, 1874-10-10
KANSAS.
7. -. - - 50 -
An Appeal in Behalf OF tho Dos
H.. titutc.~ ~.
The People Of Twenty Counties In Diro
Want Of Food.

sarrn COUNT, Kan Oct. s, 1874. -
70 he Editor Of Tho Chicago 7ffbune: ..@,'~
Sin: Your readers 1.-Two doubtlcns henri thai
tho western portion OF Kanuas haa boon orerrun
and tho cori-nrop entirely 1oAtroyod by: tho
grasahoppora. :: ':a..: .~'sa:'
Our Legislature have .leyaod moans, perllapa
tho bcst thoy can DO under tho circumstances.
but worao thai t,sclcHs to us. TAoy had nucl,
hotter have remained at hotne saved tho cost OF
thor aBoloss nession, and loft to us tho bnro
charity and tender sympathy 81 'tho' American
people, ,--resouroos TINT tho aanitary supplies ot
tho War, and tho irnnnonao contributions OF tha
Chicago, Boston; and Wisconsin, flgos, have
proven to bo boundloss.
Aftor spending pfecioua timo Whiting tor tho
enactment Of tho Legislative farce, We aro thrown
upon cur own toaoutcos, 'crirpllnd ;aH thoy aro
by tho ha}t-moaauros Of tho Legislature, and tha
i'arrow pride Of tho 'Govbrnor, who porsIsts In
asserting, In tho faco Of tllo p!atnost evidence I'd
tue contrary. tint Kanaaa ia abta aud willing to
tako caro- Of It's own poor.. - - a:
We must llayo aaslstanoo ten-rold greatcr than
tho bond-aehemo can possibly afford, land groator
thnn tho State OF HanHaa can supply Twenty
couhsi9s 6nn VIII population ranging from ,2,ooO
to I, ,QQ0 EACH, arc almost destitute Of food. :
Tho -cnho Of Smith, County ls 'not. unusual,
Our population at tho tinao tho plaguo foil upon
w wAa nbont 6tooo,, made .upia n great part'ot
a9ldldra. Wto with W oacli q team md atapt sup.
pes to till ono crop could bo rasod. Ind
pushed .advonturonsiy out, with their wiyoa
and little ones, upon tho acarcc- -forsaken hunt
ing-grouhlo Of tho 1ndian,-hopiug, through
tin honitcenco OF tho Governsnent. 10 build Up
| for themselves homes, wht!c they reclaimed to
| civilization region which, but q fow yoars ago.
was supposed to DO asterie wasto, given over to
| tho rod man for ut loast century. We wero poor
but we , wo1o healthy; 4. and oopofa ana happy; t
Iowa. and MISSOURI, 30 that my eIporioncs has
boen varied but mover did I meet with people
so buoyant mid confldent'in tleir own future, 30
enthusiastic In their. lovn- forthcir own honaes
az ours vero previous to tho 28th Of July, when,
| in ti.no OF special oxultation, At tho worry
moment when no wore rejoicing In q bountiful
| rain that had revived OIL. parchod fioids and
would bring plenty to our, doors, & north wind
cast upon ia tho devastating horde. that reduced
us ut once.to tho most destitute condition. whore
| wo must hayo ald or perish. .s
It is estimated that this county contans 5000
people. at loaas 2,oop Of whom aro In =. manner
destitute now, mud will bo forced to dopoud upon
charity within tho. no1t two months. OF
tho romaining 5000, not fifty families hayo
n surplus Of provision for ;themsclyes,
without expanding pound in ~kcoplng up tho
strength Of tho toatn, without tho odcieut MD Of
which fnrmer losoa moro thnn lialf his strength.
10 holp ourselves IL impossible an absolute
community OF food would not aupp!y our fam
ilios till the lat Of April. Tho money we brought
to tho country is gone tho clothing ZIG, then
aerva tue euda .ot decancy, much leas thoaa Of
comfort; our settlements fiave been pushed for
:: ward so rapidly, aud tho disasters. Of drought
chnch.bnSs anu grassaoppors, aA sayo gcen .e 80
are moro than 200 miles from, any succor that
4 individual effort can reach. Unless tho sym-
patly and ioyo OF our rclior brethren aud sisters
Ut tho olloT States is extended to us In tho prac-
part OF our population will DO forced to leave
the homes now 30 dear, upon the acquisition OF
Which they havo staIfod not only tho last penny,
but tho Inst tnorsol of food will bo forced to
scatter East, West, North, South anywhere
that hops allures or necessity compolp,-a hopo-
less, squalid horde OF vagabonde. who, in nino
cases out Of ton~if wo 1slanase to drag our at-
touuatel frames into places Of safety, will re-
main poverty-ntricken all our lives. It ia worry
hard to realxo TINT any person Gnu do Of hun
gnr yet, III this homestead rcGioa, without help
from without, hundYeds will surely die Of want,
i 1t requires but small capacity Of logic to reach
country, and ii not supplied, death must ons,lo.
and . failnro OF tho Imagination to conceive tha
result does not holp out tho argument. -, ::
Dear frieuts, We nppeal to You. knowing TINT
ITO shall not appcal IN Faill. iittle from yorr
abundance will enable uB to rotain tho rreelou,
footlold, precious to the nation ut arge, but
touDly precious to tit, TINT We llaye gained. Wo
will hare saYod for ourselves thoso homes for
which we lavo toilcd and endured moro than you
csn well conceive; and wo will layo saved for
yo,t country that has almostno oqual. certainly
io superior, in r,chnass and beauty. With your
help and the blessings Of God, We will yot roallzo
Of this country tho full frnition OF our hopen.
We will mako tho desert to blossom as tho roEe.
stnitl. County has appointcd Oil agent to SOLICIT
4 mid. and tho other destitute counties will no
doubt do tho samo. Our agent, Mr. i, II.
Smith. will visit Chicago, New York, aud tnter-
mediate points.
We feol no humiliation In tlaNs presenting our
jNst wants, for we fcel that w ore III one sc1!se
soldiers of tho nation, who arc conquosJng M
turo i'll her behalf. Worry respectfully youra,
e. III. Bum.
| By order Of Aid Couamittae.