CLARA BARTON GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE Jones, Emma Sept. 1900–Feb. 1902 and undatedTHE AMERICAN NATIONAL RED CROSS. INCORPORATED UNDER THE LAWS OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, OCTOBER 1, 1881, APRIL 17, 1893 AND BY SPECIAL ACT OF CONGRESS, JUNE 6, 1900 FOR THE RELIEF OF SUFFEREING BY WAR, PESTILENCE, FAMINE, FLOOD, FIRES, AND OTHER CALAMITIES OF SUFFICIENT MAGNITUDE TO BE DEEMED NATIONAL IN EXTENT. THE ORGANIZATION ACTS UNDER THE GENEVA TREATY, THE PROVISIONS FOR WHICH WERE MADE IN INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION AT GENEVA, SWITZERLAND, AUGUST 22, 1864, AND SINCE SIGNED BY NEARLY ALL CIVILIZED NATIONS, INCLUDING THE UNITED STATES, WHICH GAVE ITS ADHESION MARCH 1, 1882. RATIFIED BY THE CONGRESS OF BERNE, JANUARY 9, 1882. PROCLAIMED BY PRESIDENT ARTHUR, JULY 26, 1882. HEADQUARTERS: WASHINGTON, D.C. BOARD OF CONSULTATIOIN: PRESIDENT OF THE U.S. AND MEMBERS OF THE CABINET EXECUTIVE OFFICERS: CLARA BARTON, PRESIDENT, BRAINARD H. WARNER, FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT, STEPHEN E. BAMTON, SECOND VICE-PRESIDENT AND COUNSEL, WALTER P. PHILLIPS, GENERAL SECRETARY, WILLIAM J. FLATNER, TREASURER. Galveston Texas Sept. 24, 1900. Mrs. Emma Jones, Glen Echo, Md. My Dear Emma:- I know that you will want to hear by this time that I am better, indeed almost well and that I hope I shall have no need for the medicine if or when it arrives; but I want to have it by me if I can, fearing that may be in time some of my people may need it. Everything is getting on wonderfully well here. Thousands of people are bravely at work cleaning up the debris, trying to reduce the great piles of rubbish and destroy the bodies as fast as they come to them, and get the thousands of homeless families into some place where they can remain as a home until they can get a better one. There is no suffering for want of bedding nor for want of clothing. The city has placed at our disposal one of its largest and finest of buildings and the goods as they come in by car and ship are taken there and arranged on great shelves like stores. The food is all places by itself, like the food in a great wholesale grocery and the committees of the city are requested to let us know whatever they may need of ours. Mrs. Ward, Mr. Mc.Dowell and two or three others of the persons who came with us are in charge of the warehouse and to-day they are putting in their stove and sink and other appurtenances for keeping house themselves. By to-morrow they will be living by themselves in their own house. They have plenty of beds and bedding; they have engaged a cook and all that can will leave the hotel– I suppose for appearance sake I shall have to remain here, but you know I would rather not. We are all working beautifully together; not a thought of ill feeling among any, which is to me a great comfort, but the work is very hard. I still continue to think of you all at home, it seems to me I see you every hour. I see you standing faithfully by the big house and its little work for you to handle, I hear Baba calling over the fence every time you go in sight of him. Dear old fellow, I know he gets a wisp of hay for me once in a while and a little extra measure of oats on Sunday morning. I hope Robert is with you at night and that the children are all well. If you see Mrs. Charles please give her my love and ask her to exercise Baba a little if she can. I should be so glad if his friends do not forsake him. Tell Tommie I have not forgotten him by any means and I am sure he gets the chicken bones. If Mr. Woodward is still with you why half this letter is for him–read it together and both of you be THE AMERICAN NATIONAL RED CROSS. INCORPORATED UNDER THE LAWS OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, OCTOBER 1, 1881, APRIL 17, 1893 AND BY SPECIAL ACT OF CONGRESS, JUNE 6, 1900 FOR THE RELIEF OF SUFFEREING BY WAR, PESTILENCE, FAMINE, FLOOD, FIRES, AND OTHER CALAMITIES OF SUFFICIENT MAGNITUDE TO BE DEEMED NATIONAL IN EXTENT. THE ORGANIZATION ACTS UNDER THE GENEVA TREATY, THE PROVISIONS FOR WHICH WERE MADE IN INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION AT GENEVA, SWITZERLAND, AUGUST 22, 1864, AND SINCE SIGNED BY NEARLY ALL CIVILIZED NATIONS, INCLUDING THE UNITED STATES, WHICH GAVE ITS ADHESION MARCH 1, 1882. RATIFIED BY THE CONGRESS OF BERNE, JANUARY 9, 1882. PROCLAIMED BY PRESIDENT ARTHUR, JULY 26, 1882. HEADQUARTERS: WASHINGTON, D.C. BOARD OF CONSULTATIOIN: PRESIDENT OF THE U.S. AND MEMBERS OF THE CABINET EXECUTIVE OFFICERS: CLARA BARTON, PRESIDENT, BRAINARD H. WARNER, FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT, STEPHEN E. BAMTON, SECOND VICE-PRESIDENT AND COUNSEL, WALTER P. PHILLIPS, GENERAL SECRETARY, WILLIAM J. FLATNER, TREASURER. HEADQUARTERS: WASHINGTON, D.C. glad to know that I am so much better. I expect to be as well as ever in a few days. Remember me kindly to everybody who may inquire for me and say that all is doing well in Galveston. Mrs. Mussey left here last night for home and you will probably see her very soon.[*28*] GALVESTON, TEXAS. October 13, 1900. My Dear Emma:- [*Jones.*] I ought to have written you before that the trunk came all right and although I have not had time to fully unpack it, I have peeped into it enough to see that everything is there. I do not see how you got so much into that one little trunk. I am so glad of my golf cape, for we have cool weather here. The weather is very pleasant little or no rain, which is so good for the poor people who have no roofs on their houses, and the houses are so broken that if it rained it must come right in on to them. They are doing everything they can to mend up and provide themselves against the wet cold weather when it will come. Mr. Barton left here to go home last Monday. As he went by boat, he is probably not home yet. He intends to return and I think he will come to Glen Echo before he comes back here. I still think of you every day and every hour and wonder just what you are doing. If you are able to get into those old boxes and sort them over and do what ought to be done with them and make the rooms look better, youn know I am so tired of those rubbishey rooms. I wish I had all there is in them here and I would give it away in two hours. I hope Baba is all