St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1875-01-15
ours as ever,
&. VI. SOUTHGATE
An Appeal for Help.

!
words of ours can. The writer and her
husband went from this county. and are
known to many of our readers. 1t is
proposed To send them box of articles
for distribution among the most needy.
ut once: and all are invited to contrib
ute any articles called for in this, and
leave them at the store of John y.
| Moore. opposite the st. J"hnshury
I House. and they will he boxed and for
warled without delay. Contributions
must he made 10y the 2l>t. us the call is
urgent. and il is desirable to send soon
as possible:
MApURA. Clay Co, Kan, Dee. Ii. ~.
Ny Dear Friends Il should have
answered your letter long ago. but tn
tell the truth had no stamps. \ friend
sent ten to my brother in-law. and he
divided with us. Last wear We did NOT
raise enough of ANY thing to keep u>
/ through the winter. and two at our COWS
died for want of proper food: the rest
just dragged through. This year we
have but one at home. We have let Il
man at Exeter take the other four toI
two Years to the halves of the Increase.
as we had no hay. and could only get
enough for two horses and Il COW. Some
of our stock which we had depended on
for our winters supply of meat. (amd
4 the surplus To SELL We were obliged Ia
kill to keep them from starving tn
! death. We cannot fry the meat H.
there is only Il skin. no fat y pig -four
months old goes into Il common dup
1 ping pan. i'll our stove oven after the
/ head and feet are cut Oft. From three
quarters of IL three car>-old hritcr
/ tried the rough tallow and got one
quart. We have killed and eaten ON
hens. all but six. We get no eggs aS We
can only feed them enough to keep
them alive. We have nothim" hut
Prairie hay tor our huI>r> 80 they will
be in II" condition for springs work.
/ We've not Il potato. or vegetable of amy
/ kind: hat We shall do for wheat. corn
and vegetable seeds i'll the spring | can
not tell. We've about fifty pounds of
Hour. NO meal. about two pounds of
sugar. three of coffee. two of dried ap-
pie. and onc-h;il pound of tea. and
these not paid for. BY reading at an
Institute | earned enough (carlN in tie
fali) for IL little clothing. and three dol
lars worth of yI"ccrir>.
Having Il poor Year last yrar We had
great hopes this, and everything prom
i>cd we'll. OIr peach. apple cherry.
and plum trees were loaded with green
fruit and We were sure OF Il harvest
from the tees whose seeds We had
planted. but the dr0uth. terrible and
unSparing. fairly cooked the plums and
early peaches. All prospect of corn WAS
gone but we thought the late rains
would give lis late peaches, apples and
winter wheat. and that our field of tall
green cornstall> with the nuhhin>. and
Immature ears upon them would keep
our COWS i'll good condition and We
did not dream Il druuth would kill the
hungarian grass. but it did. And then
came the glaS>hopprr> a> thick AZ the
hcaN lest fall of >uoW Yea ever SAW. and
every inch of fence boards. posts. trees.
branches. leaves and stalks were cover
ed the air was thick with them they
flew so thickly as they struck Your tacc.
II would tinglc as from Il smart blow
with stick. ANY one going out would
he obliged to cover the face. In two
days every cornticld was bare; only
short yellow Stuhhs remaining. Every
tree WAS bare of leaves as winter. Fruit
on the peach trees. Every melon, (thcy
were small and growing III the time
cucumber, squash, beet. onion. tomato
and cabbage disappeared as 10y magic :;
not Il veStigc of debris to mark the spot
where the garden had been. Well we
felt buc. Do yuu wonder Our taxes
were unpaid. People are owing the
Doctor, who cannot pay him. Debts
due him last wear. as well as this. He
one way or another. This is the con-
dition of most of our neighborS nearly
every family is needy and suffering.
have given away Undertaking, and
loaned sheets and pillow eases to the
sick, until very short myself and if
sick, do not know what | should do.
The want of clothing, flannel, and the
like. is felt mostly among the Ameri-
cans. There are many English among
lis who need help sadly us to food, but
have plenty of clothing. sent them 10y
friends in England. Many of the ladies
here as well as myself have gone with
out shoes i'll the house most of the time
the last year or two. | have pair now
that could make last till spring. if
had thick pieces of cloth or carpeting.
with lining and binding. that | could
make moccasins to wear i'll the house
| could also make them for others if
had material.
have i'll mind many who like lis are
living closely, going to bed many Il
night hungry, wearing rags, or anything
bound about their feet in the house.
that they may have shoes when they go
out. or when friends come to visit them.
keeping all to themselves. 50 Il stranger
would never know. If the ladies of st.