The Ashland union. [volume] (Ashland, Ashland County, Ohio) 1854-1868, 1857-02-04
Correspondence of the Cleveland Plaindealer.l
THE TERRIBLE SCARCITY IN GIN
CINATI--THE CROWD AT THE
COUNCIL HALL SUFFERINGS
OF THE PEOPLE.
C1Nc1NNArt, Jan. 81, ls47.

CINCINNATI, Jan. 27, ls47.A
Thank God, it is warmer at last. The
piercing winds that for three weeks have
swept down from the North and West,
not like the s~irocco, to scorch, but to
freeze, have given away to a balmy
breeze from the South. Yesl to-day
the oasis in our suffering has been reach.
ed, and safely passed, for tonight, the
cheerful patter of rain is heard on the
pavement, and in doors, the long SILVER
ing victim a sit in comfort without
heating his stove red hot with the min
eral that has cost him such a fabulous
sum. Unless an unfavorable change
should occur, in q day or two the city
will be in comparative comfort, as the
amount consumed will diminish, while
we have reason to hope the supply will
increase.
Yet, to-day the rush for coal has been
tremendous. In my last I limited at the
plan adopted by the Council for relief.
LII ud6 UcGu bC6bCu AOH v ucdEll q week
and has worked admirably, and had it
been adopted a month since, much misery
and needless expense would have been
avoided. As many of your readers are
aware, a committee appointed, purchase
all the coal possible abroad, run it down
here, and sell it at cost, using city funds
with which to operate. 1t is commonly
sold for twenty-five cents a bushel, though
a day or two they were compelled to ask
thirty cents for that which came from
Cleveland. The scenes at the Council
Chamber, where the Committee nave
their headquarters, and give out coal
orders, are startling beyond belief to
those who live at q distance and know
nothing of the real state of things here.
The room will hold some seven hundred
persons, when in a crowded state, and
this morning at ten o'clock, every nook
and corner was filled with an excited
crowd-not the poor, but citizens of
every rank, with their money in hand,
ready and anxious to pay the triple price
that the precious mineral is sold for now
when that price only covers it's cost.
The railing around the Speakers rostrum
was crushed in entirely, and a strong
rope substituted, and within the space
thus protected, at least two hundred
aconaen were packed each clamoring for
their ticket at the hands of the COM
mittee. With these tickets they hasten
ed to the depots, await the arrival of
coal trains, if there are none in, and
there follows another jam and struggle.
Those who succeed, have to procure carts
or drays at their OWE expense to convey
their well earned treasure home.
The wood committee are not so over
Observation-Disclosures owing to the two
facts-that the wood now brought in is
green, the dry having been all used up /;
and also that but few houses have faclli-
ties for burning wood, except in their
cook stoves. 1 said these applicants are
not chiefly the poor classes, for it is now
a conceded fact that in the generosity
which is native to Cincinnatians, in COM
mon with Western cities, the poor have
never been so we'll provided for as this
winter, while too much of severe want
and suffering has existed among the
middle classes. The Bar held q meet
ing on Friday, and voted so far as they
were concerned, to throw open all the
rooms of the Court House to those who
were put of fuel-nights at all events,
and in the day time, if need be-andal-
so pledged themselves to contribute five
dollars each to the good cause of relief.
Some of the churches have been warmed
and thrown open for the freezing poor.
How true that misfortune never comes
singly. Thus the cold weather has not
only nearly frozen US, but has made the
railroad machinery as brittle as glass,
thwarting the very means of relief so no
bly, advanced by our railroads. No less
than ten locomotives have been broken
down on the Little Miami road alone
lately, and the same state of things ex-
ist on them all.
At meeting yesterday, all the Rail-
road companies but one, and that the
Marietta, (which has been fostered by
the city, and now is repaying her kind
ness with a vengeance resolved to bring
the city's coal in preference to that of
all or any spectators, SO long as dis
tress should continue. This is the right
move, and will be a inality to the blood
sucking scoundrels who have already
enriched themselves upon our misery.
This, with the fact that Pittsburg,
following the noble example of the For
est City, has promised $4,000 bushels,
and has already started 1900 bushels by
railroads, leads us to hope that the worst
has passed. And it is to be hoped, not
without teaching Cincinnati a lesson
that will be remembered. Business
here is of course dull. Our mauufacto-
ries are, many of them, compelled to
stop, having no fuel, and being already
full of articles ready for shipment, but
which cannot be forwarded till the river
opens. Money is, of course, a scarce
article, all classes being compelled to
lay out constantly, without receiving
much in return. )
Some of the schools are having vaca-
tions, it being supposed that it is useless
to try to expand the mind when so con-
tracted by cold-not to mention the
economy of the thing when coal is at
present prices.
AS it is SO near Spring there is but
little fear of any general commercial
disasters, though should the river re-
main closed a month longer, some of
our houses would have their capacity of
endurance well tried.
THE SNOW STORM EAST OF US.