I am in receipt of your letter of August 1 to which is attached copy of your letter to Mr. Mashburn, Mr. Mashburn's letter and a lengthy communication from the officials of the Baptist Church of Marshall relative to the flood situation in and around the Town of Marshall. I am very glad that you sent these as they will, no doubt, enable us to find out the true situation with regard to the flood sufferers there.

A day or two after the flood Mr. Hensley wrote a letter to Dr. Waller in which he made a strong appeal for help. Dr. Waller came to me with the matter and I appointed him as chairman of a special committee to look after the Marshall situation. Two or three prominent citizens, I remember particularly W. A. West, Clerk of the Court, Coleman Ramsey, lawyer, and Plato Ebbs, merchant and banker, were in Asheville about that time and stated that while there had been considerable damage at Marshall they needed no outside assistance; that they were thoroughly able to take care of themselves and I believe it was Mr. Ebbs who expressed resentment at the appearance of the Hensley appeal in the Asheville paper. Naturally on the strength of the statement of these men we assumed that there was no very great distress in Marshall and certainly none that would call for outside assistance. I will take the matter up again with Dr. Waller and we will try to work it out.

The letter from the officials of the Church is dated July 28 and in it it stated that they have collected a relief fund of $90.85 which has not been distributed. It does seem that if there was as much distress there as described some use of this $90.85 could have been found and at least one or two families relieved. Why they are holding the money I do no know and it is hard to understand. However it is possible that they are retaining that fund until they can add to it and make an equal distribution to all in need.

Thanking you again for your interest in this matter and assuring you that it will have prompt attention, I am