Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About The Red Cloud chief. (Red Cloud, Webster Co., Neb.) 1873-1923 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 5, 1918)
RED OLOUD, NKBKAIKA, CHIEF W gln -V v ( fit pmBsife e JL& i51 '!a ' r '&v2aBt&f. V&&&. tags, t WWilfCSHES w"-4 Handsome Homes Replace Those De molished in the Great Disaster That Wrecked BURIALS AT CROSS ROADS Bio Area One Year Aoo A YKAIt ago, on December 0, one-fifth of the city of Halifax vns binned off tho map by tlie explosion of the steamer Mont Wane's cargo of TNT. About J.OOO people were killed, between 0.000 and 0,000 w ere wounded, 30 were Hindu totally blind, the sight of nbout :."() people was seriously hundred, n large number of dependents wvro left tin- cared for, and about ?:i5,000,000 worth of property was wiped out li a few seconds. A year has passed. What has been done for Halifax and what has Halifax done for Itself? A generous and sympathetic world handed Halifax $3,500,000 to old In alleviating Its distress. The British government gave $5, 000,000 and the Cana dian government, al ready under vast ex pense because of tho wnr, gave $,000,000 shortly after the TNT explosion occurred, nnd later added $7,000,000 more m that Halifax would be assured of a square ileal. The sum totals $U0. 600,000 one of the greatest contributions ever wade by n big-hearted public to a stricken city. . What has been done, or Is being done, with this vast sum? Many people who opened their henrts and their purses to Halifax would like to know, and this article Is designed to supply the Infor mation. Th" ilguros given above tell In part what was done for Hnllfax, but what Halifax has done for Itself Is n far longer story. Although the victim of n disaster which nt once ranked her among the great tragedy cities of the world I'oinpell. Martinique, Galveston nnd San Francisco Hall fox staggered to her feet a few seconds after the titanic blast had laid waste her streets, de stroyed her homes and littered the snow with her dead, and went to work to fetch order out of chnos. "From a spectacular and heroic point of view," declared George MncDonnld of the Canadian Press, "this continent has never produced such a daring set of clvlllnn heroes ns sprang up nt tho call of duty In those bleak December days In Hal ifax. History teems .with horrors recent his tory particularly but no parallel exists for the sequence of affliction with which Halifax was deluged. Swift and nppalllng denth from the withering explosion, mad panic nt tho fear of a worse disaster from n magazine disruption, horror from the fires which greedily devoured the ruins, torture from the rapidly chancing weather condi tions which went from blizzard to rnln nnd from rnln to zero conditions In the three days succeed the day of the catastrophe. Fate seemed to have ceased Its assaults only when It had exhausted Its repertoire of calamities. 'Set ngalnst this nppnlllng challenge was the inluinwn and untried courage of Halifax's citi zens. How they battled through the combination of anguish nnd misery, almost alone for a week. Is one of the most Inspiring dramas of history." So much for whnt Halifax started to do, from the pen of "one who watched this Homeric bat tle" ns a press conespondent. Chief among the plain business men of heroic mold was Robert T. Macllrolth, an ex-mayor of Halifax, who hod or ganized nn emergency relief station nt the city hnll within an hour after the Imo hnd rammed the Mont Wane and let loose the devastating ex plosives pent up In the hold of the latter ship. Mnctlrelth and his loyal associates not only got on the job nt once, but- stayed there, practically without rest or rleep for ten days, succoring the wounded, housing the homeless, feeding the desti tute, cnrlng for the dependents, providing fuel nnd transportation, fighting fire nnd burying the dead. Every mnn of force nnd Inltlntlve and man agerial ability went to work without a moment's delay. The private car of George K. Graham of tho Dominion' Atlantic was partly wrecked by tho blast, hlit General Manager Grnlinin at onco became n lending spirit In tho great task of or ganizing temporary relief and his railroad gavo Invaluable nsslstanco In the crisis. In n week tho emergency shelter committee, di rected by W. S. Dnvldson, chairman, housed 0,000 people and n largo number were even cared for the -very first night. Hospitals