August 9, 1916.

Mr. R. M. Hanes,
Winston-Salem,
N.C.

Dear Sir:

Your letter to Mr. I. H. Stuart has been referred to me as attorney for the county board of commissioners to answer, and in reply will say that it is almost impossible for me to describe to you the damage and havoc that has been wrought in our county by the recent flood. Dwelling houses, store houses, mill houses, barns, bridges, and out-houses, growing crops, crops that had already been harvested have been washed away in great numbers. In fact the most of the most of the grain and crass crops for winter feeding and storage for both the people and stock is mostly raised along the river and creek bottoms in this county, and I might say 75% of this has been either washed away or destroyed by the recent rains. The small grain crop that had been harvested along the rivers and creeks was almost entirely washed away, and more than 50% of the small grain crop that was raised on the uplands has rotted and much destroyed by the continuous rains, which has rendered it impossible to have the same threshed and placed in the dry. Our upland grass here is used for grazing purposes in the summer only and the grass that was mostly hay and saved for wintering stock is almost entirely ruined on the level lands, which are situated either along the rivers and creek bottoms in this county, and at least 75% of this has been damaged to an extent that it will be almost impossible to save any winter feed, and as you know Ashe is the largest cattle growing county in the State and winters more cattle than any other county in the State - cattle being our chief money product here. Almost every mill in the county was washed away and all bridges across our rivers and creeks have been destroyed. We are going to be compelled in my opinion to have some outside aid, and I am of the opinion that the necessity of it, while it is great now, will be even greater this fall and winter when the people needs grain and feed for their cattle. We ought to have at least $500 here for immediate distribution, as in a number of cases not only the dwelling house and all out houses but the entire supply of grain and provisions on hand was washed away, including the gardens of the people, leaving lots of them without a change of clothes. There is hardly a citizen in the county that has not been damaged seriously by this flood, either by losing his grain or grass crops or some direct damage to his property. The Commissioners will gladly borrow the money and expend two dollars for each one dollar that you will send us on our roads, because they are completely washed away, and as our county keeps up roads by free labor it is impossible to rebuild them without some aid. It is still raining here and has been almost daily since the flood, and even the corn crops that are not washed away if it does not cease raining will not yield more than 50% of the usual crop.

Your letter was not received until recently on account of the irregularity of our mails, which are not yet regular. It was for ten days that we had neither mail nor outside communication of any kind.

We will appreciate any aid that your committee may extend to this County. To give you some idea, there was a man to see me this morning, and I gave him ten dollars personally, who had a fine roller mill valued at $5000 to $7000; had a good house and good outbuildings; everything that he had, including his home, his mill and outbuildings and a strip of fine bottom land was completely washed away, his family not left with even a change of clothes. He was worth before the flood probably ten thousand dollars - he is now a pauper. This is only one instance of many of this kind.

Hoping to hear from you soon and with best wishes, I am

Yours truly,

[unsigned]

B/B