Abbeville press. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1860-1869, 1868-04-17
GAUNT FAMINE.

when, as now, tho cry OF, fac,ino has
gono up from so many different quar-
tcrs. In Algeria, the suflerings of tho |
Arabs have been, and continue to be, |
terrible, two hundred thousand Of !
them, it is computed, having persisted ;
from starvation. In parts OF Eng
land tho Gcs.itu.ion Is extreme, and |
the condition Of large sections Of the |
people, always poor, is now moro than
usually dcplolablo. Somc Of the dis
tricts ot France arc scourscd in the |
same way. BIT it ia IN parts Of Ger
ruany and Eastern Europe that the !
misery a,:d distress arc most intcnSi- !
fed Il. least tho horrors o. tho stu
alton in those regions arc brought
mere home.to tho sense of tho Euro
pcan public. East Prussia is marked
victim Of this awful visitation. 1t is
hardly eoncri@ablc that under such
Government rs Prussia, and among
snch q people as the Prussians, human
misery and voc could attain such a
height. In Western Prussia, tho facts
could net, for 4 long time, gain belief.
For some timo tho Government dcnied
their existence, or troatcd tho reports
rs gross cXaggeratious, though, doubt
less, it could not have been ignorant
OF their truth-a truth which, it could
not but feel, was q reflection upon the
character Of thc administration and
even upon the National character.
In one district, Gcr,nbrncn, there
are l,iJ0 litllo Villages and 100000
, destitute people. Literally it may be
said that nearly I'll these people arc at
the starvation point. They arc clas-
; silied as small farmers who may BY
possibility, without did from abroad,
DO able to exist through tho severe
months till next harvest; la5oring
farm hands heretofore subsistcd by
their omfloyo ors, but now necessarily
discharged; AID lastly, small trades
pccpic in the villages. 5Ot .he inten-
sjty Of suffering somo' idea maybe
formed from tho following account OF
intelligent. eye witnesses, whose re-
port 81 pea:s III TIC Berlin corrcspun =
dcncc of tho New York Times:
>"!Chcy (the villayes) lay before, ,us
/ like the torsakon dw oLiags of~a gyp,
+ sy tribc a.,d reminded ausso Of eesno,
terry by their lonely and forsakon' as
pcct. There was Lct to lie discovered
Il single token OF the usual ;'i!iase life
| Outside tho Luts there WAS not \ shed
to be found, nor less u tree, for every
piece Of wood Lad been used for fire.
wor.l. The huts themselves were
built Of mud and covered With straw,
aid seemed TO lie scarcely fit for cat
tie, still lcssfor human beings. Here
aud there even the roof straw had
boon partly removed TO make litter
for the COW, which tho proprietor has
managed to keep alive. The partially
covered part Of the hut is occupied
by mon and cattle. On entering
abodes Of this kind one would no
think it possible that mon could liv
there.
. The barking of dogs does not we
come you, for these poor animals hav
been killed and eaten long since
Neither do you hear the growing G
tho cock, for he aud his wives arc gon
with the dogs. No human being is t
> be seen in the streets nor cvcn at th
l windows; and Is even at d:nncr-.im
u no chimney is smoking, ono wou!
l th;nI; Tic village lorsaken. On cnte
j. ing mere than twenty such huts
> one village, wc discovered that the
> wcrc tcnantcd. Wo found persons I
! both sexes and all ages, mostly Ike
: ctons; even the children bore dec
b despair of stupid torpidity in the
9 faces. A few men and women We
J. spinning oakum, furnished them
~ ono Of the committees, by doing whi'
. whole family may oarn thrco or 10
!. cents in currehcy a day. The flo
u was oar amothcr Garth, FREQUENT
y soaked With waterloo, such 9. degr
< That the barcfootcd thi1dron stood
~ it up to their auklcs, aad thatip hol
n without fire at temperature sevc'
y. degrces;below scros. Asv the, p atul
US heat of tie ibpatc is w onlRlind
ny heat, tho bsesi;ii window is cafNoiahy clos
70, 20 and tho cir is truly. ,pessilentiak 1t
v" wonderful how rdeD can sesdst IN su
y an atmosphere, for it is moro intolt
Nn able ,tha1yapi5sty.r; In sSmc Tof
ns phtea Ws foh I'D ahe people j5eatipg.t
"s soup furnished by tho soup kitche
'Sf established By :the outlay of; 3O9,(
"n thalors mentioled above. 'Wet @
'.s' not discover in this cruel trace
NO fat, afS5fp6or as it WA itssdisSibaa
an' q, was haMaoS with- sx.fome \ @patsimo
ny Only aged persons and children
$ a enfitIcd 70 It, and TWO ccHn'drsH Fses
w oAS' piaAa dHyL0We1Sa8' hT Gan
rR con.iatinxE Nfs fsAeeoYf members dill