Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1867-06-19
Starvation on the Cars.

The Dayton TO- Journal of June l, says
yesterday morning family of Germans,
consisting of a man and his wife and three
children, evidently in very poor circumstan-
ces, arrived here on the Atlantic and Great
Western train, en- route for Cincinnati, to
which place they had secured transportation
from New York. As the train failed to
connect with the forenoon train on the Gin
clnnati, Hamilton and Dayton road, the fam
| lily was obliged to lay over here for the eve
ming train.
| For while the poor family remained on
the PLATFORM until some one invited them
to go into the ladies' room and be seated.
The people seemed to shrink from observa-
ton, and were grouped together in one cor
ner OF the room. The woman was holding
an infant in her arms, and a lady who hap
pened to pass close to her noticed that it
looked like a corpse, and, as she could speak
the German language, she asked the poor
woman what was the matter with her child.
At this question the poor woman burst into
uncomfortable lamentation, declaring that
her child was dead.
AS soon as the grief-stricken mother could
partially control herself, she informed the
lady that they were very poor; that they
had just means enough to get to New York
and purchase a second class ticket to Cincin-
natl, where they had friends; that they had
no money to purchase food, and were afraid
to ask anybody for something to eat and
that they had suffered in silence, without a
morsel of food for themselves or children
from the time they left New York till they
reached this city
About three hours before they reached
here their babe-a child about year old
died from starvation And that poor, star
wing mother carried her child upon her bo-
som, hoping to reach their friends in Gin
cinnati before they should all be starved.
The countenances Of the man and wife
bore painful evidence of the progress of star
vation, and their uncomplaining children
looked little better than the cropse of the
little sufferer that had just passed through
the gate of death into the land of plenty.
The moment the terrible condition of this
poor family was made known, they found
friends in everybody around them. The
mother was instantly relieved Of her dead
babe, and while messenger was dispatched
for an dertakor, the surviving members
of the sorrowing family were taken to the
waiting room in the depot, and given all
they could eat. By-standers tell US that
the scene in the depot, when the suffering
mother gave vent to her pent up grief, was
one of the most affecting and narrowing
they ever witnessed. Every one was affect
ed to tears.
Mr. Richard Lane, the Infrmary Direct
or, took charge of the interment of the
child; and Mr.. Snyder, the clever bagfage
master, collected some twenty-f dollars
from the by-standers, and presented it to
the poor man, who was utterly overwhelmed
by this unlocked for generosity.
The child was buried yesterday afternoon
and the bereaved family, after being made
as comfortable as possible, were sent on by
natl. A word about their situation at any
point on the route would have secured these
suffering people all the food they desired !;
but they were actually so difident among
strangers that they would all have starved
to death before they would have made their
situation known or asked for food.