The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1874-03-12


gave the mother (who al seemed +
think was most TO blame) nine yesr
in The psnitsntissy:
/ sU1sEnIre HeaTHuzsr.
/ Lsetsrkrom . opdar Cou1sy Hal
Who haoneen thsee.
| The following letter written to tn
Mechanicsville Press by Mr.. McCor
mick, IN old resident Of Cedar coun
ty, explains itself. It win be found
particularly interesting fromsths fac
that, notwithstanding the visits Of
both Legislative and Grange Com
mittees to the scene, there are news-
papers which ssill persist in declar.
ing the reports Of privation and need
all a humbug. This il what Mr..
McC ormick sayE
/ left Mechanicsville February
10Th with car load Of goods kindly
donated by the citizens in this Sec
ton consisting Of the following arti-
cleS $500 pounds Of dour, l0,950
pounds Of meal, 20 pounds Of pork,
barrels Of salt, 5 bushels of beans,
the same Of oats, one box containing
IS hats, one pair Of shoes and eco in
money.
Through the kindness of Mr.. Dem
ny procured free transportation IS l
thought, from here to the needy ones.
The route laid down for me to travel
with the goods was from here to the
junction Of the Missouri Valley road
and from there to Sioux City and
from there to Sheldon. 1t was rep
resented to me that the goods tcoald
be carried to their destinasion free Of
charge. But imagine my surprise on
arriving At Sheldon, and before !
could touch the goods they demand
ed one hundred and four dollars az
freight from lNechanicsrille.
II is my opinion that it was no fault
Of any of the agents, but tits the way
these soULLEss CORPORATIONS have
OF noBBING THE PEOPLE. Is
there no way Of making them give
back this money that they have pur-
Joined from the needy and destitute
homesteaders:.
The circulars sent ont by the OFF,
cials of the Northwestern road state
that they viii carry goods TO the
homesteaders FREE; but my expert
80 far, teaches me that it is only q
dodge and meant as a catch-paw
for those who do not go and see to
the distribution Of the goods sent, as
I did.
On arriving at Sheldon / went and
made the acquaintance of S. L. Der.
~, general distributing agent Of the
thirteen townships, and through hi.
kindness ! paid . visit to many of
the destitute families, and in my
short stay Of three days, travelled
over sixty miles; and with your per-
mission will state what / saw while
there and facts as learned from relia-
BILE sources.
The proportion of restitution in
this section is about FIVE sixths Of
the entire inhabitants. Wood is out
of the question, for there is none
within forty miles Of Sheldon. There
is no grain for seed in the county. /
visited number OF the citizens who
at present are actually in starving
condition; and all that keeps body
and soul together is the supplies sent
them from their more fortunate
neighbors. They have no coal only
that shipped there, and no money to
buy even that. During the three
days that ! spent in visiting these
people, ! saw more suffering than
ever before in my life in the same, or
double that time. The stock have
nothing but wild hay TO eat, and the
hogs diet on the same substance
There is not team to family, and
what horses there are will not be fit
TO do any work the coming spring, if
they live until that time, for there is
nothing left Of them but skin and
bones. But for all their misfortunes
l think they are thrifty and indus
trious people, for their fall work is
al done in good shape.
There was but one farmers house
land that was Geo. Johnson's) that /
visited that was plastered; and il the
winter had been as cold rs last, many
hundred would undoubtedly have
frozen to death. All the accounts
that have read in relation to the
suffering, there is nos,s Of them, &C.
cording to my judgement, were over
drawn, and there are empty stomachs
for all the provisions there are to
spare. Every grain of corn, wheat or
oats, is as carefully guarded as SO
much gold.
/ have simply stated facts as they
exist, with ou. magnifying or draw
ing on the imagination in the least.
Hoping that all feel the necessity Of
rendering what aid they can to theiI
suffering brethren. ] am
Yours truly,
Mf(0pMrcR