The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-04-07
DO THEY SUFFER? {?
THE ALLEGED FAMINE DISTRICT
In woss ylrrlnia-some Distress Rsported,
but None ba. what Can be Relieved.
Some subIist G, on Diet of Maple
syrup and Game and Complain.
sn.cial pL.paleh . ~ IettlllaeaeF.

Special DIp1tch 10 hk iAtetleeaeR.
PlrrspuReu, April e.-s. w. Wall, es-
pecially detailed on q horseback journey
through the iamine.stricken district Of
West Virginia, has telegraphed the Times
the following account of the terrible suffer
ing in that State. There is need Of haste
to suceor the suffering in West
Virginia. The sun is shining brightly
here, the buds are swelling and the birds
sing blithely in the woods, but many q
farmer, standing at the threshold Of his log
cabin looks over hiswaste lands and beats
his breast, because he cannot still the
cries Of his famishing children. Do not
smile at this as strained figure, nor give
iteyen the grain Of allowance that is said
to be customary for theanxious complain
ing Of men; the tears and wan facesof
women and children may be accept
ted as evidence that it is true. have
seen and heard these, not in isolated
instances. but repeated at the hteside
Of cabin after cabin in weeks journey
through the district around which | would
draw q dark line on the map OF West Yir-
ginia to embrace the counties OF Calhoun,
Roane, Writ, Richie, Pleasants, Dod-
bridge, Lewis, Gilmer, Braxton, Upshur,
Webster, Nicholas, Clay and Jackson, and
parts Of many Of the counties adjoining
these. ~
THE STRICKEN DISTRICT.
In that district from June until Novem-
Der of last year, it did not rain sufficient
to change the color Of aploughed field.
The corn, oats and vegetables we're
scorched to death and the inhabitants Of
the counties named, who arefor the most
part small farmers, owning from FIVE to
fifty acres Of ground, were left entirely
without provisions. As . result
their cattle have died by the
hundreds and the people have lived on
corn meal and water, and the mortality,
among the children and the aged has
been very great at Elizabeth, the'county
seat Of Writ county. ilFt
81 ate supper there and breakfast with
out milk or butter" They said IL seemed
impossible to get either. They are not TO
be had in any part OF the famine district.
visited George E. Ball, President Judge
OF the Writ County Court, and
told him what had seen during
the Journey and learned authoritatiyely,
from him that the Court and County
Commissioners at a meeting held few
days before, had given the 0verseers OF
tho Poor an order upon q sinking fund OF
5000 to purchase provisions for reliet.
This has been done in five or six OF the
counties in the circle. In Calhoun this
action followed a meeting Of thes uterers,
at which they declared II bread was not
given them they would takeiit.
Despite the concessions7upon all these
points the authorities, Judge Ball for in-
stance, Levi Wells, County Commissioner,
the Overseer OF the Poor and many OF
the better provided citizens, insisted that
the state OF affairs was being exaggerated,
shiftless class.
THE GREAT REFRAIN.
"They who worked and provided against
these things had no right to be taxed for
the support Of those who did not, but the
county Is fully able to take care OF It's
poor" This last remark was refrain
that l heard sung all over the district
where man was found who was not in
want. When Levi Wells had done, he
whispered to an acquaintance:
near by, as in partial extenuation Of bis
hard tone, 1.-THE circulation Of stories Of
distress would give the county bad
name" But Fred. W. B. Hassier, who
lately dida business Of eight and nine
thousand a year in wool, but who
saws there Is not to-day that value
lof sheep In the State, who
now has mill that is not running, be-
cause there Is no corn TO grind, who gives
daily and literally to the poor, thought
lit a shame that many that he
knew as always having been working,
thrifty men should be compelled to swear
that they are paupers inorder to get relief"
AN ACT OF PROVIDENCE. t
"This distress is an act Providence
he said, sand no man need be ashamed Of
II. Out on the Standing Stone Creek,
Straight Creek and Spring Run, there are
many farmers who have no food to eat
from one day 10 another. Their only
recourse in the emergency Of their crops
failing is the cutting Of lumber
and cross.ties. There has been no de-
mand whatever for these, and II there
was, the river being frozen, they could
not transport them. You might travel
all through that district and not get feed
for your horse for the value OF the ami
NAL"
I had hardly gotten away from the town
when at turn in the road i discovered
one OF the ordinary log cabins OF the coun-
ltry, A few ragged children were playing
about and melancholy looking woman
was engaged filling the chinks between the
Ssiadan, Is your husband about2'1
Inquired. -,
"Can you tell me where 1mIght find
some stock for sale hereaboutsW
"Stockl there's no stock in these parts;
! it's all died off long ago.
aWhat seems TO have been the troable2"
"staryation. There has been very little
for man or beast in this county for months
and the stock has suffered"
GLOW have the people Jared theng
MGod knows how some OF them have
got along. do know that there have
been funerals in the neighborhoed every
day. My husband told me there was three
lin one day over back Of Aikenyille." n
INFANT WHAT sHE SAID. ie
nYou don't mean to say hepeople have
died from hunger2"
az mean to say Just that. They haven't
enough to eat," aud the woman chucked
the mud in the crevices with desperate
IaAnd how have You got along2 | ven.