New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-04-08
49,, .Dd satisfy myself by personal examination and
au .hs naesies OF the people, and To- iiities

enquiry, of the necessiies VI WV {nol, 80 Rn, as
a. ssason for sowing wheat IN the southern ava
n,rsI portions of the State had already arn'ee anu
as the iced for that purpose was ye' 10 oe zen
hundred miles from Atehison II was az once deter
snipel that immediate attention 10 1t was OF the high
sat potance; and obliged to abandon the idea
OF tour which, however sati factory in s evidence,
would by the consumption OF time, render It's Results
nugstory. Fortunately, i met, at Atehison Mr..
Henry Mattice, formerly Of Albany, n. T., but
for the past two years a resident OF Lawrence,
Kansas having been appointed by the Sabbath
school Union az agent for the central and southern
PORTIONS of that State He informed me that he had
travelled through all the settled portions OF has htd OF
labor during the part season, and beheld the entfe
failure OF the crops of every kind ana been an eye
witness of tue consequent depvations suterngs, ao
wants ot the people. This testimony added TO that
of the members of the Committee especially that OF
james Mcdowell, esq, Mayor Of the City OF leav'
enworth who was engaged in suDerlDtendng the dis.
tribution of supplies dining the temporary absence OF
Gen pomeroy and also the statements OF residents OF
Atchs0u Of reputable standing, and Of the numerous
farmers iron almost every section OF the state theh
ct that on after supplies for themselves, but cirny
for those who bad 10 for that purpose, satisfied
me tina the people really needed the relief contem-
plated by the appropriation OF our Legislature.
THAI some exaggerated or highy-colorrd statements
of the desttuon have been pubhs cd Is very
probable, and thi. was admitted by Mayor McDo"e''
but their publication would scarcely Justify the oouh
ser-st uens emanating from some OF tie el'Neps o.
Leave Ortn, ana entirely lkliOIluS tut iai"'"N
relsbl ufOrma ion received, should juoge bai t"e
motives which led 10 these oouuter-sIatenents VIZ:
that wants and suferings OF the people were mol
pressing, were several:
ErsE II was anorebepded bv interested persons
that the publication OF the actual facts OF the failure
of the crops of 1s60 in mort If lot all the couies Id
Kansa,, the three bordering on the Missouri River
Doniplr1n, AehiSon, and LeavenwoItn excepted s,i
and to- consequent destituion OF the Inhabitants, were
eacula TO discourage emgrati 10, and settlements
In Kal>s thus prove detrimental to the mercAn-
tile speculative, aud other interests.
Sece ed A spirit OF rivalry aUd eaioosly existing
betwetu certain localities, and especially bet~ cen tie
cities Leavenworh snd AtchisOn The latter Is the
only ci in the State having direct railroad communl'
cation with the East and for that reason apP-
pratel aud necessarily made the distributing depot for
ell the supplies sent, until the opening OF naVShlpn
when others on the Missouri ana IA, sas Rivers were
esablsle ned This rivalry existed before this caamny
was experienced by failure of cropsi and was rem
dered intense by the fact that Atcison was made
the heaG puarters of the state Committee.
Thee, and probably other causes, have produced tne
statements that destitution Slsed III hansas anu
IL has ven been in.inua,ed that il political hoax,
or that those engaged in urig forward measures OF re-
lief prompted by sinister ana dishonest motives
1t is haihatug reflection tbst any one should De so
insensihle ~ the liner prOmpiDgs OF our common pa-
ture N, 10 svstemaic lily repress the generous sympa.
this of those blessed with overlooking harvest, and
cruelty d-priye their aud ellJw-clzens and kln'
dred Of the relief earnestly ana V'aiy ueuahueu oy
their e Al enc necessities.
reu,,ined at Atcllison two days. and examined the
books ed papers of the State Dl'tribu'iog COMMITTEE
ehowna statements Of their receipts and dishuISe-
mepts nd tie method Of transactng their aduOus aud
perpe ~ duties and could BOT discover any apparent
irregul lily or favorism. They distribute supplies OF
all KINDS only on the written orders OF the Commuters
apoouted in the several towns In The State; and II any
unfair unequal unjust distributions Occur-ahd the
State Committee admitted that such was the case III
some i-taucesir done by the action OF The Iowh
Commit ees But this obecoua action, IN isolated
cases cOod not well be avoided under any organlza
WI the wisdom and prudence OF could
ssblish.
Under vour instructions to me- was authorized TO
make distribution OF the bounty OF the Legislature of
che state of NewYork through this State Committee
or through any other medium which might oler, II
deemed more advantageous. found no other organi
zation through which the bounty eond be dispensed,
and ar had entire confidence in the existing one, Of
which Gen. s c. Pomeroy is tie chairman, uy deter
minaton was at formed ~ ava self u 1t, and
ship them any articles that might be purchased;
and thus while avoiding any unnecessary delay and
expens. The scheme OF relief contemplated would be
most efficiently administered Acting this conclu-
eion Immediately teegraphed TO Illinois to extend
the pu hases OF seed wheat there, while awaiting
return Gen PorneIoy, before leaving 10 sulerntend
the butiness in person.
Bef,r- my departure had brief interview with
Gen PlerOy, who, as before stated, had been absent
20 establish other dispensing depOts; and my convlc-
zion of the wants Of the pc 'pe was sill further con-
Armed ty lis statements, and those OF Dr. Robinson,
Secreta of State for Kansas, who accompanied him
on bis leCurn TO AtcoisOn. -
che oueriUn of purchasing seed w eat III that State
and In Wisconsin was actively prosecuted until the
quantity procured war considered TO be as large az
could he transported 10 AtchIson by the 10Th OF March,
which geas deemed the latest for it's distribution
from that place. TO be serviceable for the present sea
son; ard it may here be remarked u q the entire
Quantity Of seed wheat furnished from all sources wll
f far short Of the desired quantity for the entire
State. And il may also be further stated that seed
Spring wheat could not have been procured at any
nearer poit than Illinois and Wisconsin, unless II
might hive been found in Iowa; but there were no
means of transit from that State until the opening OF
river navigation. Missouri participated IN the great
dIoutb, particularly III It's western countles ana DIR
usual production much diminished thereby that
there surplus for expectation.
GuiGed by the opinions OF suen members OF the
Kansds State Committee as could confer with, and
IN the exercise of my judgment, determined 10
make no expenditures, excepting for seeds for sowing
and planting and those Only of the most important
kinds; since the immediate wants Of the people
a. TO food &e were being supplied, at least for TIE
present, by private contributors. Acting upon tiis
determin alton, 1 made purchases as follows:
2 bush Of hess Of SO cents per bush
1o, 80 bush Of corn At q cents per bush
q boxes Of srdn seeds Of the most useful kinds
The aforementioned prices paid for grain Include
all the Incidental charges Of placing IN the cars ready
for trau oTtatiOn. These prices, and particularly that
of wheat are some what higher than the cJteml
Gus rna ket quotations; but the grain Wac mostly OF
extra Gu4ity much Of The wheat having been resolved
for seea The corn was all selected, or rather every
ear having the appearance Of beink Injured was
iected Tie charges for transportation al The
Aforementioned arcle, from The points where pur
chased. whether In Illinois Wisconsin, were fully
paid through 10 AtchsOn.
The drafts made by me upon the State Treasury, up
10 me tine ie Chicago amounted TO the Of ~ O50 NJ
On whic received premisms amounting tO ls'i %
= IT,, s35o9l IS
The lavnIents made were as follows;
For Seed o3 20