The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1875-01-14
Exaggerated Reports of pestitution In Aan-
sss-Haw the Sim ,athles OF The Creduleus
ira lhrsead

Sas-NuN tut o. IA "a tAS ~sSS-sSs.
Are Abused.
Whom a great commonwealth comc
before the nation clothed IN the gar
rnents Of mcndicancy, begging aims with
out stint at The hands of the people, 1T II
sight 80 startling and yet so pi,labie ~
10 call for immediate public invsstIga
ton, with view of al!cviating as mnci
rs possible tho distress OF state 81
sorelv stricken.
For the past four months the cry o
starvation has gone out from Kansas
through the leegth and breadth OF th'
land. The number reduced to absolute
de.titu,ion has been placed az high az
$4,000; the appeal for aid has been made
in every city in the nation, accompanied
by statements which would go TO show
that the fertile plains of Kansas were in
danger of becoming one vast charne
house; no great stretch of the magma
ton has been required 10 see skeletons
gistening in the sunlight on every hill
and grim death stalking over every p n
Kansas has always had q strong hold
upon the
AFFECTIONS OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE,
and to no one state in tho union would
charity flow IN o broader, deer channel
than TO Kansas. Boston alone, on the
22d of Deccmbe-, sent a check for So,
500 for the relief Of tho sufferers. Be
lisving the awful reports of the dcstitu'
zion TO have some foundation in truth,
but TO have been largely exaggerated,
very much to the detrIment of the State,
a Tribune reporter was detailed 10 inter
view a gentleman recently from thore,
as TO
TIE FACTS IN THE CASE.
The result is given as follows: Dur
ing the months of July and August ru-
nors reached the eastern part of the
state that in the northwest an army of
grasshoppers thirty miles wide was de-
stroying the crops. The rumors proved
well founded. The line of march was
from the northwest TO the southeast.
Their appearance in the air was similar
TO Il Violent snow storm. The variety
was the GryHuS Fuid,ssjmus; none ui
them were over one inch in length, and
IL took ordinarily a5out tweniy-four
hours for them 10 thoroughly harvest Il
field of corn. The wheat all over the
state had proven an abundant crop, and
was already harvested out OF harms
way.
A-GREAT DEAL OF CORN
in advance of the line Cf march. was
saved for fodder by cutting and stacking
il. The olly crops destroyed werc'corn
aud fruit. The above statements are
given in order Ia prove that it could only
be those who were depending upon a
corn crop alone who are rendered desti-
iute. This class Was composed entirely
of new settlers, ard these settlers, as a
rule, were men who went west with
very little money, depending upon th'
first years crop to put them upon their
feet. These settlers were located nearly
altogether upon lands in the
POUR WESTERN TIER OF COUNTIES.
viz; Jewell, Mitchell, Lincoln. Els
worth, Rice, Reno, Harper, Barbour
Pratt, Stafford, Barton, Russell, Osborn,
Smith, Phillips, Rocks, Ellis, Rush, Paw
nee, kiowa, Comanche, Norton, Ora
ham, Trego, Ness, Hodgmsn, Ford, and
Clark. In 1870 the counties had pop
ulation of 4,765, out Of 364, 1913 the total
population of the state. Or course this
number has been largely increased by
the steady tide of travel to that state
during the past tour years and new ccun-
ties have been formed still farther west
and south. To offset this however. il
the fact that between $4,000 and so 900
settlers have left Kansas since the grass
nd ha Ia
OF September, declared, through Gov.
Osborn, the AT rliiy to
TAKE CARE OF HER OWN POOR.
On the LIST day of December, however, I.
the governor submitted 10 the Kansas
Central Relief Committee an estimate
OF the state board of agriculture, dcclar-
ing state Of restitution in existence
west of the sixth principal meridian, and
representing the number Of destitute to I
be l2.0S9 out OF n total population of
&c, l04. Ia twelve of the counties named
the government has indicated it's purpose
TO issue army clothing. Ia Ford county
the number of destitute was placed by
this estimate at $50. The peeple of this
county recently held a meeting and re-
iecied all offers of assistance from the
state, giving the numbe Of destitute as
two. The state has never made gem
cral appeal for aid, but has authorized
agents from certain counties 10 solicit Il
subscriptions of money and clothing I
the eastern states, which have
been donated with unsparing hand, and
ear load after car loud sent out 10 tho
relief Oh this distressed people. An.
ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF swIYDnYG
is going on under the guise of charity,
and number of counties have succeed
cd in persnading the nation TO operate
their poor houses. Private individuals, i
too, have feathercd their nests quite COM
soit"bly for The ncst two or three years
The Kansas central relief committee are
in their efforts TO ascertain who
are really needy, and promptly forward
TO any county designated supplies sent
in their care.
This article is written with the inten.
ton OF doing justice TO 4 state which has .
10 superior, as far as climate and soil
nre concerned, in the country. Destilu-
ton does exist, but only To such an cx-
tent that in ordinary iimes the state out
OF her abundance could amnly nroyide