wero established nnd 4,000 patients treated In nn Incredibly short time. Two thousand bodies wero hnndled by the mortuary department. The reconstruction commltteo, bended by O. Fred Pearson, n newspaper proprietor, lost no time In organizing the work of building temporary lionieH for tho homeless to cover the period which must elnpso before permanent construction could fee Inaugurated, Mr. Pearson asked Col. Itobcrt !B. Low, tho man who built the cantonments for itho Canadian army, to glvo nnllfax the benefit of his experience, nnd tho colonel went to work nt tonee with plenty of energy, and without pny, to put roofs ovor tfco heada of thousands of Halifax people. When ho and struck his stride, tho man who built Valcurttor camp for tho Canadian ex- r 3recA?A AfT&z 7?ffjyv.03ar tJHTTmfcv i -A Sk ' Cdtes?0- ort or mewoYMtfoscs &ect0 BY?EJLrcamssor pedltlonnry force In record time, was finishing a four-room npartment, with bath, every hour. His apartment houses were much like the cantonment buildings at the army camps In Canada and the United States, nnd housing accommodations were soon icaily for fi.000 people. These various forms of temporary relief caused the expenditure of about $1,000,000, ami while this Imperative tusk was being performed plans were formulated for the rebuilding of the dev astated nien, the settlement of claims ami the care of dependents. The Cnnadlnn government, after receiving full reports of the property losses and the needs of Halifax for permanent pensions, rehousing, etc.. announced that although no legal liability rested upon the crown, nevertheless the explosion was an Incident of the great war which had done enormous damage to Halifax and Its environs nnd for which Halifax was in no may to blame. Steam ers loaded with great cargoes of oxploshes sought Halifax harbor to secure convoy across the At Inntle to tho seat of war, and In numerous In stances the people of the city whose homes hnd been destroyed did not even know that they were living on the edge of n volcano. In view of the fact that the French steamship Mont Blanc was "using the harbor In purMinnce of the common purpose of the allied nntlons In cnrrylng on the wnr." the Canndlnn government determined to pay nil legitimate property loscs nnd estnbllsh a pen sion fund to care for those made dependent by the disaster. The sum of S.'.OQO.OOO bad already been appropriated, but an additional sum of $7,000,000 was at once placed at the disposal of the stricken city nnd the Halifax relief commission was ap pointed nnd glen extraordinary powers to expend the money and afTord the necessary relief. The commission, consisting of T. Sherman Hog ers. K. C, chalnnnn; Judge William Hermird Wallace and Frederick Luther Fowke, with Kalph P. Hell as secrctnry, has been hard at work for months straightening out the tangled affairs of the devastated district, paying claims for dam ages, erecting new homes and providing perma nent pensions for those who were made dependent. The broad powers of the commission were granted by two orders In council nnd by tin act of the Nova Scotia legislature. Them were so many complicated matters to settle that the commis sioners were empowered to use their own Judg ment in settling Individual claims, In awarding pensions, In expending nil the money contributed with the exception of special Minis donated for certain purposes, and In rcplntmlng and rebuild ing the devastated area. Through the generosity of the Canadian gov ernment, every Iiwllvldunl who lost his home valued nt not more than .$.ri,000 bus already hail or Is having built for him, free of charge, a new home better than the one destio.ed by the blast. Claims exceeding $f,O00 are being set.tled by tho commissioners, nnd over lfi.OOO claims for house hold and personnl effects have already been paid. Five hundred people are receiving permnnent pen sions and disability allowances. Tho Halifax relief commission, upon taking office, secured the services of n first-class firm of architects, and also employed a town-planning ndvlser. There was a splendid chance to put over a town-plnnnlng schemo, architecturally and oth erwise, that would bo a credit to both Halifax and to-Canada, and the commission did not overlook tho opportunity confronting It. One thousand homes, not only thoroughly practical, but beauti ful, have been planned by the architects, new streets anil avenues