ALL RUSH HELP TO STRICKEN BRINKLEY
L
MVWA'.W ■ . • - - - " -
ONE OF THE DEVASTATED STREETS OF BRINKLEY.
The Entire State Offers Assistance to
People of Storm-Torn City.
Brinkley.—Tile condition of the peo
ple here is very fair, considering that
only a little over a week ago the en
tire city was wrecked. All the neigh
boring cities and all Arkansas has
tened to aid the unfortunate Howrever,
Brinkley is still scarcely ntore than
a mass of ruins. After days and
nights of incessant effort, the people
rendered homeless by the disaster
have scarcely provided themselves
with temporary shelter, and few are
sure of the next day’s provisions. The
streets are still piled with the wreck
age and debris left by the tornado,
although a driveway has been made
through the principal ones.
The people have worked tremen
dously. They have labored night and
day to recover from the blow. And
able assistance has been given from
outside sources, but the work has
been largely that of the tem
porary relief of the destitute, the
care of the injured and the search for
and burial of the dead. Few of the
sufferers have better than tents, can
vass covered sections of their homes
spared by the tornado, to live in.
Tarpaulins and tents are an urgent
necessity in Brinkley. There are not
a score of sound roofs in the city, and
fully half the people do not possess
the right to anything that purports
to be a roof. Temporary roofs of
boards are being built by some, while
others are being cared for in tents
loaned by the militia. The majority
of the people are without shelter from
the rains, howrever.
The 100 convicts loaned by the pen
itentiary board are proving exceeding
r
NEAR UNION DEPOT AFTER THE STORM.
]y valuable. They have made the
i streets passable, have cleaned up the
dangerous ruins and are helping to
clear the site of the light plant and
waterworks.
The relief work is becoming well
organized and a fair working system
has been put in operation, dome fric
tion between local men at the head
of the various relief movements has
proved a hindrance, but the matter is
now well in hand. W. E. Overstreet
and George Shelton of kittle Rock
are in charge of the commissary tent,
which is feeding more than half of
the people in the devastated district.
The militia has been removed and
the town relieved of martial law.
Maj. I* P. Berry is enforcing orders
strictly, particularly the order against
A length of three-quarter inch ceil
■ lug stripped from a house owned by
J. L. Ray on New Orleans avenue, 300
feet from Ray’s residence, was car
ried through the air and driven
through the roof and ceiling of the
residence, protruding several inches
into the room. Several other sections
of ceiling from the house were driven
into the walls of Ray’s residence.
At the home of J. S. Mitchell, cash
i ier of the Monroe County Bank, a
soft pine shingle is stuck in a heavy
weather boarding on the south side of
i the house.
k '
persons being abroad without passes
after 10 o’clock at night, and pillag
ing or thievery of any kind is prac
tically unknown.
Donations and contributions from al
most every city and' town in the state
have been received. All kinds of
building material and supplies neces
sary for the taking care of the people
and providing shelter for the home
less are being contributed. Just as
soon as the work can be done every
need will have attention. Property
loss is estimated at over $2,000,
r
CARRYING OFF THE WOUNDED.
000. Over JO persons were killed and
upwards of 200 badly injured.
Many victims of the tornado’s wrath
did not hear the storm above the
ripping and crashing of their homes
Others do not even remember of hear
ing that much. One physician, whose
home was practically destroyed, while
six monster trees were blown down in
his yard, declares he heard nothing
except a slight ripping of boards and
did not know his trees were down un
lil after the storm. Another victim
says he heard only the tinkle of fall
ing glass as the storm passed.
The people are suffering now from
scarcity of water. A sawmill has been
pressed into service and has succeed
ed in getting a few feet of water in
the tank, but the service pipes
throughoutout the city are broken
A feat illustrating its terrific pow
er was performed by the tornadc
when it carried a big iron tank from
the Brinkley creamery more than 300
yards through the air and dropped it
into Oakland cemetery, breaking sev
eral headstones. The tank weighs
nearly a ton. It was ripped from the
interior of the creamery and carried
into the air.
At the home of T. S. Nettleton a
heavy plank was blown through two
walls and out a window in a bed
room. The plank went through the
room head on, cutting the walls.
and the leakage is so heavy that ser
vice cannot be maintained. A small
supply is being kept for use in case
of fire. Cisterns have been drained
by the demand of the past few days,
and unless the waterworks is gotten
in shape in a short time suffering
may result.
