The weekly North-Carolina standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 186?-1869, 1867-05-08
DESTITUTION IN GEORGIA.

The following graphic letter was
written to a gentleman of Philadelphia
connected with the Pennsylvania Bible
Society, by lady teacher in the schools
of the American Union Commission, at
Atlanta:
ATLANTA, GA, April 4.
l will try and give you short histo-
ry of this days work: Early this morn
ing an old auntie came to my ROOM
She is in poor health, is true Chris
tian-a real mother in Israel. She had
no supper last evening, no breakfast this
morning, and in addition to that had
been ordered to leave the room she and
another aged sister were living in. She
said she could not pay her portion
three dollars-of the rent
A widow owned and lived in por-
ton of the shanty. She was poor and
must have the rent to get bread for her
children. While talking with the first
two other old freedwomen came to ask
for only little meal to make cake for
their breakfast.
Next came two little girls (white)
who attend our free schools; they told
me their mothers were sick in bed, and
that they had not had one mouthful of
anything to eat. l went with them
and found, on reaching their home, that
things were worse than they had repre-
sented. l found an aged couple be-
tween seventy-fve and eighty years
old, their two widowed daughters and
six children without a morsel of food,
and nearly all of them sick. What
could do? Ihad nothing to give, but
| could not leave them without prom
Use to try and do something for them.
l went to see the quartermaster; he
was absent. l went to the bureau the
house and pavement in front were
crowded with hungry, haggard looking
women, both white and black. They
had been told there was nothing to is.
sue, but they stayed hoping that lit
tie might yet be given. went in to
see the officers, who told me they had
nothing on hand; l continued to plead
their case as earnestly as could, and
finally received an order for a small
amount of meal and bacon, which I
took to the commissary and saw filled.
Returning home found man wait
ing for me; he was very genteel look
ing person; with trembling voice he
was ashamed to tell his business, he had
never been beggar till now, but he
had sick wife and six children two
| of the children had benn taken to tho
hospital, the others were starving
Tears rolled down his cheeks. Ny
heart was full of sympathy, my hands
and purse were empty it was too late
to 60 to the commissary, so I stepped
into neighboring grocery and bought
him peck of meal and two pounds of
bacon; he tried to speak his gratitude,
but could not. After he was gone
learned that in 1851 that man was
worth over forty thousand dollars.
Such scenes occur every day; but I
have given you an account of one day
only, and every day the want increases.
We know not what may be in store for
us, but hope never again to be called
upon to>witness so much extreme suf-
fering, restitution, and degradation as
l have seen during the present year.
/ Business of all kinds is very dull
Last Monday morning there were in
Atlanta five hundred mechanics out of
employment. All classes are suffering
and all, except few blantant politi.
clans, are dispirited, and know not what