New-York tribune., 1874-12-25
ORR WESTERN RELIEF FUND.


A few weeks ago we called the attention OF
our readers to the suiierings OF the farmers ol
Kansas and Nebraska. wiiase lands hAye been
devastated and whose crops were DESTROYED
during the last year. The people of the frontier
are not q complaining class. They showed no
tendency to abandon their places and to rush
to the cities to pass tho hard Winter IN idlf
pauperism They stayed where their work
was, and prepared to face famine with the
same quiet courage which they have been IN
the habit of opposing to the ordinary dii'cui-
ties and dangers of the border. But 1t was
evident that without assistance great numbers
must succumb to the combined attack OF
hunger and cold. The State authorities and
the officers OF the army joined in pre-
senting the true state of things to the
attention of the country, and THE TRIBrNE
seconded their appeal. We requested those
who had anything to contribute to the relief
of the sufferers to send their offerings to the
Committee at Omaha. or to Gen. James >.
Brisbn, who was authorized to receive them.
A number of our readers, however, preferred
to send their contributions directly to this
Office. Upon this We suggested dollar sub
scription. and the result has been highly graf
living. We sent to Gov. Osborn Of Kansas,
and Ex-Gov. Saunders, Omaha. Nebraska, last
night the sum of Four Thousand Five Hundred
Dollars, received at this office, mainly in sums
of one dollar or less, in response to our sus-
gestiOn.
The sources from which this sum was col
lccted give it an especial significance. Very
few wealthy people joined in it. One of the
largest single contributions was that OF $50
from the Right Hon. William l.. Forster
The rest came mostly from those who
when they send a dollar gain Il higher
qualification by depriving themselves of a
lower. One thrifty householder, on con-
templating his Winters supply of bacon
sent dollar as a thank Offering. a widow,
looking out at the snow, thought of others
who were not so well housed, and sent her
mite to help them. Several energetic men
made raids through the trains which were
carrying tired citizens to their homes and
never failed to reap good harvest OF dollars.
But the richest field after all was the sympa-
thetic sphere of home and the family. Tho
ROSY atmosphere of the coming Christmas was
especially favorable for the development of
kindly feelings towards poor children in the
West who may be forgotten by Santa Claus
A very large proportion Of all that has come
to us is the result Of this generous sympathy
on the part of little children, who have cut
down their own holiday budget and explored
the chimneys of their own savings banks to
find o dollar for those who need it more than
they do. No one could give away money
more hardly earned than those dollars &C.
ouired at the rate Of three cents q day "fOr
Al, 4
flee, which ought to be dOubly blessed The
dollars we have received from children, sent
in little notes. painfully printed in capitals,
authenticated by many blOts, sincerely mis-
spclt, and dciciously ungrammatica, seem
almost too precious to be spent for pork and
corn, and well nigh make us hope that part
of tho contributions may be sluandercd in
candy and tin soldiers.
We feel, therefore, that the Offering we have
had the pleasure of sending to the destitute
people of the Far West has the character of
personal sacrifice which gives to all charity
its highest value. round hundred thousand
voted by commercial board would have
bought more provisions, il is true, but it
would not have represented such a sum of
earnest kindlncss and humanity. 1t might
have given tho receivers wider relief but it
would not have done so much for the givcrs.
Every hour which has been spent in canvass
ing for small subscriptions. every moment of
kindly chat over the dinner table, resulting in
il ransacking Of pockets, every diversion of
boarded pennies from their natural dcstna-
ton at the toy shop to the work Of distant
charity, is worth far more here than it ia in
Nebraska. You cannot eat your cake and
"haye it" il q maxim Of worldly prudence,