The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-09-14
Feeding the Hungry.

Feeding the Hungry.
(Frm the Memphis Avalanche. Sept. lO
Thu King of Terrors continues to
's1ateb victims with FEARFUL rapidity.
Orb by one those who remain in the
city and are liable to the monster
malay are taken down, and the
quesbn is asked by those yet on
theireet, "Who will be the next to
fall y But three short weeks ago
our civ was active with business of
all classes, our people were happy
and prosperous, and the entire bust
ness cmmunity was in cheerful
tempenver the prospect of heavy
and lucative fall trade. Now our
streets are deserted, our stores and
residences empty, and out of popu-
lation Q more than $4,000 barely
5000 remain, and of these nearly 500
are in tie grave, and perhaps double
that number lie suffering with rack
ing pain and burning fevers. But
three weeks have passed since the
fever broke out among us, and from
six to eight weeks must yet elapse
before relief can be extended and the
fever checked by the appearance of
frost. The scenes about the aid
centres remind one of the days of
war. Particularly does the waiting
crowd of basket-holding people about
the comnlissary department awaken
in the writer's memory the days
following the capture of the city of
Savannah, when the people of
starved town, many the members of
families of the first social position,
went daily to take their place in
long line and draw the rations which
the generous people of the cities of
the North had sent in great ship
loads to the suffering Southern port.
gr0es, who sit on the curbing and on
the pavement of the street beyond
the railing of the commissary depot,
and clutching their baskets and the
orders from ward committees, watch
intently the large door and listen
long in vain to hear their own names
pronounced by the black crier mount
ed on the box upon the windows
ledge. The crowd is four or five
hundred in number during the live
long day. The system of giving
rations, as worked by the relief COM
mittee, is as cautious, as proof against
imposition, probably, as it is posi-
bile to make it. All applications of
the needy are made toward COM
mitteemen, whose duty it is to look
into the justice of the claims made to
them, and then to give draft on
Commissary Maccade for the number
of rations and the number of days.
This draft is presented, and the
holders name and time for drawing
and number of rations are entered
in large indeXed book. From this
book they are fed in turn as long as
their drafts call for. Oyer thirty
thousand rations have been issued so
far, and the demand is increasing
daily n proportion to the rapidly
growing want and utter restitution
among the colored people. The
booksof the commissary are admir-
ably kept, showing every ounce Of
food received through any source,
andshowing clearly its disposition.
Y We see the following in several of
our West Virginia exchanges. Mr..
Keyser's letter seems to be the out
come of action had last winter by
the West Virginia legislature look
ing to correction of inequalities in
the matter of freight and passenger
charges in that State:
CAMDEN STATION, BALTIMORE, I
August 29th, 1878. J
Col. John A. Robinson, Patterson'S
Creek, W. Va.
Dear Sir In response to your
valued favor of the 31st July. | beg
to say that this company is now en-
gagged in preparing a new freight tar
IN to govern rates in the State OF
West Virginia, which it contem-
plates putting in operation this fall.
This new tariff reduces the local
rates, and think will be satisfactory
to the merchants and citizens doing
business with the road. / advised
you few days since that the new
local passenger tariff had Oeen deci-
ded upon and would shortly take ef.
feet.
Yours respectfully,
VIM. KEYSER,