Seven additional injured were found
Saturday. They are: Theodore
Prenze, white, fractured collarbone;
M. B. Boyle, white, malaria and cold
as the result of storm exposure; W.
D. Chase, white, bruised shoulder; W.
A. Schartiger, white, broken rib, hurt
internally, badly bruised about shoul
ders and back; Holly Lomax, negro,
sprained shoulder; Ola Mahan, negro,
scalp wound.
The following inpured have been
sent to Little Rock hospitals in addi
tion to others already reported: Guy
Smith, white; M. B. Vogel, white; W.
A. Schartiger, white; Mrs. Mary Hood,
white; Georgia Gage, negress.
Contributions in the amount ot
$2,351.69 were received by the relief
committee Saturday, bringing the to
tal cash contributed to $16,452.58.
Among the big contributions are $542
from Memphis, $125 from Dapdanelle,
$129 from Marvell, $100 from the
Memphis Sliriners, $100 from 151 Do
rado, $339 from Camden and $100
from I. L. Hathaway of Brinkley.
Work has begun clearing the ruins
of the Arlington Hotel. The contract
has been let for the rebuilding of the
Bank of Brinkley building at New
Orleans and Cypress streets and work
began Saturday afternoon.
There arrived at the Physicians’ and
Surgeons’ Hospital at Little Rock
Sunday M. H. Bogle, chills and fever;
W. G. Schartiger, broken rib; Mrs.
-Mary Hood, pleurisy and pneumonia;
Guy Smith, eye out; Georgia Gage, a
negress, was also brought in, suffer
ing with a scalp wound and pneumo
nia. All being Brinkley sufferers.
It was stated that all the Brinkley
patients at the hospital are doing
well, with the exception of Gus Stew
art, a negro. He has a very bad
case of pneumonia and may not re
cover.
Church services were held Sunday
in the school auditorium, participated
in by all the ministers. In the after
noon services were held for the con
victs working here. With the ex
ception of the Catholic church, every
church building in the city was de
molished by the wind.
J. L. Woodson of the Gazzola Gro
cery Company was treated to a flight
down New Orleans avenue, fiually
landing under the cotton platform
of the Rock Island, thus saving his
life. Mr. Woodson was standing in
the door of the store when the tor
nado struck. In a second he wras
whipped into the street and sent sail
ing north on New Orleans avenue. As
he passed the buildings fell and in a
dozen instances a few seconds of de
lay would have killed him. He was
the lighter body and was kept i n
front by the tornado as it cut its path
SENATE PASSES
THE RELIEF BILL
IT APPROPRIATES THE SUM OF
♦10,000 TO BE USED FOR THE
BENEFIT OF BRINKLEY
SUFFERERS.
HOUSE DEFEATS RAGING BILL
Although 24 Voted for Measure 10
Changed to “No” Before Result
Was Announced.
In the Senate without dissent the
bill appropriating $10,000 for the
Brinkley tornado sufferers was pass
ed, Senator Patterson’s patent medi
cine bill and Senator Dill’s proposed
amendment to constitution providing
for the election of township assessors
were defeated and a bill repealing the
semi-monthly pay day act, passed ear
ly this session, was introduced.
The bill to repeal the semi-monthly
pay day bill came from the judiciary
committee as a substitute for a some
what similar repeal bill introduced by
Senator Yopp. The substitute bill
provides for a monthly pay day for
all corporations in the state.
As soon as the bill was introduced
and read Senator Toney objected to
its second reading. The rules were
suspended and the bill read the sec
ond time, Senator Wingo offered an
amendment. Senator Toney moved to
postpone consideration of the bill in
definitely and Senator Freeman mov
ed to refer the bill to the labor com
mittee. The motion to postpone in
definitely caused the debate and when
the Senate adjourned a 4t:30 in the
afternoon the debate had not ended.
Senators Wingo and Patterson made
vigorous speeches against, the repeal
of the bill and Senator Simms made a
speech favoring the bill in which he
denounced the idea that legislation
was needed at all as between capital
and labor. The debate for the after
noon closed with Senator Montgomery
on the floor and he will be the first
to address the Senate when the bill
comes up for consideration again.