Juivo been laid out In tho devastated area and tho replannlng nnd rebuild ing program Is being carried out with tho Idea of making Halifax more beautiful than ever. Months ago contracts wero let for -100 houses which wero to bo completed before winter Ret In. This work has been dono and tho remnlnlng per manent homes needed aro also under way. Tho now houses aro artistic In design, and of many r:itP0?t'?ym.0j)'?.s jr?crr& towsj? rw different type", Tlieie Is a nut mill granite pmcurable In Hall fax and n b.vdro-stone material cl"sely resembling this Is being usi'tl, as well as cream-white Htxi'co and rough textured brick. In the (lottlngen street area th- houses are grouped around courts, and lawns and piny gi minds are part of the general deelopmeiit. The aichltects bine considered the devastated niv.i us mi entliety for develop ment purposes, and as the com mission backing them bus full power ,to carry out Its Ideas, the result should be a very Interesting experiment In hous-liu- and town planning. 'lite now main boulevards laid out by the commission are SO feet wide, and the secondary Btteets vary In width from 50 to CO feet. Fort Needhnin, a very picturesque spot of historic In tel est, has been taken over for park purposes by the commis sion, nnd throughout the new development large spaces huvo been set apart as places of amusement and recreation. The dominion nnd Imperial government owned tho water front property whloh bore the brunt of tho Mont Hlnnc explo sion, and the reconstruction of this nrea Is In charge of governmental departments. Part of this section of the devastated area Is now tho site of n new steel shipyard employing nbout 0, 000 men, who are engaged In building steel steamships of 10,000 tons. This new Industry, of vast benefit to Halifax, was established fol lowing the disaster, nnd, no doubt, because of the disaster. In view of what she has suffered and overcome In the past, Halifax may well lift with pride a head "bloody but unbowed," and say with W. 'E. Henley, the author of "Invlctls:" "Out of the night that covers me, Pluck as the pit from pole to pole, I thank whntever gods may be For my unconqucrublo soul." Keeping Workers Amused "The greatest problem with wnr workers Is keeping them amused," says J. IT. Connor, who Is In ch rge of the welfare work nt the United Stntes Explosives Plnnt "C" at Nltro, W. Va. "For unless the workers nre nble to find entertnlnnient they won't work. "At the present time there aro 15,000 workmen nt Nltro and It Is plnnncd to Increnso that number to -10.000. But despite the high wages It Is diffi cult to keep the 15,000 there. Wages nre almost unbelievably high. For example: Office boys nre started at $75 a month; stenogrupbers nt $150, nnd I hnve seen tho weekly pay envelopes of Hinny carpenters with more thnn $100 Inside. However, It Is an nctunl fact that 20 per cent of the workmen who are transported there nt the expense of the government disappear en route and more thnn 50 per cent of those who nrrlvo do not stay more than two or three dnys. "You see, Nltro Is a new town about twelve miles from Chnilestown, W. Va. It's In n dry sec tion of the country with absolutely nothing to at tract workers except high wages. And as soon ns the majority of workers save n bnnk roll they depart for pleasanter nnd wetter climes. "That's why n welfnre department has been es tablished at this plant, where a million pounds of powder will be manufncttired dnlly when every thing Is In operation. It was found that unless the men were amused when they finished their work they simply wouldn't remain no matter whnt wages were paid. "Of course we do all the welfare work that Is being done in the most modern plants. We have various kinds of hospltnls, free medical attention nnd nil tlint sort of thing. We even fill tho teeth $t the workmen free of charge. Houses are be ing built so that the workmen may bring their families nnd there Is everything for their crea ture comforts, but that Isn't enough. The work men miss the excitement of life In the big cities they miss the lights, the rush nnd that feeling of being 'In the swim,' so to speak. While they were merely onlookers thc felt Hint they were taking part In the dny's events. When they get to Nltro they soon become dissatisfied and de pressed. "A person who has never worked In n place of this kind cannot appreciate how essential amuse ment Is