The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1878-07-25
THE FAMINE IN CHINA.
The Most Fearful Calamity on RecOrd-Cltles
Fairly DepOpulAted

Shanghai Correspondence London Times
The famine seems now TO be at its worst The
Impoverished country consists Of the greater part
of the Province Of Shand, parts of Southwestern
Chill, Western 5hantung, aud the northern dis
trlcts Of Honan, comprising an area varlously es.
timated at from rs 900 to 100000 square miles The
greatest distress ia in the southern half OF shans
Including the provincial capital, Tai Yuen, the
population Of which, unless rain comes at once
bids fair to become absolutely extinct In It's
horrible details, as given by all witnesses foreign
and native, official and missionary 1t is the direst
calamity that this or any other country has been
visited with. The sturdy Chinese peasants do not
calmly fold their hands and die, like our poor
fellow subjects, the Madrasses last year they eat
the dead and when there are none they will kill
the living for the same purpose. This is no ORR
entail exaggeration, but the actual state Of things
In district not 700 miles from Shanghai In the
Pekin Gazette Of the 10Th Of March there appears
a memorial from Ii Ho,nien, Governor Of Monan,
and Yuan, Special High Commissioner for Fam.
Inc Relief, appealing for State assistance to the
distressed province. From II may be gathered the
straits to which the faminestricken country is re-
duced. therefore append a translation of it,and
l must remind my Countrymen as they read 1t
that 1t Is no sensational picture to move the tears
ofemotional subscribers, but a calm description
OF the state Of the province by its responsible
rulers in the language of a Blue book:
1.-THE drought with which the proVir ce has been
visited for several years In succession has result
ed in famine Of an intensity and extent hitherto
unheard OF, AS autumn advanced into winter the
number Of those in need of relief increased daily
nm nj la han hn I,,. ...tYIt
The lower classes were the first to be affected and
they soon disappeared or dispersed In search Of
subsistence elsewhere. Now the famine has at
tackled the well-tO.do and the wealthy, who find
themselves reduced to greater misery as each day
goes BY and they, in their turn, are dying Off or
following those who have migrated elsewhere. In
the earlier period Of distress the living fell upon
the bodies of the dead next the strong devoured
the weak and now the general deStitution has
arrived at such a climax that men devour those
Of their own flesh and blood. History contains no
record OF so terrible and distressing state of
things, and II prompt measures of relief are not
Instituted the whole region must become depopu-
lated. Local sources of supply are entirely ex.
hausted the granaries are empty and the treas.
ury drained dry while the few wealthy people
in The provinces have helped with contributions
and loans until they themselves are impoverish
ed"
This dreadful picture Is fully borne out by the
letters received in Shanghai from the foreign mis-
sionsries in Shausi. The Roman Catholic Bishop
of ahansi, Mgr. Monagatta. who is a resident In
Tai Yuen, the capital Of the province writes from
that city under date Of the oath of March, to the
Procurer des Lazaristes here, acknowledging the
receipt Of 10000 tealS for distribution. He says
"Jusqu' present Pon SO contenait de manger
ceux qui etaient deja morris, mais maintenant Ton
tue aussi les viVants pour les manger. LIE mari
mango sa femme, les parents mangent leura fils ct
leur files, ct a leur tour les enfants mangent eurB
parents CONNIE lon entend dire presque chaque
jOHr"
In the Prefecture in which the capital of Shansi
is situated the population has diminished from
over 1,OOOO 900 to 100000 and the Chinese newspa.
pers here give the number of people who have
died of starvation, or met the awful fate Just re.
corded at over 6O00OOO