American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1880-02-21
An Appalling Picture of the Distress
in Ireland.

A letter from Clifden, in the extreme
west of Galway County, written on the
23d of January, has been published at
Dublin, which gives a terrible picture
of the position to which things have al
ready come all through that region:
eLast evening Clifden presented an APP
palling picture. Crowds of ragged,
famished men and women thronged
around the doors of the meat-shops clam
oring for food. Many had waited up all
through the night in the bitter frost be-
sieging the houses of the Relief Com
mittee. Several thousands flocked into
town during the day, demanding relief.
committee, crying: I'VE are starving;
we must have food!' The police had to
be called in to clear the meat-shops OF
the mob. They gathered threateningly
around the house where the Relief Com
mittee were sitting. The Rev. Mr.. Cor
coran had to address them from the
window, imploring them to give the
committee two hours to arrange. The
crowd dispersed for time. Five hun
dred relief tickets for half bag of meal
each were issued the previous day.
There were still applications unpro-
vided for. Knots of men and women
remained in the street until midnight,
though the air was intensely cold. The
committees resources are now ex-
hausted. They are ESQ in debt for
meal. The demoralizing influence OF
relief in charity instead of work is al
ready making itself painfully felt.
Charity has more than enough to do in
feeding and clothing school children and
helping the sick and aged. The first
day the new industrial school at
Ardbear opened over 800 children
applied for their breakfast. Owing to
the want of funds only seventy can now
be fed. The Sisters of Mercy are Civ
ing breakfast daily to 100 children, and
are doing wonders in the way of cloth
ing and nourishing the sick. Fever has
broken out at Carna. Four families are
stricken down in one village. They
have no food but what the neighbors
give for charity" The writer added
that "unless employment is provided
in q fortnight, deaths and disturbances
are inevitable" A very serious acct
dent is also reported. The Liverpool
Committee of Relief had forwarded ten
tons of Indian meal for Clifden, which
were being conveyed around the coast
from Galway in a " hooker" or fishing
smack When passing Slyne Head, off
Errismore, the hooker was boarded by
a crowd of men who came out in boats.
They declared they were starving, and
demanded the relief meal. The pilot
said he had but one life to lose, and
would lose it in defense of his vessel.
The raiders tried to drag the hooker on
the rocks, but were daunted by the dis
play of firearms. They broke open the
matches, saying they wanted nothing but
the relief meal. The master said it
was at the bottom of the boat, and that
the bags of meal on the top belonged to
Clifden merchants, and had their names
on them, and that it would be piracy to
touch them. They were finally per-
suaded to leave without taking any
thing. The hooker arrived safely at
Clifden. 1t is rumored that gun-boat
will be sent to cruise in Galway waters
for the protection of provisions arriv-
ing by sea.
Four pounds and ii ounces of fine