The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1861-02-22
The Reality of Kansas Famine.

The telegraphic statement in contradiction
of Ihaddeas Iyatts accounts from Kansas
comes from several influential persons at
Leavcnworth There is no doubt that MIR
Hyatt uses the exaggerated style of rhetoric,
and his declarations are no more to be taken
literally than the hyperboles of an oriental
But the stubborn and terrible fact of gener-
al famine in Kansas cannot be doubted, and
the Leavenworth dispatch does not deny it,
but merely denies that it is as appalling as
Hyatt has represented. 1t should be consid-
cred that around Leavcnworth and on the
Missouri river generally, partial crops were
raised, and the men who made the denial
may not know the extent of the testtution
prevailing in the interior. But If their own
statement. that one-t:h of the people need
help, is true, there need be nc fears that too
abundant supplies are likely to be sent for
ward, for 1t is vet six months to another har-
vest, and 1t takes a large amount of provis-
ions TO supply ten thousand people for that
time. From among the many reliable &C
counts of real suffering that are published.
We select that given by n. B. Blaton, a man
OF character and a member Of the state leg
lslatnre. 1t is dated Jan. 81
81 live in Humboldt, Allen county. on the
Neosho. about 100 miles distance from Atch-
lson. am one of the township committee.
and member OF the next. the state legisla-
ture OF Kansas. In humboldt We are now.
as community, about alike in destitution-
starvation stares us all in the face-we have
nothing to live on. and We have no means of
getting away. One week ago Yesterday
left my family with less than eiyh: DAYS pro-
visions every hour that am away seems
dav to me- shudGer at being so long alb
sent from them, and tremble to return
there IS nothing that can be borrowed now.
All are poor alike and destitute there is
nothing left to be divided-we are all on a
common levei-the teams are fast becominv
useless-they are already too weak from want
OF grain to haul heavy loads long distances
unless relief can be sent to our suffering
people away down in the far distant counties
they must perish by whole communities
they cannot live-and it costs one-half Of ey-
cry load to feed the starving teams.
About month ago, one of my neighbours
Mr. Dewitt left Atchison with IS sacks Of
meal. When he reached his home he had
bat left his team had eaten up the rest :.
What remained did not half suppl " the fam
ishlng. Among the sufferers, when left,
was widow with nine children, mostly girls.
This broken hearted mother had literally
nothing to feed her furnishing family with
not mouthful | sent her over to the next
township to borrow temporary supply until
our relief teams should get in but the poor
woman was unsuccessful all were destitute:
the teams Of that township were still absent;
they too were anxiously counting the hours
TIL fooc should arrive But the teams could
not get IN. for severe snow storm had rem
dered the roads impossible, and there they
were; the poor furnishing people watching
anxiousy and in agony at home the hus.
bands and parents weather-bound upon the
snow drltted prairies, with feet frozen solid
to their ankles; the supply diminishing hour
by hour to save the teams upon which all
their lives depended and thus SUFFERING in
the cabins and suffering on the way side With
starvation settling steadily down upon both
man and beast, and hideous death closing
in upon them all