Litchfield enquirer., 1836-01-14
TO THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES.
COMMITTEE OF RELIEF.

|
organisation Of sub-cOmmitiees from the general
misiee Of citizens, appointed in reference the late
fire which has desOlaiedsO large section az the most
wealthy part OF She city, the undersigned desig-
naled Ne COMD'iRes Of Relief" whose special d1-
" was 10 inquire into the extent Of Individual dis
rees and suffering OccasOHed by she cad disasler and
70 device means for Obtasing and administering re-
het. NO lime was lost by the committee in entering
upon The discharge Of the duties thus deVOlved upOn
them and The seeming delay in seDdng forth -" APP
peal 70 the Rympahes and charities oC The public, in
hehaI Of the class Of sufferers falling under their par
cular care, has arisen from the peculiar crcunslaR
| cee Of the case.
| TIE 6rsI business Of the committee was TO ascer.
tam, rs nearly as circumstances would allow, the
tent OF the losses sustained by those for whose relief
they were appointed In the discharge Ofhs IarI Of
their dny, seemed necessary and proper, To divide
the sntferers into two classes viz LIST. Those poor
fsmiIles or individuals, and thoee artisans VII" were
actually burnt out. and whose properly working tools
| and effects were destroyed in the c0nnagTaon ID
The owners Of stocks in tire several insurance CON-
paWieS which have been rendered lns0IVent--the wId
Ow aud the Orphan and Olhersot small hat compe-
tent resources who have in many lost their ALI
The annules settled upon them, I'D some instances.
and the fruits Of whole lives Of honest industry 0"d
economy in ohers-a"d whose circamF'"nce" are such
as TO preclude the possibility Of their being retrieved
by any effort Of IheirOwn. .Ef
In regard 70 the first oil these glasses, the committee
have the satisfaction lhatihe loss 0 property
and the Of immediate Individual Distress are
| great. The fire, most fortunately tOr the poor,
swept over section Of the city which was at once the
most ealhy and con,aaipg the fewest readen fami
lies: that bat comparatively a very lew persons
have been rendered hOuselesf, and the committee are
happy in believing that the Of ten thousand dol
lars wold be adequate The relief OF this class Of the
sufferers and to enable the distressed and
lahoring aud womenl to resume their labors for
! the support Of their families. = -
In regard the Cd class, notwithstanding the dill
gent inquiries instituted by the committee, they have
noi,yet been able 10 obtain the desired information
with tina! degree Of certainty aud precision which
| they could desire. Enough, however, has been
certaned TO show that the losses OF this description
have been very greai-greaier by far than they had
hoped would be the ease; and as any farther delay
| would bear heavily ON those vino are in immediate
want, il has been thought advisable by the eommuee
to make the present appeal TO their fellow ci'izeOe
throughout the Union. for such contributions rs their
benevolent feelings will dictate. The committee feel
that il e unnecessary endeavor TO excite the public
compassion by any atored appeal Several Of our sis
ter cities and towns have already fee'Dgy expressed
their sympathy, and declared their readi-
contribute in aid Of the sufferers whenever and
| an appeal should he made TO them and we
should he ready receive it, The numerous elaas
Of sufferers, abHve Htimaied cODsieis O widows
and orphans; unmarried females; domestics who
have prudeny hUsLanded their earnings, or for whom
provision has been made for faithful and
aged men, disabled, in the decline OF lite who had
invested their ALL nearly their all in insurance
stocks, aRd who had relied upon their dividends
small hut certain means Of support through fe Ma
ny instances lave the knowledge Ot the COM
mitlee where in the absence relief distress will ensue
to very great degree. Ia several instances the e-
males ola single family had invested their property
in different companies to large amounis-a oil which
the last shilling is Iosi-so that those accustomed
only the comforts but the deiicacies and even
the eegances Of kfp have been suddenly reduced TO
q siAte Of absolute dependence. These sufferers we
repeat, are numerous They ARE not 10 he charged
with imprude"ce in their Investments. The compa-
| nice posaessed the public confidence. They were
! managed by honest and honorable men. The cOrpo-
ra,ions weTe instituted for the public good, and they
have promoted IL. Who could have apprehendcd the
catastrophe that has beallen them I The like has
occurred in the civilized world for neatly two
turtles. They have been involved in Sudden and rBiD
aus calamity and shall they who have thus been re-
| d"eed to want without any fault OF imprHdence Of
their own, he left by afimeni and compassionate
cacy 81 great portion oil ms ctsS of r'IFe s'
they shrink even from making their condition known.
As 10 the amount Of losses that will be sustained by
those Of this 81 class, who have claims Upon the be.
mevoence Of the country, the committee has already
said that it ~ no, ye: asCeriaiDed EMoUgb however,
is known to warrant the belief that it will not GALL
short OF $l5O, OOO ~
There is one loss insurance stock, Of peculiar
rharacis1 and which makes forcibie appeal 10 the
homane. 1t is that Of FIVE thousand dolIara, Of the
fund oi the Fire Departments Rh''d whici' tSS Been
gradually accumulang for years. for the benefit Of
the widows and orphans Of that band Of fahhnl and
efficient NEE 10 whom 40 'much--and who
have OtteR perilIed their lives in defence Of the
property Of our ci'iae"s-THE FIREMEN:
U0der the circumstances thus set forth with ~! the
brevi,y which the exigences ofthe case would allow,
the cOmmitiee appeal 10 their fellow citizens
throughout the cosn.ry, to contribute toward the
mtgaiiO1 Of that widespread distress which they en-"
scarcely hope eRiirely 10 relieve. . Il
To the rich they would say. give freely ofhat boun-
Of which you the stewards, and which has been
spared you while the deyonFi"g element has snatch
ed il from those, who . few days since were your
compaaions 10 wealth. To those who are IN humber
circumstances. give Of that which you can spare tor
eve" the mite Of the widow % blessed. TO n; 'nsy
say give freely. knowing thai he, whom the winds aud
the raging ffres obey, loves cheerful g'ver:
The more readily effect the objects Of the COM
mi''ee 'hey Request their fellow citizens OF 'ns s,y 10
meet in their respective wards without unnecessary
delay, TO organize committees, who shall divide the
wards into districts. appoint subcomm'lsees and cal