The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1861-02-27
The Kansas SuGeTerS-AffectIn
Incidents of the Famine.

The famine iend still stalks abroad ON
the praries of Kansas. That State, newly
transformed from a Territory, instead of
breaking forth into joy at such an advent, 10
to-day just opening her eyes to an extent Of
destitution hitherto unparalleled in this
country. The stranger who visits Kansas,
it is stated, returns to his eastern home ap.
palled with the amazing and heart rending
spectacles which there present themselves.
c. H. Brainard, writing from Atchison, on
the Sd inst, describes the following scenes:
Yesterday afternoon young woman by
the name of Harriet Harris arrived from
Ottawa county, one hundred and eighty
miles distant, with q female infant only
eleven months old. She was on the road no
less than twenty four days, having been de-
tanned fourteen days at South Forks by
severe storm and the Illness OF her child
She was most scantily clad, having no gar.
ment suitable for winter save an old shawl,
badly worn. She was only saved from
freezing by some bed clothing brought by
the driver 1.-THE team. Her husband left her
two months ago to look for work, and has
not since returned. She has friends in Wis.
consin, and to morrow she will be sent for.
ward by Gen. Pomeroy, after receiving a
supply of needed clothing.
This poor woman, who is net twenty.one
years old, and quite attractive in her person.
al appearance, informs me that there are
about twenty five families in the neghbor.
hood she has just left, and that starvation
stares them in the face. 1t was reported
that ore woman and two children had actu.
ally perished with hunger Before the
Kansas relief committees had begun to make
their lubors fell in the distant counties, this
unfortunate woman and her neighbors had
exhausted every particle of food, and were
only saved from starvation and death by
some buffalo hunters, who generously sup.
piled them with sack of -four.
The street in front of General Pomeroy's
distributing Office is bloekaded with teams
from early dawn until after sunset Twelve
persons are constantly employed in distribu-
ting tood and clothing, b3tween forty and
sixty loads Ut which are dispatched daily
More than two hundred and twenty five
towns have already been aided by the com,
mi;tee. No less than eight buildings are used
by the committee, which are fent Tree, and
u
, Pomeroy. These buildings include four
r warehouses, one clothlng-room, one office, a
2rist mill, with three run OF stone, and ho.
, te ior the use oil applicants for aid. This
, hotel is used also as hospital Tor persons
suffering from frozen limbs,
have just visited tn, hospitil, where in
4 one room | found twenty men, one woman
and several little children. Some of these
men were suffering with frozen feet, and
, will ba detained several days. One man
from Bourbon county starts for Ohio to. NOR.
row, with his vile and two children, the eld.
= est of which is sickIy little creature, only
I nine years old. TIE other is a chubby lii.
tie cherub, too young to have any idea of the
terrible sufferings OF those around her,
= This man informed me that a recent census
D was taken OF Bourbon county, which showed
population of nearly one hundred persons,
, and one hundred and twenty FIVE families,
hree-fourths of which are nearly destitute
/ of the commonest necessares of life. He 10
of opinion that unless ample relief is afford
ed before the streams ere broken up by a
! thaw, and travel to this place cut off most
e of these persons must inevitably perish with
Q hunger.
The food on hand at the warehouses in the
i. city and on the way hither is barely enough
7, to last thirty days, and yet the wants of tho
/ people are growing more and more urgent.
The efforts of the humane must not cease
' Death, by cold and starvation, will enter
T thousands of wretched homes if the supp lies
n Of food and clothing are diminished! Money
is wanted to pay freights, the pecuniary re-.
sources of Gen. Pomeroy being about ex.
: hausted, more than $4,000 having been paid
!, out within the last four days. From thou.
o sands of cheeress homes the cry comes over
n the praires, mingled with the wintry blasts
# "Save US, or we perish %