New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-11-14
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
HORRORS OF THE NEBRASKA FAMINE.


REPUBLICAN VALLEY MADE A DESERT by THE
LoCUsrs-rHE FAMILIES OF THIRTY THOUSAND
SETTLERS THREATENED WITH STARVATION - AN
APPEAL. TO EASTERN PEOPLE FOR POOD-THE
Estate AID SOCIETY," NOT DESERVING OF TIE
NAME.
70 tho Editor Of The tribune.
SIR: wish to say word about this "grass-
homer region" OF Nebraska. All the counties in tho
Republican Valley, called "the Garden Of Nebraska
have been visited by the destroyer The inhaDtsnt as
is always the case with homcseaders" arc poor, ana
are seeking homes for themselves and children here,
because unable to purchase them East. Most OF them
came in their country and could bring only
little with them; and ther little stock OF money was
exhausted the first year IN beginning to i've anh In
planting a few OF sod cora and vegetables sod
land is not adapted wheat for the brst two years
they arc confned to the corn crop Win the excepo"
OF California in its golden days. the Republican valley
ia uuparalIeled in rapidty OF growth and emigration
This Comfy of Harlan has increased from nothihg 10
5000 inhabitants In the last three years. This rapid IN
crease OF population taken into consideration WIN tne
newucss OF the country renders the Srasshopper VISTA
ton far more serious matter than in an Older settled
country The people had no stock OF fo0d on manu.
and were looking forward with hopes ot "
grand crop OF corn aud vegetables. when tho myriad
destroyers came and in three days this Eleh was
turned ioto desert Every green thing was eaten up
Even forest along the streams were as pare a'
In midwinter. Imagine region OF country ~ mIicS
wide u long, without corn potatoes or fruit OF any
kind-except wild plums-without pumpkin SQUASH
beet or turup, and yOu have the state Oh INC iour
western counties OF the Republican valley as they arc
today Two-thirds OF the people must derive their
entre subsistence from abroad or starve. Some nave
gone East temporarily to get work. and some to spend
the Winter with friends but most with their families are
too poor to co. and face to face with starvation un-
less relief comes from abroad. The people nave ap-
pointed Relief Committees In all these cOuhues Win
sub committees to look after tho most needy, aud we
have divided around with one another TIL all are poor
alike. To aggravate our condition, sickness, snperih-
duced by scanty and poor fare. begins to appear among
the people and several have already died from sarVa'
ton being too proud or diient to make their wants
known TIL too late.
But this Ia not tho worst OF Some prominent
individuals Omaha and the eastern part OF the state
met at Omaha and formed themselves into State Aid
Society,"" tho stock company principle, with NOM
lnal stock Of 100000 and assumed tho control ana
manipulation OF all the supplies for the destitute III tho
entire State With an unbounded benevoence, not
common in stock companies, they chose TO monopolzc
tho charitable work of feeding 10000 starving men,
women and children, and have faculty OF converting
supplies sent from abroadlnass specially directed TO
some individual by name-nto tho stock OF their CON-
pany These supplies they propose TO send OUT u DO
ont to tho people, requiring them to give their notes
implanted crop so that the poor settler must
sign his name the printed note OF this benevolent
AID Society" before lie get pound or Hour, or
Dork or beans for his FAM shng wife and children Thus
after being obsolete 5000 years, the ancient role OF
Pharaoh and the starving Egyptians. Is played over
again these latter DAYS with this advantage In the
original drama, that Pharaoh corn was his own, aud
not the OF other people This week the President OF
oar County RELIEF Committee was Informed that there
was carload supplies for Harlan County AT Lowell,
the nearest abroad depot 40 miles distant from mere
In has Io harncsssi his leam aud went there. Be-
~
refused let him have tle first thing unless nc either
paid for them or would give ms nUts to ' 70 e c4
HE Ind ami has determined not t. 20 again an buy
supplies of this state Aid ei Stock Co. He can plr-
bat are we 70 don Possibly this State Relief Company
has formed so strong ring" around that nothing
get to IL, ia the shape or reoI nut wnat must pass
through their hands in hs style Te papers te Us OGt
Railroad Will bring supplies from CnlcaGo and
lna the BnFncson ana Missoar aud the Union Pacific
Railroads. VIII do the same from Omaha as far Hest rs
roads viii bring supplies other than those that are TO
pass through the hands or this State company. Ihe
Methodist minister this county, moved by the desti
tution OF tns people, few days sInce went down
among the churches OF ms denomination IN the eastern
par0 Of the state and obtained carload OF food and
Old clothing &C., ANA shipped the ut Omaha for
Lowell. Bat when he went with team to get load OF
them, he found an agent OF this STATE company III
charg car peremptorily refused TO let him
have supplies without pay. The preacher tue Rev.
bim, rallied few Of the brethren and tnrottIed the
agent broke open tho car and took load OF the goods
ri e dTis thew now being Distributed 10 the
poor Of our county. l. the Sheriff should come into this
county after tho dominic 1t will probably furnish occa-
sion for newspaper paragraph.
Wll the press he silcnti VIII the railroad companies
in New York. Ono, lad ana, and Illinois stand stl aud
SEQ $1,000 people SHUT up to starvef Or Will they
br9l turOugn to relief Congress VIII soon,
when expect some hing Will be done for US; but in
The mean tune people perishing and dying of
hunger. People abroad by tho thousands are willing TO
aye were t not that the railroad reahtS would exhaust
tho values OF their gl,is VIII not the railroads open
from Buffalo 10 Omaha in our behafi We are here Ia
Lese en1s Of the cartn" without money WI thou in
uence with the press with railroad corporations and
under complicated ebdrrassmcnts OF our situation,
as above reclted We hardly know what to do IL Is an
honor to help those to whom 1t Is dishOnor to be
necessities not from their worth
cssneSs, but by the visitation OF God have taken
HE TRIBUNE years, and the successors Of Horace
Greeley know Will speak III our behalf.
Republican Guy, Neb., Nov. 3. 1874. j. MCCREERY.
GAS FROM PETROLEUM. 4