Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-12-14
COUNCIL GRovE, Morris Co., K. T., I
Dec. Sd, 1850. I

DEAR SrE-I am In receipt Of your Oircu-
lar of November, and hasten to respond
There is no part Of Kansas that has suffered
as has southwestern Kansas. have farm
in Chase county, twenty miles south. I-t
year had 80 acres OF corn and raisea "
bushels to the acre. This season had 30
acres ami did not raise bushel. sowed 90
acres of wheat last fall, but did not harvest a
bushel; and the same as to corn, oats, everys
thing.
We had no rain here for ten months. l
never saw anything like it before. have
lived in K Insas six years. Occasionally our
crops have been injured, but this is the first
failure. Had our counties been full of old
corn and wheat, as they viii be in time, even
one failure would not have ruined us, but
these counties are newly settled, large ma
jority of the settlers coming here last season.
but few in time to raise anything. This sea-
son all planted, expecting to raise enough to
provision and clothe themselves. Their
scanty means have heen used to live thus far
am well acquainted with the people in Nor
ris, Chase, Marion, Altoe, Butler and Madi-
son counties, and feel confident that there is
not $500 in cash among farmers in the six
counties. never In my life witnessed such
destitution as have here. There is not one
in ten but what really need help One half
must have help or they will starve. We have
in Morris county two stores, in Chase one, in
Madison one. They accommodate to some
! extent; hut to undertake to relieve all, is to
break and ruin them. The best Of US can
but keep our heads above water and provide
for our own families. 0ne-halfof our whole
population are out Of money, not having a
dime and no credit They cannot buy .
dollars worth on credit and are out of pro-
visions, clothing, everything. They must
have help or die l have been almost ready
to leave, as it kills me to see so much suffer
Ting that have not the power TO relieve.
know Of whole families in Morris and Chase
counties, where am more particularly ac-
quainted, that have lived weeks and months
ON corn meal alone, without meat, sugar, tea,
coffee, -four, or anything of the kind. know
OF numbers who have lived for weeks, ami
are now living by borrowing little, FIRST at
| one place tnen at duOLnef. 4. udNb seFeIhl
times sent provisions to Chase county, twenty
miles from here, to be loaned in small quaint
ties, to keep The people along, to support life
until help can come. Tomorrow ] go my
self. We have sent two teams to the river,
in hopes of getting help, but what success we
shall have do not know. Almost one-half
Of our people here are Buckeyes, and feel
as if Ohio in her prosperity ought to help
them. emigrated from Mt. Gilead, Ohio,
here. aaf
We need some help now. In the first place
we need something to eat Provisions now
coming to the Territory are all taken in the
River counties.
| In the second place, we need clothing of all
kinds. You in Ohio cannot imagine how
men and woman dress out here. / know OF
whole families who have not a shoe to their
feet, and not rags enongh to cover their ma
kedness. Men and women are willing to
work, but no one has anything to pay
for labor. Send few boxes of clothing il
possible, and above all, send something to
eat. s. N. WOOD,
Chairman, Relief Com.