The Senate came within one vote
of placing the duty of assessing rail
way taxes with the Railway Commis
sion of Arkansas, instead of with the
State Board, as at present. The mat
ter came up in Senator McKnight”s
bill, No. 218, with the State Board in
Its present levying act except that, it
strikes out the State Board and places
therein the Railroad Commission.
Senator McKnight said the railway
commissioners had stated to him that
the only objection they had to the
bill was the fact that it would place
more work on the commission, and
the State Board would be glad to be
rid of this duty in view of the fact
it was now overburdened with other
duties.
It was argued that, the railway com
mission was in a better position to
know the value of railw'ay property
and could get at a more equitable ast
sessment.
On the other hand it was argued
that the commission ought to co
operate with the State Board in its
present capacity, leaving the legal
status of the matter as it now stands.
There was also a suggestion that the
change might give the railways some
loophole whereby they might evade,
or at least postpone, the payment of
taxes. The vote stood 13 to 14.
The House defeated the bill provid
ing for the re-establishment of racing
at Hot Springs by a vote of 55 to 14.
Twenty-four voted for the bill on the
roll call, but before there was time
to announce the result of the ballot,
enough had changed from “aye” to
“no” to cut down the vote for the bill
to 14. A motion to reconsider the vote
by which the bill was defeated and
lay that motion on the table carried
and the bill is now entirely dead in
the house. The vote was taken at
2:45, after a part of the morning ses
sion until that time had been con
sumed In a continuance of the discus
sion of the measure, which was House
Bill No. 232, by Messrs. Whittington
and Bouic of Garland. The motion to
postpone consideration of the bill for
one week, which was under discussion
when the House adjourned the day
before, was never put to a vote as
the motion was withdrawn by Mr.
Carl Lee of Woodruff as soon as the
bill was taken up. A striking feature
of the situation following the defeat
of the bill was the speech made by
Mr. Bouic, within a few minutes af
ter he had made his closing appeal for
the passage of the measure, when he
Issued a cordial invitation to the
members of the House to go to Hot
Springs and be the guests of the busi
ness men of that city over Sunday.
He was heartily applauded from all
parts of the House chamber as he
took his seat.
Four bills were introduced during
the day. One by Mr. Parks of Lafay
ette provides for a new system of
management of the penitentiary, tak
ing that institution out of the hands
of the present board composed of
state officers.
Afler more than two hours of hot
debate, the House voted to reject the
Simpson substitute bill, providing for
a submission of the question of state
wide prohibition to the people at a
special election in July, the vote on
rejection being 44 to 35. Immediately
following this, the motion to recon
sider that vote and lay on the table
was made by Mr. Thompson of In
dependence, resulting in a vote of 49
to 29 in favor of tabling further con
sideration of the substitute. This
brings the House up to the considera
tion of the adoption of the Gann bill,
providing for statutory state-wide
prohibition.
IN THE HOUSE.
Bills Passed.
Senate Bill No. 227 (Bush), provid
ing for the creating of fencing dis
tricts in any county by petition to
county court. Vote, 22 lo 7.
Senate Bill No. 87 (Rowland), to
regulate primary elections in Arkan
sas. Legalizes all primaries. Vote,
30 to 1.
Senate Bill No. 93 (Henderson), to
provide for the payment of the fer
tilizer tax to the state. Vote, 25 to 3.
Senate Bill No. 78 (Holland), pro
viding that railroads shall not charge
more than $3 per car for switching
or transfers when the yard limits do
not exceed two and a half miles. Ex
plained by Mr. Heartsill. Vote, 64 tol.
House Bill No. 55 (Warnock), pro
viding that not more than 160 acres
of state lands can be purchased at
one time and then only for settlement
purposes. Explained by Air. Warnock.
Vote, 74 to 0.
Senate Bill No. 220 (Toney), to cre
ate the Plum Bayou Levee District in
Jefferson county. Explained to be
local measure by Mr. Miller and pass
ed, by vote of 71 to 0.
Senate Bill No. 213 (Toney), to ar
range the disputed territory between
Levee District Nos. 3 and 4 of Jeffer
son county. Explained by Mr. Mil
ler. Vote, 75 to 0.
Senate Bill No. 241 (Holland and
Rasco), appropriating $10,000 for the
relief of sufferers at Brinkley. Vote,
68 to 0.