to his well being. Hut I must say that wo are doing everything possible to keep tho workers happy and contented. I'm hero In New York to recruit n hand and arrange for the nppoarance of a few muslcnl plays. Of courso tho summer months will not bo so depressing, for wo hnve built scores of bath houses on tho river near tho plant and hundreds of rowhonts and ennoea have been ordered. It's tho dull winter wo'ro most nfrnld of." Events That Led to tho Interment of the Suicide With the Executed Criminal. In pre-Christian dnys, suicides wero terribly frequent, nnd It was general ly agreed that a mnn might escnpo tho burden of llfo In thU manner, without discrediting his memory. Chilstlanlty with Its higher code of morals, taught the wickedness nnd cownrdlce of self-murder, In tho strongest terms. When consecrntcd churchyards were set apart as tho resting place of the Christian dead, It was felt that those who died la dead ly sin, In llngrimt rebellion ngalnst their Maker, had cut themselves off from the faith, and hnd no right to await the resurrection with fni'hful Christians, They were believed to have put themselves outside of so clet, and to have forfeited their iht to share Its burial privileges. In Hills',) early days, before tliurches could he built It was 'the rule to preach and conduct divine services nt the cross roads. Wooden nnd afterwards sto.f crosses were erected to mark the M tr illion where sen Ices would be held Some of these hnve been preserved to tills day, being meinotlnls erected to the dead, or dedications of thanksgiv ing. Since .suicides might not be bur led In the churchyard or other conse crated ground, pity suggested tlmt the next most holy spot wits the giniind near the old cross, where service Mud once been held, or was then held. 'I hey burled the poor suicides' there, be cause they were unwilling to relin quish hope for them. Afterwnrd, for the sake of greater publicity, the gib bet and the gallows were set up nt . the crossroads, and crlmlnnls were burled beneath them after their exe cution. The Inw decreed that suicides should lie with these criminals, In or der to mark the detestation In which the crime of self-murder was held. And so what was once a signal of Christian hope nnd charity, became n legal Indignity Imposed upon the dend bodies to mark an Immensely serious breach of the law of the country. HOW MRS. BOYD AVOIDED AN ' OPERATION Canton, Ohio. "I suffered from n fomalo trouble which cauood ma much sutlering, and two doctors docidod that I would havo to go through an operation before I could get well. ...j uiuuivt, T" Share and Share Alike. The llusslnn revolution was not without Its lighter side, ns tho follow ing nccount of what happened In Pe trogrnd will show: A woman communist was holding forlh, asserting that nil were equal and nil wealth should he divided equally. On this n man In her audi ence produced coins nmountlng to nbout a dollar and one-half from his pocket. "I agree with you," he re marked. "You have convinced me." Turning to n bystander he nsked him to change one of the pieces for him. He obtained two notes. Fnclng the lady orator, ho said: "This Is all tho money I possess. I will hnlve It with you," and he held out the seventy-five cents. Sho had to take It, nnd was about to commence her nrntlon ngnln when her question er continued: "No, no. How much have you In your purso? We must now divide Hint, since we nre to share equally In our wealth." Reluctantly sho produced her purse. It was open ed nnd found to contnln twenty dol lars. Tho mnn pocketed ten dollars of this, thanked her for her Interesting lecture nnd withdrew. Latest Infant Prodigy. The Intest "Infant phenomenon" hnlls from Philadelphia. Her namo Is Edith Gruenberg. At tho age of eight months Edith, from the con fines of her cradle, mimicked the call of tho quail with such conviction that tho bird would answer bnck. At Hio age of two she could distinguish nil tho colors of the spectrum. One month Inter she was discovered In tho act of humming Schubert's "Serennde," and nt three and onc-hnlf years she could rccognlzo 100 popular nlrs. Three fnonths later Edith's favorite compos ers were Tschalkowsky, Wngncr, Leon cavollo, ITnndol, Rubinstein, Liszt, Sul livan, Puccini nnd Heelhoven. Edith could pronounce nil these mimes with out slip. TvVo Canine Heroes. Two French wnr dogs, which well deserve the honor, hnve had their