The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1860-11-28
Tfle Famine i'm EE;RnSns.

Late accounts from Kansas represent the
condition Of the people Of that Territory as
truly dep IorabIc. 1t will be seen by the
article published below, taken from on extra
ofthe Americas Sentinel, pubIohcdin Beck
nrdge county, Kansas, undar date of Oct.
27th, that famine in its worst form stares the
entire population in the face, and C Ills loud.
Iy for an immediate relief, before the navI.
cation Of the western rivers, is closed by the
severity Of winter. The Ssntinsl says:
From the fact that unlil Is;alv thero has
been diversity Of opinion expressed as to
the real condition of cur people, we have re
mained comparatively silent on the subject.
But facts are now being disclosed which
render it obligatory IN Us to also cur voice
and TO unite cur efforts with those of cur lei
low citizens in making known the destiIutc
condition of this country. From eccura,c
and reliable information, obtained by re-
sporsbIe men. residing within the limits OF
their operations, it is evident that the &C.
tual dcsitution Of the people OF Kansas il
without parallel in the history of our coun.
try.
Messrs. Thomas Fl. Stanley and Geo.
W. Shockley have within the past week,
oao or the other OF them, visited every fam
iIy in Amsrious township, for the purpose o!
arriving 1T their true condition, and the fol
lowing is the result Of their Investigations {:
They visited 67 families, containing 33l
persons. Ne. of nc7es OF land paid Tor in
the township, 4,l23 !; amount OF mortgage
on land 81 l35. No. of acres Of land un-
paid for that is claimed and occup;ed-l6O
acres per family 500. Rates Of interest
paid, from to 43 per cent, per anpum.-
No. Of ncres OF cUrn planted 10 1859, G55,
from Which there were raised 1905 bushels,
No. OF acres OF corn planted in 1860, ! O48.
from which there were e35 bushels rsised.
No. Of acres of wheat sown in 1859, 267 !;
No. OF bushels raised, 2,9l2. No. of acres
OF wheat Gown in 1860, 553 No. Of BUSH
els raised, 1873, of which nearly all has been
sown. There were 473 bushels of potatoes
raised in the township in 1869, and only Sc
bushels this year, and these of an inferior
quality. Belonging to these 67 families,
there are l07 head OF horses, 4IO head OF cat
tie, end 292 hogs. Value OF garden vege.
tables raised in 1885, not including turnips,
$l32 value OF garden vegetables ra ised in
1860, including turnps, S67. Money on
hand, $695-which is all in the hands OF IS
OF the G7 families, leaving 40 families with
out cent OF money b. them. Two families
reported themselves as having 81 each, 2
fomiies So each, family SIS, 4 families $40
each, 2 families 800 each. / family S25, l
lomiy $50, ! family $50, families $75
each, and one family $3.50. Old corn and
meal on hand, l44 bushels. No 0! pounds
ol ii1ur On hand, 8 ,955, of which cue tamily,
nuoerng Tour persons, owns 5000 Ibs.-
The remaining 2,955 lbs, it divided among
the 327 people, would amount to 8 lbs per
lndlVidual Amount OF groceries on hand,
Slo2'5o of which one family, numbering
7, owns $500 worth, leaving the remaining
1924 individuals with $3.50 wurlh. or 26
cents worth each, it equally divided among
them. Full one third OF there 33l people
are more or less destitute oi clotning. esne.
cially the children.
Now is not the prospect before US a oloo
my one Ii all the provisions in this town
ship were equally divided among its citizens
they would not last them three months, ant
the entire amount Of money in the township
1t divided in the same manner, would give
them abgut $2.l0 each with which TO bu,
food when the amount now on hand is con
sumed. Nor is there anything in the coun
try to dispose of for either money or Prov
sion. And besides this, the amount ol fodder
which has been scrSped together with the
utmost frugality and care, will tall far short
OF wintering the stock. Even should ouI
people succeed in sustaining them elvet
through the dark and comfortIess wipte,
which will soon be upon US with its icy
breath, what are they to do 10 the spring g.
How are they to obtain seed from which to
lraise another crop; and on what are they to