The story of Johnstown : its early settlement, rise ... - JohnstownCafe

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ministers,
there
3o6 T/n: .s'/v'A'i' 01' joiixsTow'x.
That a copy of this resohition be hirwarded to the President of the Tiiited States and the
Governor cf I'ennsylvania.
l-assed imaninnousl) Edward C. Hackett. Aid
.
J. 1' ,
Ch.ii:man.
President Harrisim jiassers-liy In one of these an unknown man deposited 5500 one
da\'. This was indicati\"e of the feeling per\ading the whole coinmunit\', that
stricken Johnstown must not sutler for houses, clothmg or bread.
The^ Altoona Committee, among the first to arrixe with wagon-loads of
needful supplies, driven overland from Ebensburg, re-ported :
" Imposters did not bother us much Sinijularly enough, the ones who did appear were
women. On .Monday we sent away a man ue thought came too frequently. He owned up to
having fifteen sacks of tlour and hie hams in his house. On Tuesday we began to keep a
record of those who received sujiplies We have given out supplies to fully 550 families, representing
2,500 homele.si people Our district is only for one side of the river On the other
is a commissary on .\dams street, near the Ualtimore & Ohio railway station, another at
Kernville. a third at Cambria City, a fourth at Morrellville and a fifth at Cambria. The people
are very patient, though in their present condition they are apt to be querulous. One woman
who came for a dress inditinantly refused the one oftered her. 'I don't want that.' she said.
' I lost one that cost me S20
;
for the cloth and S5 for making, and I want a S20 dress. You
said you would make our losses good
,'
and she did not take the dress .\ clergvman begged for
anything in the shape of foot-co\erinc, but we had nothing to give him Men stand about read\-
to work, but barefooted The clothing since the first day or two, when we got onlv worn stuff,
has been good, and is now of e.xcellent quality. Most of the children's garments are outgrown
clothes, good for much service
of good quality and available.
I'ittsburgh has sent from thirty to forty carloads of supplies, all
Cynics who allege that charity and gratitude are articles seklom found in
Republics and among corporations would ha\e had to alter their warped philosophy,
liad they been in Johnstown and seen train after train rolling in laden
with clotiimg and pro\isions from everx' point of the compass. Each train
bore messengers sent especially to distribute funds and pro\isions and clwtii-