Senate Bill No. 192 (Turner), to
cure defects in the drainage acts
applicable to Craighead and Clay
counties. Explained by Mr. Thomp
son of Greene. Vote, 66 to 0.
Bills Introduced.
Senate Bill No. 233 (Pindall), to
amend section 6218 of Kirby's Digest
so that if a verdict or decision is
rendered within three days of the
close of court, the court may act on a
motion for new trial or other legal
order within 30 days. Referred to
judiciary committee.
Senate Bill No. 237 (Fletcher), to
appropriate $60,000 for a payment on
the state farm. Read twice and placed
on calendar.
Senate Bill No. 234 (White), (o sub
mit the question of state-wide prohi
bition to voters at next general elec
tion aud if prohibition wins, close
the saloons January 1, 19011. Refer
red to temperance committee.
Senate Bill No. 238 (Arnold), to
regulate settlements between employ
er and employes. Read twice and re
ferred to judiciary committee.
Senate Bill No. 236 (McKenzie), to
provide for the submission of the
state-wide prohibition question to the
voters of the state at an elecion to
be held July 26, 1909. Read twice and
placed on the calendar.
House Bill No. 271 (Nix, Bradham
and Shockley), amending section 5939
of Kirby’s Digest, so that all ex-Con
federate veterans over 65 years ot
age, from Arkansas, shall be paid a
pension.
House , Bill No. 272 (Oliphant)
amending section 7543 of Kirby's Di
gest, so that (he number of persons
of scholastic age within the bound
aries of a district proposed to be or
ganized into a special school district
shall be 50, instead of 35.
House Bill No. 273 (Parks), amend
ing section 859 of Kirby's Digest, so
that the president and secretary of
corporations who fail to make out an
annual certificate of ihe condition of
their corporation or company shall be
guilty of a misdemeanor and fined
not more than $500 for each separate
day of offense. Read twice and re
ferred to judiciary committee.
IN THE SENATE.
* Bills Passed.
House Bill No. 257 (DuLaney), cre
ating the Ogden Levee District in
Little River county. Vote, 64 to 4.
House Bill No. 224 (I.eigh). appro
priating $1,000,000 to pay pensions of
ex-Confederate veterans. Vote. 73
to 0.
House Bill No. 103 (Morris), pro
viding for the working of county con
victs on public roads. Vote, 63 to 5.
House Bill No. 114 (Gann), for
state-wide prohibition, as amended by
Senator Wingo to be a submission
bill. Vote, 29 to 1.
Senate Bill No. 223 (Robertson), to
create a levee and drainage district
in Crittenden county, near Hopefield.
Vote, 28 to 0.
Senate Bill No. 65 (Henderson),
amending section 7996 of Kirby’s Di
gest, so that no person directly or in
directly interested in a corporation
may sign a change of venue affidavit
for the corporation. Vote, 23 to 0.
Senate Bill No. 241 (Rasco and Hol
land), to appropriate $10,000 for the
relief of the Brinkley tornado suffer
ers. Vote, 23 to 0.
Senate Bill No. 96 (Henderson), to
amend section 1442 of Kirby’s Digest,
so that county courts may employ
persons to clean out ditches and
drains. Vote, 24 to 0.
Bills Introduced.
House Bill No. 267 (Committee on
University of Arkansas), appropriat
ing money for the maintenance of the
University of Arkansas.
House Bill No. 268 (Committee on
University of Arkansas), appropriat
ing money for the maintenance of the
state agricultural experimental sta
tion.
Senate Bill No. 247 (Judiciary Com
mittee), to require corporations t#
pay monthly, not later than the 16th,
and repealing the two-pay-day act
passed at this session.
Legislative Gossip
The Baptist denomination has the
largest representation in the House
There are 27 members of the church
in the lower branch of the legislature.
The Methodists are second with a tu
tal of 26 members.
Probably the happiest class of ‘ leg.
islators” over the extension 0f tne
session are the pages. The boys we,.(1
extremely nervous during ‘the two
days the Senate was divided on the.
question. The pages watched the roll
call closely.
Thirty-four members of the House
are farmers. There are more farmers
than any other one class of working
men in that body. There are 27 law
yers, four ministers, two editors and
16 teachers. The remainder are en
gaged in insurance or mercantile bus
iness.
