing an honor to themselves, conceived the idea of organizing in their town the first local society of the Red Cross in the United States. To this end, a general preliminary meeting was held in the Presbyterian Church, when the principles of the Treaty of Geneva and the nature of its societies were defined in a clear and practical manner by Miss Barton, who had been invited to address the meeting. Shortly after, on the twenty-second of August, 1881, a second meeting, for the purpose of organization, held in the Lutheran Church and presided over by the pastor, Rev. Dr. Strobel, was attended by the citizens generally, including nearly all the religious denominations of the town, with their respective pastors. The purpose of the meeting was explained by your president, a constitution was presented and very largely signed, and officers were elected.

Thus we are able to announce that on the eighteenth anniversary of the Treaty of Geneva, in Switzerland, August 22, 1864, was formed the first local society of the Red Cross in the United States of America.

Almost immediately following this occurred the memorable forest fires of Michigan, which raged for days, sweeping everything before them—man, beast, forests, farms—every living thing, until in one report made of it we find this sentence: “So sweeping has been the destruction that there is not food left in its track for a rabbit to eat, and, indeed, no rabbit to eat it, if there were.” Here occurred the first opportunity for work that the young society had found, and again I give without further note their report:

Before a month had passed, before a thought of practical application to business had arisen, we were forcibly and sadly taught again the old lesson that we need but to build the altar, God will Himself provide the sacrifice. If we did not hear the crackling of the flames, our skies grew murky and dark and our atmosphere bitter with the drifting smoke that rolled over from the blazing fields of our neighbors of Michigan, whose living thousands fled in terror, whose dying hundreds writhed in the embers, and whose dead blackened in the ashes of their hard-earned homes. Instantly we felt the help and strength of our organization, young and untried as it was. We were grateful that in this first ordeal your sympathetic president was with us. We were deeply grateful for your prompt call to action, given through her, which rallied us to our work. Our relief rooms were instantly secured and our white banner, with its bright scarlet cross, which has never been furled since that hour, was thrown to the breeze, telling to every looker-on what we were there to do, and pointing to every generous heart an outlet for its sympathy. We had not mistaken the spirit of our people; our scarce-opened doorway was filled with men, women and children bearing their gifts of pity and love. Tables and shelves were piled, our working committee of ladies took every article under inspection, their faithful hands made all garments whole and strong; lastly, each article received the stamp of the society and of the Red Cross, and all were carefully and quickly consigned to the firm packing cases awaiting them. Eight large boxes were shipped at first, others followed directly, and so continued until notified by the Relief Committee of Michigan that no more were needed. Meanwhile the hands of our treasurer were not left empty, some hundreds of dollars were deposited with him. A most competent agent, our esteemed townsman and county clerk of Livingston County, Major Mark J. Bunnell, was dispatched with the first invoice of funds and charged with the duty of the reception of the supplies, their proper distribution and of making direct report of the condition and needs of the sufferers.

The good practical judgment of the people and society led them to consider the near approach of winter and the unsheltered condition of the victims, bereft of every earthly possession, and warm clothing and bedding were sent in great abundance. Our cases were all marked with the Red Cross and consigned to Senator Omar D. Conger, of Port Huron, who led the call of the Michigan committee and to whom, as well as to his kindhearted and practical wife, we are indebted for many timely suggestions and words of grateful appreciation.

In a spirit of gratitude and hope we submit this partial report of our first work under the Red Cross, which can be but partial, as our rooms are still open and our work is in progress awaiting such further calls as may come to us. We are grateful that we are called, grateful that your honored President, with the acquired skill of the humane labors of many years in many lands, was with us to counsel and instruct. We are glad to have learned from this early object lesson the value of organized effort and the value of our own organization.

We hope our report may be satisfactory to you, and that our beautiful little valley town, quietly nestling among the green slopes of the Genesee Valley, after having offered the first fruits of the Red Cross to its own countrymen, may always be as prompt and generous in any call of yours for suffering humanity.

The neighboring city of Rochester, forty miles to the north of Dansville, hearing of the activity of its smaller neighbor in the great disaster that was paralyzing all, desired also to unite in the work and knowing much less even than Dansville of what the Red Cross might mean, still desired to act with it, if possible; and appended herewith will be found their report, which will best tell their story.

Influential citizens of Rochester, Monroe County, N.Y., having become interested in the subject of the Treaty of Geneva and the Red Cross work going on in Dansville, sent a request through the mayor of the city to Miss Clara Barton to address them in a public meeting. Miss Barton met an audience of thinking, philanthropic men and women, to whom it was a pleasure to unfold her theme. The result was a proposition to organize a society before adjournment. Accordingly names were pledged, and, the second evening after, a constitution was adopted and officers were elected, Edward M. Moore, M.D., president....

Steps were immediately taken for reducing to practice the theory of their newly formed society, and in three days from the commencement of its existence its agent, Professor J.B. Hubbell, was on the burnt fields of Michigan with instructions to examine into the condition of the people and report their necessities to the society from actual observation. These duties were faithfully and judiciously performed, and on the day following his report of the special need of money the sum of $2500 in cash was forwarded as a first installment. At last reports the sum raised amounted to $3807.28 and the society numbered 250 members. It is evident that no full report can be made concerning a movement of which only the first steps are taken, and which is still in active operation, but it is believed that the instances are rare when, with no distress of its own as an incentive, but from the simple motive of benevolence, a people has accomplished so much, both in organization and practical results, in so brief a space of time.

Following close on the organization in Rochester, the citizens of the sister city of Syracuse and vicinity, in Onondaga County, N.Y., met at the Board of Trade rooms and perfected their organization under the above name. Rev. Dr. Richmond Fiske, a widely known philanthropist, prominently connected with the principal charities of the city, assisted by Professor G.F. Comfort, of the Syracuse University, led the movement. The constitution, embracing in admirable form the principles of the Geneva Convention, was signed by a large number present and officers were appointed representing the names of the leading people of the city.

These were the first steps of the American National Association of the Red Cross in relief work and in the organization of auxiliary societies. The completion of this work, which may have seemed premature and preliminary, left the association free to continue its efforts with the Government of the United States on behalf of its accession to the treaty.

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