names and numbers posted up nt all the French nrmy kennels for n deed of vnlor. The story Is that, at the time j of the German offensive, tho dogs' i keeper stayed In the rear to tho very last moment, wnltlng for his dogs to return with nn Important messngc. When they did come, tho mil? way left to escape capture was by swimming tho Mnrne, nnd the mnn could not swlni, so he coupled tho dogs together, nnd clinging on to their Iron chain, was dragged across the river by them, the three escaping unhurt In spite of I a rnln of bullets from German rifles. QUITE SO. Kalbcr I soy, Max, what does Wilson mean by all this talk he's giving us? Max Ho means, All Highest, to suy, MIf you'll como down, wo won't shoot" Clouds. "Tho height maintained by clouds Is very varlnble and Is genernlly less than you might suppose," writes Jenn Henri Fnbro. "Thoro aro clouds Hint lazily trail along tho ground; they arc tho fogs. There uro others that cling to the sides of moderately high mountains, nnd still others that crown tho summits. Tho region where they nre commonly found Is nt n height varying from 500 to 1,500 meters. In Bomo rather rnro Instances, they rise to nenrly four Iengues. Reyond Hint, cternul serenity reigns." Beet Sugar Cement. An Interesting by-product of beet sfigar Is cement. Tho scum which col lects In boiling 100,000 tons of sugar beets contains about 0,000 tons of enr bonnto of lime. When this calcium carbonate Is mixed with clay and burned, n vcrv good cement Is obtained. hnd been helped by LydlaE.Plnkhana Vofjotablo Com pound, advised ms Itrcliovodmo from mv trntililon ao I enn do my houao work without any diUlculty. I advise any woman who Is afflicted with fcmnlo troubles to rIv Lydio E. Pinkham's VcRotoblo Com pound n trial and it will do ns much for them." Mrs. Marib Boyd, 1421 Cth St, N. R, Canton, Ohio, i Sometimes there aro serious condi tions wliero a hospital operation is th only alternative, but on tho oUicr hand bo many women linvo been cured by this famous root nnd herb remedy, Lydia E. Pinkham's Vcgctnblo Compound, after doctors havo said that an operation was necessary every woman who want to avoid an operation should (rivo it s fair trial before submitting to such a trying ordeal. If complications exist, writo to Lydia E. PinklmmMcdicino Co., Lynn, Mass., for advico. Tho result of many years experience is at your service. Stop Losing Calves You can Stamp Abortion Out of YOUR HERD and Keep It Out Bjr the use ot DR. DAVID ROBERTS "Anti-Abortion" aTV. Sy Smalt Exptmo ' EmIIv Applied. Suite Remit. uftea successfully lor an yean. Commit Dn. DAVID KOnBRTS nbout nil nnlmul nltmcntn. In formation frte. Brnd for FRKM copy of "The Cattle Specialist" with full In for million on Abortion in Cows. DR. DAVID ROBERTf VETERINARY CO.. 100 Grind Ave., Wsokuhs. Wlie. Time mid tide wait for no mnn and a woman Is nlvwiys behind time. IlMilicliM, lltllntM Attacks, Indigestion, m cured tor tsMng Mir Apple. Aloe. Jalap mid Into Pleasant 1'tlltts (Dr. Pierce's). Adr. Eccentrlo Woman. "I've heard that she walks In her sleep." "Fancy! And they with two automobiles." Itostnn Transcript. Invents Device for Bubs. A farmer of .Icrricy county, Illinois, Is the Inventor of a device with which ho claims to hnve cauKht .iT bushels of grasshoppers In a slnglo day. Draft Dodger. "The prima donna Is on the war path again," said tho stags manager. "What's the matter now?" asked tko Impresario. "She says she feels a draft In her dressing room." "Ump! She'd better consult that young husband of her. IIo's tho most successful drnft dodger I know." Matter of Pronunciation. The preparations for tho Raleigh commemoration bring up onco more tho question of how Itnlclgh should be pronounced. It Is very common to hear tho namo spoken as If It were the Greek Italll, yet Sir Walter, though spelling his namo Italclgh as often ns not, qulto often spelled It Itaulcygh nnd Itaulwy, showing quite plntnly that however It was spclti and thero wero something like seventy va riations of tho name, It was never any thing but Itauley to tho car. However, the mutter Is un unimportant ono, though most people will ndmlt that the owner of n' nnmc should be the perhon tu, decide as to Its pronunciation. Thousands erf under nourished people have -round -theyt Mub -food a scierrfcrFic blend of nour ishing cereals helps wonder-fully in building hearth ana happiness. SMeds no Ls"garJ