“Foh de Lord, ah has; ah ain’t ’Mandy Jones at all; we done live on Avenue N before de storm, and we los’ everything.”
“Go out with this woman and find out if she has a sister who needs a dress,” says the chairman to a committeeman. In this way check is kept on all the applicants for aid.
At the 5th ward distributing station clothing was being given away this evening. A negro woman, who had been refused a supply, went outside and by way of revenge pointed out different ones of her friends and neighbors whom she alleged were similarly unentitled.
“Dat woman done los’ nothin’ at all,” she shrieked. “Ah did not los’ nuthin’ mahself and doan wan’ nuthin.”
“What’s the trouble?” asked a bystander. An old negress who was lined up waiting her turn, replied: “Oh, she’s mad ’cause de white folks won’t give her nuthin.” So far no woman has been required to work, but a strong feeling is developing to compel negro women to work cleaning up the houses. There are plenty of people who are willing to hire them, but as long as free food and clothing can be secured it is hard to get colored women to go in and clean up the partially ruined homes.
“Our supply of foodstuffs is adequate,” said Chairman McVitie, “but just now we are a little short of clothing. This, however, may not be true to-morrow. We have no idea of the contents of the cars on the road to us. Frequently we don’t know anything is coming until the cars reach Texas City. With the money which has been coming in we have been augmenting our supplies by purchasing of local merchants in lines where there was a shortage.
SAYS MONEY IS MOST NEEDED.
“What do we need worst? Money. If we have money we can order just what we need and probably get better value than the people who are buying it. Many people have made the mistake of sending money to Houston and Dallas and asking committees there to buy for us. They do not know just what we need, and if we had the money we could do better for ourselves. Money should be sent to us.”
One of the most remarkable things attending the Galveston disaster is the fortitude of the people. Their loss in relatives, friends and property has been so overwhelming that it seems too much to be expressed with outward grief.
Two men who had not seen each other since the disaster met in the street. “How many did you lose?” they asked by common impulse.