While Senator Dill was disappoint
ed because his township tax assessor
resolution failed, he will present the
resolution at the next session of the
legislature. He will be a hold-over
senator. The senator says be is cer
tain his plan of township assessment
would raise the assessed valuation in
the state at least $2,600,000.
Senator DeRositt of St. Francis
stated that he intends to introduce a
bill prohibiting the sale of morphine I
or cocaine except on the written or- !
der of a physician, and then not in
lots exceeding one grain at any one i
time. “The bill will be a short one,”
said the senator. “I think I cau get.
it into two short sections.”
For the second time during this
session sickness invaded the ranks
of the janitors at the Senate cham
ber. Mr. Dunaway of Little Rockand
Mr. Mohundro of Searcy both got.
sick at the same time and extra men
had to be employed. No person con
nected with the Senate in any capac
ity has been spared sickness this ses
sion.
Once more the spirit of good fel
lowship reigns supreme in legislative
circles. The war is over and all seem
to be imbued with the spirit of hard
and conscientious work to get through
with the business of the session by
May 12. The Senate anticipated a
tussle of two or three days on the
Gann bill, but when it got right down
to work it accomplished the trick in
as many hours.
The refusal of the House to pass
the Parks bill providing for the pres
ervation of the old state house lias
caused the question to be raised as
to what will be done with the old
building. Those who fought, for the j
bill contended that steps should be !
taken to preserve it before the new
capitol is completed. Those who op
posed the bill did so on the ground
that the state will be using the old
state house for several years and that
there is still plenty of time in which
to consider the matter of preserva
tion or disposal of the building. They :
took the stand that there was no need I
for hurry and did not indicate any ,
disposition to sell the state house
because they voted down the bill to
preserve it.
Even the Senate supporters of tem
perance turned wrathful eyes upon
the gallery when hisses were heard
during the speech of a senator favor
ing the submission amendment of
the Gann bill. The action was freely
condemned from the floor of the Sen
ate. It was stated that, the occupants
of the gallery and floor of the Senate
were there as the guests of the Sen
ate and that the action, to say the
least, was unmanly or unwomanly.
Twice during the session guests of
the members have hissed speakers—
once during the discussion of ike
Gann bill in the House and during
the discussion of the same bill in
the Senate. The loyal supporters of
temperance do not approve of such
work, and they freely voiced their con
tempt for what they termed a coward
ly act.
Representative \V. E. Lacy of Union
county is the oldest member of the
House. He is 70 years old, a farmer
and lives at El Dorado. There are
12 members of the House who are lit)
years old or over. They are: Mr. El
lis of Pope, 00; Mr. Estes of Boone,
64; Mr. Hamilton of Ouachita. 61;
Mr. Hancock of Yell, 65; Mr. Heart
sill of Sebastian, 68; Mr. Sweat of St.
Francis, 65; Mr. Thompson of Craig
head. 64; Mr. Whaley of Nevada, 62,
and Mr. Lacy, 70. There are 15 mem
bers who are between 50 and 60 years
old. They are: Mr. Bogard of Lo
noke, 51; Mr. Brown of Independence,
55; Mr. Brown of Prairie, 50; Mr
Davis of Desha, 54; Mr. Doss of Ran'
dolph, 55; Mr. Dyer of Crawford. 51;
Mr. Hamilton of Polk, 55; Mr. Kersh
of Lincoln, 59; Mr. Leigh of Pulaski,
52; Mr. McCracken of Conway, 59:
Mr. Nix of Dallas, 56; Mr. Ross ot
Phillips, 52: Mr. Shackelford of Clark.
52; Mr. Simpson of Scott, 56; Mr
Yeager of Calhoun, 58. The youngcs’
members of the House are: Mr t o
lins of Drew, Mr. Rowe of Sebastianj
and Mr. Johnson of Logan. Beach i
23 years old.
Claiming that reports are current
on the streets to the effect that 1 1
management of the Confederate hm"e
is unsatisfactory, Mr. Sweet of '
Francis county introduced a |t',0
tion in the House requiring the 0
federate Home committee to r £
in a report. The resolution sefs to>
that the members of the commi .
have visited the Home and have
time to make a report, but that 1
have failed to do so. He insists
in justice to both the manages'
and inmates of the Home, this re
should b« mad*.