The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1867-05-09
TIFFIN, OHIO, THURSDAY MORNING, MAY 8, 1867
Great Suffering in Iowa-The Peo-
Of Clay County in a Starving
0ondition--Men Frozen tU U.death.

0onditiOn--Men Frozen tu death.
From The Fort Dodge Qows) Northwest, Apr H.
For several weeks past we have
heard reports ofgreat suffering among
the Homestead settlers in the coun.
ties north and west of US, from the
severity OF the winter and its long
Continuance. Great numbers Of cat.
tie, sheep aud hogs throughout
Northern Iowa aud Southern Minae.
sofa are known to have perished from
scarcity offced aud from intense cold
aud deep SHOWS, which have contin.
ued throughout the entire month of
March.
On Monday Kelley Almond, a res.
ident of Clay county, was in town,
and from him VIC learn that large
numb,rs cfthe people in Clay county
are in most deplorable condition.
Winter set in early, and there has
been one continuous succession ofse.
we're snow storms following each 9th.
er at short intervals from early in No
vember up to the FIRST OF April. The
early frost last fall cut the corn crop,
aud the wheat raised was entirely in.
sufficient to feed the heavy immigra-
iion that came in too late to raise
crop. Early in the winter the snow
became so deep that it was almost
impossible to get down to Fort Dodge
a distance OF seventy-hvo miles, to
procure -four and other provisions.-
As the winter advanced the snow be.
came deeper and the storms more Sc.
we're, drifting the deep ravines full Of
snow, in many places to tho depth of
from fifteen to thirty feet. There is
one stretch Of forty miles across the
bleak prairie, without house or
grove TO shelter the traveller. Iso-
lated from all the surrounding world,
the inhabitants Of Clay County were
entirely shut in by the snowy barrier,
aud those who have moved In during
the past season have suffered terribly
from cold aud hunger
Great numbers of cattle, sheep and
hogs have perished, and for weeks
past many Of the people have subsist.
ed on parched corn aud turnips. -
Meat fourand meal were not to be had
at any price. A man might starve
to death with his pockets full of
money, for it would avail him moth
ing in the struggle among the settlers
to keep from starvation. On Tues
day, the 22nd day of January, John
Laughhn, returned Soldier, about
twenty eight years Of age, saw a deer
not far from his cabin. Taking his
gun he started after 1t, and has. not
been seen since Not returning the
next day, his wife became alarmed,
and got some of the neighbors to go
out in search for him. The snow
storm came on the next day, and no
traces of Mr.. Laughlin could be
found until Sunday, when parties
who were out searching, found the
deer killed and dressed and hanging
on a tree, about four miles up the
river from Laughlip's cabin. Some
pieces Of venison were cut out of it,
and sheet that he had taken with
him was wrapped around the deer
Following some tracks visible whore
the snow had been blown away, the
ncighbors went down the river about
two miles, to where il makes sudden
beEd westward. Here at the bend.
about mile and a half from his home
Mr.. Laughlin's gun was found setting
up against some bushes and the deer
skin thrown over it. No farther ira
ces Of the lost hunter have been
tound, and it is supposed that he got
bewildered in the terrific storm oI
Thursday night and perished, aud
that his body was drifted under the
snow. Ilo leaves young wife, who
has recently gone back East to her
r friends.
Our informant, Mr.. Almond, start
cd on the third day of April for Fort
Dodge, with sled and five pair OF
cattle. He was seven days in making
the trip. The snow was from two to
three feet deep. most of the way, for
forty miles, aud in many places it was
drifted from ten to fifteen feet deep,
completely burying up his team. One
pair of cattle became entirely ex-
hausted, and porished along the road.
With the others he OF through aud
reached here on the 18th. Many Of
the people have had their hands, feet
aud faces badly frozen during the
winter in getting up wood and taking
care of their cattle. A large number
of their cattle have perished, aud
many of the homestead settlers are
on the verge Of starvation. All kinds
of provisions arc very scarce here
and the streams are now swollea that
it would be hardly possible to send
assistance to these. destitute and suf-
fering people, In few days the
snow will probably have thawed away
so than teams from the Little Sioux
can come down and take up supplies