Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1869-06-04

ger OF being starved himself, with money in
his pocket, and abundance of corn near at
hand. Such was the position Of afiairs-the
people dying, plenty Of food within reach,
plenty Of money to purchase it, plenty Of fish
in the sea adjoining,-but no one with fore
thought and arrangement enough to cook the
victuals, catch the fish, draw the corn across
the mountains, and bring the food and the
people together
The plan adopted by these energetic phil
anthroplsts was very plain and simple They
first sought for funds and the appeal was
Immediately and most generously responded
to. They then engaged active, earnest men, as
temporary agents, over a district containing
some sixty-seven tOwnlands And having
selected the places most suitable for their op-
erations, they opened what they then termed
- soup Kitchens but what were really de-
p0ts of boiled meal. made into a thick nutri-
tious food which in Ireland Is called " stira-
bout. 1t is perhaps the simplest and most
palatable form in which wholesome we'll
cooked food can be obtained cheaYly in half
an hour. These depots, of which there were
nineteen IN the district, were placed within
two Or three miles of each other. sufficiently
near to enable all those who wanted food, and
who were willing and able to walk short
distance, to obtain at least one good meal
each day. the only condition or stipulation
being, that they should come as clean as
their case admitted, to the food depot.
| will not venture to describe the harrow
ing scenes which presented themselves 10
these gentlemen and their assistants. will
not diatc ugon the d" sliding collin, - through
which SO many bodies were passed into the
same open grave, it being impossible to pro-
cure coffns for all nor upon the emaciated
forms which crawed for food to the newly
established depots. Suffice j; TO say, that in
a very brief period, namely, from April
until May 10, lS47, they distributed, free, 10
the starving population, lo2, l29 meals with
in a district comprising siAry-scyen town
lands; in other words, they fed with one
good meal per diem 1853 persons for forty
consecutive days at the wonderfully moderate
cost Of "a. per meal. inclusive OF all ex-
penses.
\ iull statement Of receipts and ezrerdi-
ture, by the Rev. +. F. Trench, at Schulz
and other places in the southwest of the
county of Cork, which was published NJ the
time, gives faithful, but brief description of
the Efforts there made 10 save life. After
giving a detailed list Of subscribers. and the
sums subscribed by each, Doe gives '' state
ment Of the receipts and expenditure ul
this trust money thy far the greater portion
of which was subscribed amongst bis own
friends and relations in lrcland), showing
that he had received on the whole l7S7L las.
3D., and had expended l0l6i 6s A.. leay-
ing a balance, then placed in the funds for
ulterior charity. of - H. Is. lg3.
Mr. Trench's statement to the suhsari-
bers might be read with interest bv those
anxious to inform themselves 900 this subject.
and also the letters addressed 1 him hy the
Rev. james Barry. Roman Catholic priest at
the Ballydehob. They ret forth in strong
language the estimation In which the efforts
of these gentlemen were regarded nor We're
they suspended until the government under
took the task of feeding the people upon it-
self. which was here initiated by the allm-
thropic men alluded %.
| have Turuo-5ly avoided giving aav ll-
tails Of individual suffering in t.a .ar wing
forms in which they rrc-autgi themselves Go
myself during that fearful period s. book
could be written On tli- subject butu. what
avail would iu be how? lt i- generally a4-
mitted that bout 20O, GOO persons died of the
famine in Ireland and my object i, TO show
that If proper precautions bad been taken Ia
time,-by energetic men capable of gader-
taking the task TO feed those who were Uu-
able to work. the famine would have been
stayed, and most of thc people -asa-
IrHrl $ Ra.lss oI i7sI i.t