National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-09-27
SUFFERING In MICHIGAN.
Terribie Details OF the Devastation by the
Recent P1rea.


The following extract is from letter
written by Mrs. f. l.. Wells, ofPortHuron, Mich.,-
n lady no less prominent In the social and benevo-
ient than Is her husband in the business and po-
litcnl circles Of their statc--to Mrs. u. A. Harlan
In this city. She says;
II carries me back ten years when ! go
down every morning 10 the same old store,
cant again, there 10 work ali day overhauling
boxes, barrels, packages OF old clothes and new,
while to such pitifui tales tbat sec only through
tears We thought II terrible ten years ago. Re-
ierring TO tho forest fires which made such de-
son Chicago was butned.l 'Tis ten times more
so now 50 many lives were lost and tho death
50 horrible, and about rs many more are so fright
fully burned that they had far
BETTER HAVE DIED.
Many Will die, and many more will get up again
and go about without hands or feet, perhaps
blind, and many will mover recover their senses,
which were. driven from them by the agony Of
seeing their loved ones suffer and by terror and
excitement. Fancy If you can-but assure, you
IL VIII be lmpossiblc-miles and miles OF land np-
pcaTing like desert covered with nshcs; scarcely
house or building ofnny kind or tree within
sight Yet the FIRE, in its strange Freaks left here
ana there littlc village, or few buildings hud-
died togother--perhapsa a school.housc ora church
in one place hotel, and In another the court,
mouse into these the suffering and distracted
people who survived have gathered, not so many
coming down 10 us Us came before, but some come,
nnd to the Others we are sending relief In the
nilhlu pIuNlNNnh anu ClOllllnB Us ilhb US ~ ID
possible to do so by
HARD AND FAITHFUL work,
men and women giving their whole time TO 1t
those whose lives are always busy, and yet they
take The time We are receiving help from all
directions-pcoplc are so good-and we send II on
rs last as we can possibly put 1t n proper shape
for we must send general assortment in every
direction Our citzeiis organized the first night
we heard of the fire, our mayor at the head of the
relief committee and other citizens equally promi-
nent as Jealous, Senator Congcr works constantly
he work whom hig rpn hpart Is stirred
He has been over the ground and knows all about
u, and he Is In and out Of our relief room every
hour. We have twenty machines now running
day and evening, making bedding and under.
clothing, aud pack aud send of enough every DAY
TO supply supply She present needs Of 100 people, But
TEN THOUSAND HousELEss HOMELESS,
entirely destitute. None have yet died Of want MS
the people who were left shared readily with the
sufferers, and we are sending quantities Of bread
&c. But, oh they must have so much, aud we eau
only supply them with what they need from day
TO day. The clothing we send Is mostly old and
will serve them but a little while. How wo do re.
Juice over box of new clolhing whom one comes,
as ono does occasionally aud they must have new
clothing and houses and seed, aud farm implc-
ments, nnd horses, mud cattle, aud provisions, for
they have nothing but their land, and desire not
TO desert that. IL is true help Is coming from al
directions, and the articles are improving better
Things are beginning to come, though little that Is
new; but IL will take so much of everything TO
make
THREE THOUSAND FAMILIES
VIII tire OF giving. / wish you were well nc
quointed In Washington | would set you at work.
Almost every one would give Il little money II re-
minded. aud money buys most things twill not
restore !lc or health always, but II will do won.
ders toward saving those who nrc lcft We are so
near, and everything must go through here, no
matter where II comes from. So they look to us for
help, and we are not slow to pass along whatever
comes. And we at first secured our own city and
sent great many boxes aud contributed much
money before any help arrived from outside. Our
little narrow gauge road, which Is the only road
that pcnetrates the district, has lost heavily in
fencing, ties, aud telegraph. poles, wires, depot
buildings, &C., to say nothing of the dostruc-
ton Of SO much which they depended upon for
freight. Yet In one day they had the track in
running order again and have been carrying all
sorts OF help for nothing ever since. That Is the
good OF having road owned by ten of our proni-
nent citizens, and those, too who are always fore
most In good works. Washington people
KNOW AND TRUST SENATOR CoYGER
and can well believe that If money is sent to him
every cent will do good duty. 1t would If sent to
any OF the committee, but he Is one, and I'm au-
thority. II will take great many subscriptions,
and we hope and pray every city In this generous
country Will help some, whether much or little.
could write a book telling Of heartrendlng incl
dents. You know something of what II was be-
fore; this Is so much worse In magnitude, not in
kind; but Will not harrow your feelings nor tor
ture myself wish could stop thinking about It.