The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-06-23


PLE-SUFFERING BUT 80 DEATHS FROM
STARVATION.
Correspondence of the Richmond Dspaich.l
JUNE 10, 1SS2.
Since writing YOU nv last cOmmunica-
ton this county has attained Il nOt0ricty
heretofore unknown in it, history, and
many anXiou. hearts. as they have read OF
the suffering and dying in our midst from
starvation. have turned in tender sympathy
their thoughts and prayers away of 70 these
rugged mountains, and many a tear has
come unbidden TO the check OF the bcncyO-
lent, and many Il fond mother has pressed
her loved one nearer TO her bosom Il, she
thanked her God that her lot had not been
east among these people.
This county. heretofore q land OF plenty,
Of .milk and honey" always Boosting OF
a surplus of brcadstufls, was last summer
visited by a whitening drought that cut
short all OF our crops. Oar people. unused
10 such a state OF affairs, did not know how
to prepare for The emergency. Our :" local
authorities" though good and prudent
men, were unable 10 comprehend the stu
alton, and made no provision Tor the dam
gers that threatened u>. II was not till
March court. when our people began to
looking to their rclief-a large meeting Of
or citizens was convened and resolutions
adopted calling upon our supervisors either
TO act at once in the premises u to resign
their offices.
In that meeting the writer asserted that
this county was in imminent danger OF
great suffering for bread, and that bread
riots had been threatened. For thi, speech
4 al. ..lfi al
for using language that would tend to en-
courage idleness and begging.
Our supervisors, after much debate. con-
Guided to make levy OF Sl.00O-thc
amount OF funds then belonging to the
county and in the hands OF our treasurer.
That amount was expended for grain, and
a. soon as possible brought to the county
and the most OF it sold for cost This did
a great deal of good at the time. but was
soon consumed Then il was that our SUI
pervisors made another levy Il $4,000, and
ordered county bonds to be struck Of
and grain purchased Herewith and sold
ont TO our county people. The treasurer,
after various efforts, reported that he could
not make sale OF the bonds. Now il WAS
that the crisis was about to culmlnaie-no
funds, no credit, no grain, no bread, and
grim want at the door. At that iunctTe
some benevolent merchants OF our county
Messrs. Thomas j. and Green Penn, john
n. and Edwin Zentmeyer, and James II.
Ranzeley-conccivcd the idea OF making an
appeal to their friends for help.
Nohly has that appeal been responded 70.
and thousands OF dollars worth OF pTOvi-
sons and money have been sent TO this
county, and the cry Is, still il cOmcS-to
the great JOY andr OF the people Now,
this is all well and a. il should be. But for
the noble generosity OF strangers God only
knows the suffering these people would
have been subjected to.
We sincerely trust that at a proper time
this county will avail themselves Of the
privilege OF Offering some public testimO-
NAL Of their deep sense OF gratitude and
their profound appreciation OF such NUM-
icent generosity.
| wish ! could stop right here, but as
faithful chroncler OF the events Transporting
in this county, in justice to ourselves and
to the public, / cannot. Our people are
always sensational, and in the first gush.
when the cry comes up from women and
children for bread, we are too much in
clined to overdraw the picture. We are
panied TO see 10 what extent this matter Of
eXaggeration Of the condition OF affairs i'm
this county has been carried. To speak
the truth we will be censlned, and not 10
speak it our own conscience will reproach
us. We will agree that kind-hearted gem
tlemen have been deceived, and when they :
report that our people "stagger rs they
walk, and clamor for for bread; that they
"deyour ravenously raw meat" and that
there are :" five thousand ont of
population of twelve thousand actu-
ally starving-Some dead and many dy-
ing" that flour cannot be purchased in I
this county for $500 !. barrel-this is all a
mistake. To admit II is reflection upon
our civilization and a reproach to Chris /
tianty, and ii il was so | would feel
ashamed OF my county.
Strange 10 say, amid all the reports OF
suffering and dying, that our county Off
cials should remain Indifferent; 10 public /.
meetings. no organization, no relief COM
mittee. Ii these sensational reports are true.
we should AT once 90 10 work, and all the /
money, all the wealth., all our resources,
should be brought into active operation, |
and the last morsel OF bread divided.
God knows our condition is bad enough. |
We have had much suffering, but no deaths. 4
We are looking anXiously to our near ap- /
preaching harvest ii promises a fair Weld. /
This, with the liberal help from the chart
table and good, we hope will save us from
my iurther suffering. DAN.