Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1860-11-23
An Earnest Appeal Ia behalf of the
Suffering and Destitute.

At meeting Of the citizens Of Big
Springs and vicinity, Kansas Territory, on
the / 4th inst, the undersigned were appoint
ed a committee to prepare and present to
the public q statement OF facts respecting
the desolate condition in which We are
placed, and to appeal for assistance to those
whom bountiful Providence has blessed
with abundant Larvests.
1t is within q few days Of an entire year
since we have had rain enough to wet the
ground to the depth necessary fer the grow III
of crops. True, we have within the last tw o
mouths lad few light showers; but they
were almost Immediately followed by fierce
ant. parching winds, SO that they reminded
one of the SIMEON Of the desert. and which
drank up every drop of moisture that had
fallen, leaving vegetation more parched and
withered than before; and what mcre need
we say than 10 state this simple fact? 4
gear cf drought! Where is the country On
earth that, under its influence, would yield
food for its inhabitants Our crops have
faiIed-not entirely. There is corn here /;
but, compared with the demand, the supply
is not even drop in the buckes. 10 order
that we might be able to present faots, and
facts only, we have been making careful in
quiries; and the further we pursued these
inquiries, the more complete DO we find to
be the failure Of crops, and the MOI Q dis
tressing the consequent desttution
No one, without seeing, can realize that
in this land of plenty, and at this season,
usually Of exuberant abundance, any can
be destitute Of the means of sustenancc /;
and yet there are many such in Kansas, to-
day, end that without any fault of their own.
In the first place, there was much greater
breadth of land sown in wheat last fall, and
in better season, than ever before. Again,
in the spring every bushel of spring wheat
that could be pre- cured was sowed but all
to no purpose it aI perished! There was
not one bushel gathered for every ten that
were sown Corn, too, was pat in earlier
and in greater quantity than it had ever
been in previous years. Hundreds of acres
will not yield anything but a meagre pit
tance of fodder, while there is not one far
mar in hundred who Will raise enough to
make bread for his family. As a las . resort
when it was seen that the corn crop had
| failed, buckwheat was sown in sufficient
quantity to have furnished US bread as leas,
for the winter. Much of it, after coming
up, pefished so utterly that not vestige OF
it remains AMI We know not a field tha,
will yield the amount Of the seed sown
Thus, it will be seen that every means thai
persevering industry and care could employ
has been brought into requistion to aver
the impending calamity, but in vain.
Our condition may be briefly stated w
are without bread, and without any means
of obtaining it; for there is no money in th'
country, as every dollar has been ahsorbe,
in paving for our lands, which were pre
maturely forced into market. There ar
many who must perish if relief is not hfford
ed them for the people generally are in nj
better condition as it regards clothing thai
they are for bread. Few, very few, hav
clothing to protect them from the inclemenc,
of the approaching winter, and more espe
ciallv if it should be as severe az those fou
or five years ago. And clothing cannot b.
obtained without money; SO that we fee
we are making no exaggerated statemen
when we say that the combined effects O
want and exposure to cold in the auineeble
condition induced by insufficient food nu.
prove fatal to many.
Bnt wh7 enlarge on this distressful theme
Have we not said enough? Aid now. dea
. fri nds, we leave our cause with you, pra,
) ing that He who hears the young raven
when they cry, will open your hearts for tn
: relief of the SUFFERING and destitute.
WILLIAM BoLEs,
J j. II BoNEBErAK,
E. II. WAUGH, }Com.
N. A. FAIRcn1LD, s't
?. II. TowNsESD, a.
Sept. %, 1850. @
The following gentlemen have bec
appointed By the citizens Of Muscatine as
receiving and shipping committee:
" @ JOSEPH BhIDGMAN,
\ gncMAs HANNA, 90
e s. Q. ADAMS, To-
/. SOD h8 ALEX JACKSON, oom
. @ GEORGE UFFoRD gs
j. B. DoUsHERTY,