The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-11-10
THE WOLF AT THE DOOR.
NEBRASKA


the plague and famine stricken people of
Western Nebraska Gen. Brisbin gives a
graphic account of the sufferings of those
for whom he is asking aid. We make a few
extracts:
Stopping az the cabins by the roadside to
see for myself how the families were living,
l met among others Mrs. Russell and her
daughter. They live on a creek seven
miles from Arrapahoe, in Gosper county,
Nebraska. Their habitation is a dugout, and
when 1 entered the cabin. the ladies of the
family had Just finished their dinner, which
consisted of two small pieces of bread and a
watermelon. / talked with them for some
time and asked them many questions:
General Brisbin-What have you got here
to eat?
Mrs. Russell-Very little, sir.
General B.-Tell me all about it?
Mrs. RUSSELL have only a pint of -four
in the house.
Genera B.-Have you no meat, sugar,
coffee, rice, hominy or bread?
Mrs. Russell-None, sir.
General B.-Have you any money?
Mrs. Russell-None, sir.
Miss RusselI-Mother and 1 nave lived on
$40 since April last.
General BLOW old are you, Miss Rus
sell?
Miss Russell-Nineteen, sir.
O0u6Idl DIV ndb OGA NO0 u.
Mrs. RUSSELL wish she could get work.
General B.-What can you do, Miss Rus
sell?
Miss Russell--I am a very good seamstress.
General B.-Can you read and write?
Miss Russel-On, yes, 1 am a pretty fair
scholar, / think.
Mrs. Russell-She is a good dressmaker,
and worked for many families in the East.
General B.-Can o get work?
Miss Russel-No, sir; | have tried, but no
one has any dresses to make out here this
year. That is the trouble.
General B.-Mrs. Russell, are there any
Door families near yOu?
Mrs. Russell-Yes, sir; our n%eighbor
across the creek, Mrs. Beck, an educated
lady, is as bad off as ourselves.
Miss Russell-Let me run over and tell
her to come over.
General BIS it far?
Miss Russell-Only a little distance, and
she will be here in a minute.
General B. Mrs. Russell, have you any
shoes?
Mrs. Russell-No. sir; but 1 have an old
pair of slippers?
General B.-You have seen better days,
madame, 1 should think?
Mrs. Russell Indeed 1 have, sir, and /
never knew what hard times were until
now.
Mrs. Russell-Has the aid society clothing
to distributed?
Gen6fdl L 6S, NDdJ 10 YOu ut6us
Mrs. Russell-A great many things, sir,
but it is humili8ting to ask for them.
General B.-Never mind; we are not GO
ing to let you starve or freeze, Mrs. Russell,
because you liv out here on the frontier
and have been unfortunate.
Mrs. Russell (cryingEI am sure it is
very rood of the kind people in the East to
think of us, and we shall never forget them
for il.
General B.-Mrs. Beck, will you please
tell me when you came here, b ondi-
ton your family is in, and what you need?
Speak frankly, as though talking to a friend.
Mrs. Beck-I will, sir. We have been out
here two years. and came from Champlain
county, Illinois. We live on a soldiers
claim. NV husband was a soldier in the
second Illinois cavalry for four years, n
served under General Ord. We have a good
farm and feel like sticking to 1t. OF course,
after being on it so long, we dislike to give
it up. We have
NC MONEY IN THE WORLD
except ten cents hat 1 have. All our crops
were destroyed, both last year n this
year, and we have now literally nothing
no horses, hogs, cattle or sheep. 1 am
baking my last loaf of bread to-day, and 1
wondered where 1 would get -four to make
any more. 1 was thinking about it all day,
and had faith to believe some good Samari-
tan would come along and bring me flour. 1
did not despair, for God will not let
us starve. Our women are nearly out
of shoes, undergarments and dresses.
1 nave had but one new
calico dress in a year. 1 was educated at the
normal school in Illinois, and taught six
wears before / was married and two years
since. These are hard tirnes hat have fallen
upon us, and we can never be grateful
enough to our Eastern friends, or REPAY their
kindness in helping us out. 1t is unpleas-
ant to accept charity, but the truth is we are
liz great need, and many more families are
own. Mrs. Beck was accompanied by a
bright little girl, and both Mrs. Russell
and Mrs. Beck were remarkably hand
some and intelligent ladies. Miss
Russell wore a pair of boys bro
gans, and 1 do net think Mrs. Beck had on
any shoes. In Mrs. Russell's dugout the
earthen floor was swept clean, and although
poverty was everywhere apparent, there
was no want of tidiness. At Arrapahoe a
merchant, whose name | did not take down
at the time. and which have since forgot
ten, related to your agent the following in
cident: "The other day, as [ was
eating my dinner in the room be-
hind the store, where my wife and
/ live, a little girl came into the store and
my wife invited her to come in and be seated
until / had done. when / would wait on her.
/ noticed the child looked wistfully at the
table, and as / passed out saw the tears were
rolling down her cheeks. L asked her what
was the matter, but she would not tell me.
/ told nv wife to find out what allied the
child, and went out, closing the door behind
me. The little girl then confessed to my
wife she was hungry, n said she had not
tasted food for IS hours, and that her mother
and little sister were at home i'm the same