right, that he is a good horse and behaves himself well, and that Tomy takes care of the mice. I expect you are beginning to have some frost– Before it freezes would it not be well to take up the geraniums, especially the younger ones, as you did last year and get them into the cellar? I would put them right where the sun will shine on to them, in the corner and from the south side. Put nothing on the north side. I feel a little sorry when I think that of all the flowers we had there this year, I saw so little. They were hardly out when I came away and they will all be dead and gone before I come back. I never do get a season at home. I am so glad you sent the Babek. I am going to use some of it, thinking it might be good for me. I always call that FRANCES' medicine and I am so glad she made me know it. I hope you are all getting on well and that the little ones are well. If you see Miss Charles give my love to her, tell her I hope she uses Baba some I had a line from the Doctor. He says he is recovering slowly–hopes he should be able to get to Glen Echo. I told him there was no need of his doing that–that you would take care of everything and I thought he was better off and happier where he was. I hope he will decide to remain with his friends until he is at least quite well. October 12 Is Daisy home now? If so, give her my love and tell her to be a good girl. Give a great deal of love to your Mama and keep a whole big bunch for yourself. Ask Robert not to forget Baba's feet. I always wish we had got him nicely started in with Mr. Perry before I came away; but we will do that sometime and see if we cannot make a good useful horse of him. With love to all who ask for me, I am, Yours affectionately,Miss Barton I send this by mail because I dont like the people around you to know for the might talk about it but if you would like to see me I can come down eny time you have time to see me pleas if it is not to much troble let me know as soon as you can i want to come down for fear you would not have time to see me oblige Emma Jones [*Emma Jones ansd. Feb 14 1902*] [*40*] Montgomery Co Md feb 12 1902 Dear Miss Barton I have wanted to see you for a long time but unable to come down. i am able to work now but being sick so long I am so thin so that make the cold weather go hard with me but can do as much work in the hous as ever Daisy has been sick most of the time to odelia has been home all winter with me taking care of the children as I could not do it myself Dear Miss Barton i dont like to bother you but times is hard and no work now if you plea send me a little money an i willpay you back in the spring as soon as my team gets to work the winter shut in so quick what i had put a side is gone but it would not been so bad if i had not of taken sick Doctor Bill an medchine has been very expensive i will pay it right back in the spring an do eny thing i can if you want me for favoring me that much i am sorry to bother you but i no other friend but you an if there is eny thing like sewing now that i can do if you will plese let me know i will come down in the wagon an get it an do it with pleasure for you Washington, D. C. February 14, 1902. Mrs. Emma Jones, Cabin John, Md. My dear Emma: I am glad to see by your letter that you have gotten about again. I have inquired all winter of every one I could, but, having no way to get to you, I could not go to see for myself. I am in the city now for some little time to come. There was so much to be attended to here, that I found I could not remain entirely at home, but must come into Washington. I am very sorry that you are feeling the need of money, and only wish that I had it in my power to send you something, but I am using so much myself, keeping up two homes, that I have nothing to spare at the moment. Perhaps your doctor's bill or something of that kind can wait a little and it cannot be long now before the teams will be occupied. It is much better than if it were November, for the spring will very soon be here. and I am sorry to hear that Daisy has been sick so much this winter, I had thought she was at work in town. It is very trying when the hard days come, as they do in the lives of us all, but I am so thankful that your health and strength are yet to be preserved to you. I had feared very much for the rheumatism which I heard you had, but I begin to feel now that, with the coming spring and warm weather, you will perhaps getMiss Barton i send this by mail because i don't like the people around you to know for the might talk about it but if you would like to see me i can come down eny time you have time to see me pleas it if is not to much troble let me know as soon as you can i wont to come down for fear you would not have time to see me oblige Emma Jones it all out of your system and be as you were before. I hope you will be very careful. I am glad that Odie could be with you this winter. I never know if her husband had come back or not. If not, your house has made a good home for her where she could be with you. I hope the babies have all gotten on well and I expect your mother is still with you. Please give a great deal of love to all; remember me kindly to Robert and believe me, as always, Your affectionate friend, Clara Barton[*C.B – william tea set*] 726 17th st Jan. 3. Dear Miss Barton,– The sugar bowl belonging to the little willow tea set from the Morton goods fell an early victim to my confidence in Louis' steadiness of hand. It was in fact the first of my dishes that he ever broke, though not the last my very many. I have been intending all the yearto replace it by order on the manufacturer, so as to complete the set for you. I have not yet succeeded, but as this was broken only on one handle and had been cemented, I think that with careful handling it will last till I can do better for you, and I send it, regretting that I have not a prettier ribbon to designate the infirm handle. I will bring you a better ribbon when I come to see you I would not, if I were you trust this & Emily's handling but in your own careful hands it will last. Louis' own contribution is the sugar that fills the bowl. We take great pleasure in asking you to accept bowl and contents. Wishing to you and your "staff" a continuation of the season's joys, Affectionately, Emma Jones.